Desk Ergonomics Checklist

Run through these 20 checks once. Most problems are fixed in minutes; the payoff is years of lower-back, neck, and wrist pain prevention.

Chair setup (6 checks)

• Seat height: feet flat on the floor or a footrest; thighs roughly horizontal; knees at or slightly below hip height. Use the desk height calculator to find your ideal seat height.
• Seat depth: 2–3 fingers of clearance between the back of your knee and the front edge of the seat pan. Sitting too far into a deep seat forces you to perch or slump.
• Seat tilt: neutral to slightly forward (1–5°). A slight forward tilt encourages an anterior pelvic tilt and maintains the lumbar curve.
• Lumbar support: the chair back or a lumbar roll provides light contact at belt height, supporting the natural inward curve of your lower back. Not pushing you forward aggressively — just filling the gap.
• Backrest angle: 100–110° recline from the seat. Slightly reclined is better than strict 90° for disc load.
• Armrests (if present): low enough that your shoulders are relaxed and not shrugged; close enough that your elbows rest gently at your sides. If armrests force your arms out or your shoulders up, lower them or remove them.

Desk height (2 checks)

• Desk height: when sitting correctly, your elbows should be approximately at desk height when your arms hang naturally at your sides. Desk too high → shrugged shoulders and wrist extension. Desk too low → hunched forward. Use the desk height calculator to find your number.
• Desk depth: enough room to position your keyboard close to you (forearms nearly horizontal) with the monitor at arm's length behind it. A desk that's too shallow forces the monitor too close.

Monitor setup (5 checks)

• Monitor height: top edge of the screen at or very slightly below your horizontal eye line when sitting upright with a neutral spine. Head should be upright — not tilted down to read.
• Monitor distance: roughly arm's length (50–70 cm / 20–28 in) for most monitors. Too close causes eye strain and forces your neck to flex. Use the monitor distance calculator to find your exact recommended distance by screen size.
• Monitor tilt: screen perpendicular to your line of sight or tilted very slightly (5–10°) with the top farther than the bottom. Reduces neck extension.
• Glare: no window or bright light source directly behind or in front of the screen. Side lighting is best. Use blinds or reposition the desk if needed.
• Multiple monitors: if you have two monitors, position the primary (most-used) directly in front of you. Secondary monitor at the same height, angled in. Avoid positioning a second monitor far to the side — sustained lateral neck rotation leads to pain.

Keyboard and mouse (4 checks)

• Keyboard position: close to the front edge of the desk, so your forearms are nearly horizontal. Elbows at your sides, not out in front.
• Wrist position: wrists approximately neutral when typing — not bent up (extension) or down (flexion) for extended periods. A wrist rest helps during pauses but shouldn't be used while actively typing.
• Mouse position: same height as the keyboard, immediately to the side of it. The further your mouse is from your keyboard, the more you extend your arm and internally rotate your shoulder. Ideally, minimize travel.
• Laptop keyboard: if you're using a laptop at a stand (correct height), you must have an external keyboard and mouse. The laptop keyboard is now too far away and too low.

Lighting (2 checks)

• Ambient lighting: bright enough to prevent your pupils dilating (which worsens eye strain), but not so bright that it creates contrast glare against the screen. A room that's roughly 1/3 as bright as your screen is a good target.
• Bias lighting: a light behind your monitor at roughly the same color temperature as your screen reduces the perceived contrast between screen and surroundings, reducing eye fatigue over long sessions.

Break habits (1 check)

• Regular breaks: at minimum, a 20-second posture reset every 20–30 minutes — sit tall, roll shoulders back, look away from the screen. Use the posture break timer to automate this. Ideally, stand up and walk briefly every 45–60 minutes.