If your professional life hasn’t been flung into cyberspace of late, you’re a rare creature.

If you’re running your business, freelance gig or personal life through remote software and hardware, you should be considering the quality of your setup, no?

In previous years, getting by with the occasional Skype call on your five-year-old laptop with its tinny microphone and greasy, fingerprinted webcam was just fine.

But now, the ball game has changed.

You now have clients and colleagues to interact with on a regular basis. Maybe you’re doing live demos or lessons? Perhaps you’re interviewing prospective employees? Maybe you’re running team meetings and need to retain professionalism?

Content creation is a massive one too – you don’t want to be creating video or audio content, whether recorded or live, on inferior equipment.

If your remote setup is subpar, your quality of interaction and level of professionalism suffers with it. The time for ‘standard’ is over. It’s time to get serious – remote work isn’t going away any time soon.

Microphones

A lot of typical remote work calls go something like this:

“Can you hear me?”

“Well barely, but go ahead.”

Yeah, nah, let’s pay some attention to the most important aspect of your setup – the mic.

Not the camera? Well yes, that’s also extremely important, but it’s likely not every interaction you have is visible, making the microphone one of the most used pieces of remote work tech.

With the goal of affordable, easy to use and of high quality, let’s take a look at the market’s best rated and most popular microphones.

1) Blue Yeti

One of the best overall microphones you can buy. Although this bad boy is over 10 years old, it’s still on top of the pile. This mic has everything you need, whether an amateur meeting user or a semi-pro audiophile. Here we have a high-quality condenser mic (which They captures a larger frequency range) with a built-in stand and four different pattern modes.

Specs

  • mic type: condenser
  • audio patterns: bidirectional, cardioid, omnidirectional, stereo
  • size: 11.6 x 4.9 x 4.7 inches
  • connection type: USB

Pros

  • great quality all rounder
  • decent price
  • excellent sound quality

Cons

  • not as precise as specialised mics
  • true audiophiles may want more
  • not the best mount

3) Rode Podcaster

One of the best podcasting and voice over microphones on the market. If you’re serious about audio quality and dynamic range, especially for those voicing over content, doing webinars or podcasts, this is for you. Perfect for loud voices in small rooms, if you’re serious about voice, look no further.

Specs

  • mic type: dynamic
  • audio patterns: cardioid
  • size: 8.5 x 2.2 x 2.0 inches
  • connection type: USB

Pros

  • exceptional audio quality and range
  • perfect for podcasting and voice over
  • 10-year warranty

Cons

  • quite expensive
  • accessories are not standard and additionally expensive

Blue Snowball Ice

Another contender from Blue, this guy is your go-to budget option. The Snowball Ice is about the simplest, cheapest mic you can get from a top brand. The unit is compact and straightforward, with essentially no settings. Plug and play is what you get.

Specs

  • mic type: condenser
  • audio patterns: cardioid
  • size: 10.0 x 7.9 x 4.9 inches
  • connection type: USB

Pros

  • cheap
  • simple to use
  • stand included

Cons

  • no advanced features
  • unsuitable for podcasts
  • not for high end use

Cameras

Are you after a grainy effect? Perhaps a flickering image would suit you? How about terrible lighting and tone?

No? Then stop using your laptop’s built in camera.

In the age of remote work, especially when interacting with people you aren’t familiar with, you need to give the best optical impression you can.

Your face is your most important communication tool so give yourself a professional edge.

1) Logitech StreamCam

The best webcam for streaming and content creation.

If you’re a serious streamer or video content creator, the Logitech StreamCam is for you. A high frame rate and resolution makes it ideal for Twitch streams and high-quality YouTube videos.

Specs

  • resolution: 1080p
  • framerate: 60 fps
  • field of view: 78 degrees

Pros

  • perfect for content creation.
  • excellent picture quality and framerate
  • attractive design
  • offers landscape and portrait recording

Cons

  • expensive

2) Razer Kiyo

The difference between a good outcome and a great outcome for the same camera is often lighting. To resolve this, the Kiyo features an integrated ring light that helps illuminate your face as you hop on video calls or broadcast games online. This camera does it all.

Specs

  • resolution: 1080p
  • framerate: 30 fps (1080p); 60 fps (720p)
  • field of view: 81.6 degrees

Pros

  • built in ring light
  • good all-rounder
  • 60 fps recording options

Cons

  • expensive

3) Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000

A quality and affordable camera for the average punter and excellent for meetings. While it doesn’t excel in any particular area, for the price, you can’t go wrong with a cost-conscious all-rounder.

This camera is also enhanced by Microsoft’s LifeCam software, which offers a variety of filters and effects for customising your look.

Specs

  • resolution: 720p
  • framerate: 30 fps
  • field of view: 68.5 degrees

Pros

  • affordable
  • great software

Cons

  • could be crisper
  • can be hard to mount

Go forth now and professionalise your remote setup. The game has changed and you need to be delivering a higher quality output to keep your chin in the air.