So you have your work station with a computer or laptop and a phone, but is that all you need to perform your daily tasks?


We have compiled a list of essential stationery items that you may require to be within arm's length on a daily basis. While some of these items might be obvious, some are less likely to come to mind but you might need them more often than you think.


1) Pen - of course, you knew you're going to need a pen, right? I recommend you have at least one black, blue and red pen close at hand. Depending on what you do, it always comes in handy to have different colours available. There is are a wide variety of Gel pens as well as ballpoint pens available in the market. When you're mobile and take your pen wherever you go, I'll highly recommend a click pen that has a pocket clip; the pen can be clipped onto your pocket and has no cap that can get lost. My personal favourite is the Pentel Energel BLN75 Gel Pen with a needle tip as I like the smooth writing that the gel ink offers combined with the fine writing the needle tip delivers.

2) Correction Tape or Fluid - Here you have plenty of options to choose from. Correction Tape is available in different shapes and sizes; Correction fluid with brush or Correction Pens with tips made out of plastic or metal. All depends on what you prefer and works best for you. At the end of the day, you'll need something to rectify that writing error as neatly as possible. I prefer correction tapes simply because it's a dry product; no mess or waiting to get dry, and my personal favourite is the Pritt Mini Correction Tape; it is small and compact.

3) Sticky Notes -Sticky notes are great for penning down notes and share it around the office. There are also plenty of options when it comes to sticky notes; from Small to Large, Bright to Pastel, Sticky to Extra Sticky, Single Pad to Cubes and, of course, a range of brands available. I usually buy a different type and brand each time I have to replace mine, so I have no real favourite as yet. Currently on my desk I have the Stick’n Mini Cube and it works perfectly.

4) Highlighters - Preferable you need at least two different colours to differentiate between your highlighting reasons in the same article, or to simply have fun with it. There are different types of highlighters on the market: liquid ink highlighters such as the Pentel 24/7 or Deli X-Flow, Erasable highlighter like Pilot frixion highlighters, Crayon type highligters like the Amos Dry Highlighters and then your standard highlighters like Stabilo Boss and the Penflex Higlo which you can also find in bright or Pastel colour options - there are plenty of options to choose from. When I use a highlighter it needs to be smooth, bright and accurate. For me the Pentel 24/7 or Deli  X-Flow accomplishes exactly this.

5) Glue Stick - Glue Sticks always comes in handy and I am not very particular when it comes to glue sticks. I personally stick to Pritt, Bostik or Gloy and so far I am happy and had no complaints on any one of them.

6) Calculator - Yes you have your computer and cellphone with built-in calculators, but when you perform several calculations at a time a good size calculator is a must-have. Pocket calculators works well when you're on the move, but for desk use, I would recommend something like the SHARP EL334 Mini Desk Calculator; it's not too big and not too small but easy to read and buttons are spaced well apart.

7) Pen Tray - You need to keep all these items and more somewhere neat on your desk or in your desk drawer. You'll either need a desk pen tray or drawer organizer depending on your personal preferences. Bantex offers both drawer and desk organisers in a wide range of colours.

8) Letter tray - It's a must have to keep your paperwork tidy and neat. You can also go with your favourite desk matching colour letter tray from Bantex. Bantex offers the Vision as well as their Optima range in these awesome colours. If you want something more executive, ALBA has a range of Metal Mesh letter trays also available in a wide range of colours.

These are only 8 items that I feel is a MUST have on the office desk, well at least to start off with. Yes, my desk has plenty more stationery items such as a Stapler, Punch, Ruler, Rubber bands, Whiteboard Marker, Foldback and Paper clips, but I wanted to focus on the more essential desk stationery. Let me know what you think, maybe we can add some of your suggestions to the list!