Make life easier: set up a workstation that’s just right for you

First I’ll describe a sitting workstation:

You’ll want to sit comfortably with both feet resting on the floor or on a footrest.  Your hips should be at the same height as your knees, or just a little higher; this is called in the trade an “open hip angle”.  Your arms should be free of armrests.  And your arms should be in a neutral posture, that is, hanging straight at your sides neither in front of nor behind your torso.  Now for the most important part: if you measure the height of the tip of your bent elbow, with arms right at your sides, that’s the correct height for the middle row of keys on your keyboard.  And by the way, if you’re standing, you’ll use the same measurement for your keyboard height.

Now for the monitor.  The top of the monitor should be approximately even with your eyebrows.  If you use more than one monitor, and they are of different heights, the tallest one should be in this position.  The monitor should be at the very least 12″ from your face.  The farther away it is, the easier it is on your neck.  20″ is ideal for most people, using one monitor.  Rule of thumb: the bigger or more numerous your monitors, the farther away it should be.

For a standing workstation: 

In order to stand comfortably for long periods of time, standing with one foot slightly higher than the other by using a footrest or a low stool can make life easier on your lower back. All the above parameters for arm position, monitor and keyboard heights are the same.

What can you do when your workstation doesn’t fit?

If your keyboard is too high, there are two easy fixes: attach a keyboard tray,  which will bring your keyboard two to five inches lower than your desktop.  Or, get a chair with a “tall cylinder” that will raise you three to five inches taller than a standard office chair.  Many chair manufacturers will retrofit your chair with a tall cylinder.  If the taller chair height does not allow your feet to rest on the floor, use a footrest.

Some practical advice:read this before you spend any money on new stuff

Sit to stand workstations are all the rage. However, unless you are willing to stand all the time, beware of devices that sit atop your desk.  You may not be able to sit and comfortably use the keyboard with one of these devices installed.  A desktop that goes up and down can be a wonderful thing.  But you need to make sure that it will go low enough or that it will accommodate a keyboard tray.  The industry standard for desk height is about 29″.  Standard keyboard surface height is about 26″.  Standard chair height is about 18″.  Human beings, however, come in all different sizes and proportions.  You may be relatively long or short in your arms, torso, legs, and tooth (though the latter should not affect your computer station).  So try things out before you commit!