In early March of 2020, we were working on a post called “The Top Company Swag Items You Need.” Then about one million things happened at once. Everything got canceled, employees packed up to work from home, and the "new normal" that we've found ourselves in since (with many workforces embracing the fully remote lifestyle, some opting for hybrid arrangements, and others returning fully to the office) has introduced a lot of change to corporate culture.
But, company swag certainly still is a relevant thing. And, now more than ever, your team may love and appreciate a pack of company goods to feel a sense of camaraderie while working distributed.
The Best Work From Home Swag Items
T-shirts
Ranking custom t-shirts first on this list may look somewhat self-serving, but seriously, t-shirts are an essential part of every employee’s work from home uniform.
Giving your team a cool new company t-shirt to wear is a cool way to help make your team feel connected to company culture, even when you’re all working distributed. It's also kind of perfect advertising amidst the ongoing "Zoom Boom." Picture this: a member from your sales team is taking a call with a prospective customer. They're sitting in a random room in their house, but they're wearing a branded tee that shows some personality and some cohesiveness.
We've got a huge library of some of our favorite shirts to customize, but we can also source pretty much any style you're looking for—so just let us know!
Face masks
Face masks are an item that likely no one would have predicted to be ~all the rage~, but now we think they'll probably be around for a while, at least in some capacity.
If you’re putting together a work from home kit for your employees, definitely consider adding a fabric, washable face mask into the mix.
Order them blank, or customize them with your logo. Either way works—and we've got a ton of great options.
Socks
For the past few years, custom socks have been one of the hottest company swag items. Don’t believe it? Check this Buzzfeed article. You can even get socks with whoever has the best face in the office plastered all over them. Or you can just make them branded or bright.
Socks will be even more popular as everyone’s work attire takes a turn for the casual and comfortable. Customize them here.
Hoodie or Sweater
Again, comfortable swag items are going to be massive hits while we’re all working from home, and nothing is more comfortable than some soft fleece.
Wondering which fleece item to give your team? Check out our favorite work from home apparel pieces.
Tote bag
Tote bags aren’t exactly a novel idea, but they’re really handy right now. Having a reusable tote that you know is safe and sanitary is really beneficial, but it is also just a really easy way to reduce plastic use.
Custom totes are a great place to show off a bold design because they are truly a blank canvas—and they're actually easier to print on than a t-shirt, given the fact that they are basically just flat rectangles.
Make sure that you’re making a statement with your design and decide if it’s cool enough that you would want to tote it around.
Yoga mat
You should also always be encouraging your employees to get out and exercise, but now even more so. This is going to have a humongous impact on their work because it’s going to have a humongous impact on their health. If you want to reinforce that you have an active culture, get your employees a customized yoga mat.
Forbes has written about the multiple reasons why exercise can change your office. Energy levels and productivity go up, which has a significant impact on a daily basis. But more importantly, your employees will be healthier, which has a significant impact on reducing absenteeism and attrition.
Similar to tote bags, yoga mats are a great canvas. It’s basically nothing but a rectangle, so you can make a powerful statement about your brand.
Green swag
It’s always a good time to go green. If your company is environmentally friendly, which is always a good idea, you can get them something to reinforce those good habits. The tote we linked to above is environmentally friendly, but you could even go all out and stay well within the budget with a metal straw set.
In a 2014 study from Oxford University, they write, “We find a remarkable correlation between diligent sustainability business practices and economic performance.” So, it really is a win-win to go green. You’ll be doing the right thing, but you’ll also be helping the bottom line.
Drinkware
A cool beer glass or — if you’re more health-conscious — a cool water bottle is a welcome addition to anyone’s work from home desk setup. Everyone seems to be going from new water bottle to new water bottle, so do your research and get them one that stands the test of time.
Because nobody’s given me a branded water bottle, I’m currently using a large, empty Topo Chico glass bottle and refilling it on the daily. It does the trick, but I’m just pining for the day that I land some sick drinkware swag.
I’ve seen a bunch of great Corkcicle bottles out there, so they must hold up ok, and they allow you to customize with a bunch of different colors too.
Notebooks
This might sound a little boring, but for the creatives in your office, paper is never going out of style. Plus, as the days all start to blur together in quarantine, having somewhere to write down tasks will help keep focus.
Try to figure out if your employees like grid, lined, or blank paper because some of us get pretty passionate about the paper we use.
Once you find out, put your branding on the outside of a journal and encourage them to take great notes during meetings, but also encourage them to simply brainstorm with them. Moleskines are always popular, but you may be able to find something else a little more in the budget.
Pens
We might as well follow up one classic with its classic counterpoint: a pen. Pens aren’t going to really surprise anyone but they’re always going to be a solid choice. All great companies have their own set of pens.
This sounds like a budget-friendly option, but don’t cut corners with your pens. Just like a notebook, the people who are creating in your office are going to want to use great materials. They’re probably pretty set on the pen that they use every day and you’re going to need to impress them to have them change their pattern.
Also, you really don’t want the first impression someone has of your company to be a really poorly made pen. Check out these high-quality pens and find one that doesn’t break the bank but still wows.
Pennants
Pennants no longer only belong to sports teams and college fraternities. It’s time for you to celebrate the little and big wins with a team flag, even if that team is your company.
Teamwork is central to making the office–– or in this case, home office –– both somewhere where people want to work and somewhere where things happen. Getting some swag that makes you guys look like a winning team won’t do you any harm. Check out these pennants here at Oxford Pennants. They’re not wrong when they say you should “Celebrate Everything.”
Hats
Everyone needs a good hat for a bad hair day –– especially for the days when we just want to get out of bed and get to work. Retro snapback hats will always be in style, so see if you can showcase your company’s brand with a classic baseball cap. Just like pennants, this is another way of highlighting that your employees are a team.
We make some great custom, comfortable, and stylish hats and beanies at Real Thread, just ready and waiting to be made your own with some snazzy custom embroidery. Check out our wide selection of custom hats!
Succulents
A succulent will be an excellent way of investing in your team’s work from home setup and helping to make it feel like home.
You may be able to find succulents that match your company colors, but the easier way to customize is to put them in a nice potter. If you do decide to get some succulent swag, you should go straight to the source — the succulent source.
Stickers
It’s always worth it to have company stickers on hand. People tend to plaster everything from laptops to luggage in stickers, and if they use one of yours, you just bought yourself some really cheap advertising.
StickerMule does a really great job making customizable stickers that pop. This may be one of the better options if you’re on a tight budget and they have more design options than you could possibly imagine for a sticker.
Let’s get started
Ready to send a pick-me-up to your team by the way of company swag? We’d love to help! We can’t create all of the items on this list, but for t-shirts, fleece, masks, or hats, we’ve definitely got you covered.
Plus, if you want to send us the rest of your items to distribute to your team, we can handle the shipping 😉
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