One of the best standing desks can be the perfect upgrade for your workspace regardless of whether you’re working from home or in the office. Standing desks give you additional flexibility as you can sit or stand while working and they can even help improve your health too.
If you’ve been experiencing issues with back pain or just want to improve your posture instead of being hunched over at a computer all day, a standing desk could be right for you. Likewise, you may find that using a standing desk throughout the day can help with your productivity since you can alternate between sitting or standing depending on the task at hand.
Everyone is an individual so the ideal height of your standing desk will be different to someone else. For the best ergonomic benefits, the desktop of your standing desk should be elevated such that your elbows are bent at a 90 to 100-degree angle when standing. The height between the desktop and the floor is the ideal desk height for you.
A desktop that is too high will elevate your wrists at a slight angle. If it’s too low then your hands will be hanging at an angle. So it’s really important to have your elbow bent at 90 to 100 degrees and your wrists naturally resting on your desk when working.
When it comes to sitting, the principles are essentially the same as compared to standing. Whilst seated in your ergonomic chair, your elbows should be at 90 to 100 degrees to the desktop without your shoulder blades pulled upwards.
The desktop of your sit-stand desk should not be lower than the chair’s armrests as your wrists and fingers will be too far from the keyboard keys. Your feet should be flat on the floor directly beneath you and good lumbar support will ensure you can sit for longer periods.
Setting the ideal standing desk height is one thing but the position of your computer monitor is another. Ideally, your eyes should naturally rest at the top third of your computer screen whilst letting your gaze reach downwards towards its centre. Recent research indicates that your head should be between 40cm and 75cm from your screen to avoid eye strain.
Arms that suspend one or two computer screens or a simple monitor stand may prove to be worthwhile investments.
There are various accessories on the market that you can use at your height-adjustable standing desk to help you achieve optimal ergonomics.
The standing desk accessory I highly recommend is monitor arms. These popular additions have multiple pivoting joints that allow you to easily raise or lower your computer screens with ease. You can even switch the orientation of your monitors or suspension angle at will. If you don’t have the money for arms then the humble monitor stand will do just fine.
Most standing desks have minimum limits on their vertical range. So a good ergonomic chair can come in handy when you’re trying to find the correct standing desk height for you. Just be sure that the chair’s armrests don’t impede the desktop.
Keyboard trays are not commonly found on adjustable standing desks nowadays, but installing one can be useful since they lower the elevation of your keyboard. Adding a keyboard tray to these desks can help put your arms in a correct position that doesn’t force your wrists to sit in an uncomfortable position.
