What’s the One Thing You Can’t Code Without? Essential Developer Desk Items and the Linus Torvalds Reality Check
We all spend hours — sometimes entire days — in front of our desks writing code, debugging, and shipping features. A good setup can make those hours feel smoother, healthier, and more productive. But what actually matters?
One thing you notice quickly in the dev community: people are passionate about their setups. Some invest in expensive ergonomic gear, others prefer to keep things extremely simple, yet both approaches seem to work amazingly well.
Here are the items that come up again and again as game-changers in desk setup threads, comments, and photos across Dev.to, Reddit, and Hacker News.
The Most Loved (and Most Debated) Desk Items
Ergonomic Chair
The undisputed king. Herman Miller Aeron, Steelcase Gesture, or more affordable options like Sihoo and Secretlab dominate conversations. Reason: long coding sessions without back pain = more focus and fewer sick days.Big/High-Quality Monitor(s)
Dual setups, ultrawides (34"+), or 4K 27-32" panels. More screen real estate means less tab-switching and easier debugging.Mechanical Keyboard
Clicky, tactile, custom — Keychron, Ducky, or full custom builds. Devs love the feel and the speed.Good Lighting
Often underrated until someone tries it. BenQ ScreenBar, desk lamps with adjustable temperature, or just natural light setups. Reduces eye strain dramatically.Standing Desk or Converter + Ergonomic Mouse
Alternating sitting and standing, plus vertical mice to avoid wrist pain.Cable Management & Small Quality-of-Life Touches
Monitor arms, plants, good headphones, or a clean cable tray.
The Linus Torvalds Reminder: Simplicity Works Too
While many of us chase the perfect chair or ultrawide, Linus Torvalds — creator of Linux and Git — keeps his setup remarkably simple: solid hardware, multiple monitors for productivity, but no fancy RGB or obsession with gear. Just tools that get out of the way and let him code.
It’s a good reality check: you don’t need to spend thousands to be effective.
Now It’s Your Turn
This post is really about you. What’s the one item (or habit) in your desk setup that you genuinely consider indispensable?
For me, it's my simple wireless mouse and regular weight training 🏋️♂️ — keeps my wrist happy and my energy up.
Drop your must-have in the comments. Bonus points if you share a photo or quick description! The best recommendations always come from the community 👇
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Top comments (11)
I recently got a standing desk and it makes a difference for my energy level to stand up more.
Sounds great! Have you noticed any downsides? I still need to stop and stretch sometimes, so I’m curious how it feels after a few hours
I alternate standing up with sitting down sessions which also helps break up coding sessions. Switching also reminds me its time to drink water.
This all sounds like fiction! I have:
It’s not about the gear, it’s about the person behind the screen. Keep grinding💪
Nice Post! The things you listed are more of my dream setup. The only thing I got is an L-shape Desk with a laptop :p
Other than that, nice!
If it compiles, that's all that matters! And it sounds like you have plenty of room with that L-shaped desk; you'll fill it up bit by bit 🤩
Bare bones: monitor that's eye level (either external or propped up), which results in an external keyboard (where my elbows are 90 degrees) and a mouse (ideally ergonomic). So my one thing really leads to three total necessities. And since most desks aren't going to be the perfect height to accomplish these things...then I need an adjustable desk 😄 Feeling very high maintenance all of a sudden!
Jess, thanks so much for commenting 🙌
Love your ergonomics chain reaction: eye-level monitor - keyboard - mouse - adjustable desk. You're spot on it's not high maintenance, it's just smart for long-term health.
My own must-haves are a wireless mouse, a comfy chair, and a wireless headset :D
Thanks again for the insight and for building this incredible community!
I completely agree, Richard. even if it doesn't seem like it, it makes a huge difference, and your eyes will thank you! 😊