You can finally comfortably WFH in the sun with this cardboard box hack

No more glaring screens or overheated laptops

4 years ago

As much as we all miss the freedom of normality, one thing that lockdown has blessed us with is the WFH experience. We’ve swapped out the long, sweaty commutes and expensive travel for lie-ins, comfortable clothes and the option to work in bed if we wish. It’s pure bliss and to top it off, when the sun’s out we don’t have to sit in a hot office, desperately glugging Diet Coke and counting down to lunch when we can squeeze in a mere hour of sun. Finally the fantasy of sunbathing with a nice beverage and tappidy tapping on our laptops is possible.

However, working in the sun comes with its challenges. You want to face the sun to get maximum face tan but then you’re squinting, so you put your sunglasses on and then you can’t see the screen. Instead, you try facing away from the sun – new problem – the sun is reflecting off the screen, blinding you and making it even more impossible to see what you’re doing. You shuffle around the garden for a bit and find the perfect angle so you can see the screen and tan but then half an hour later your laptop starts making crazy noises and you get a warning flash up that it’s overheating. Disaster.

It feels like there’s no possible solution and yet there is and it’s so simple it almost makes me sick thinking about all the sunny days I’ve wasted. Tom Woods shared his hack “The Cardboard Box” to his LinkedIn page and it’s genius. If you thought working from home couldn’t get better, just you wait sir!

What is the cardboard box hack?

The trick was shared by Tom Woods and involves one cardboard box, one laptop and a table. Tom introduced his idea in a post that showed a picture of his laptop inside a cardboard box with a very JML-style caption: “The latest in ‘Work From Home Technology’. When you are working from home and want to enjoy the sunshine, yet can’t see your laptop screen because of the sun! Get yourself the latest Technological breakthrough… The Cardboard Box. I can top up my tan and workout side, without any issues. Get yours today…👍”

Since he shared his invention, the post has had nearly 50,000 likes and over 3,000 comments. Naturally, there were a few sceptics who demanded to know: “But where is the thermal ventilator ?!!”. This didn’t phase Tom as he never promised perfection or ventilation simply an old box on its side – he replied: “It’s in a cardboard box… not an oven”.

All in all, people are obsessed and agree it solves a lot of problems. One reply said: “I’m embarrassed that I did not already come up with this myself. Amazing”, another said” “Omg genius I have had this daily dilemma!”.

How can I do the cardboard box hack?

All you need is a big cardboard box. To get it into the right position, open the top up and put it on its side. You need to make sure your laptop can fit inside and that the top and sides give enough shelter to protect the keyboard from the sun.

Like so

If the box has flaps you can sellotape them together to make it more stable. Then just find a table and chair, maybe a second chair to stretch your legs onto for some extra sun and get working. Hours of productivity will pass by and you’ll finish a day of work uber tanned.