Have you finally made the shift to a standing desk? If you’re feeling a little bit lost on how to make the most of your office desk ergonomics, you’re not alone.
Apart from finding the correct desk height, you must find the correct monitor height to maximize the benefits of your standing desk.
Especially if you’ll be working all day, you must find the best standing desk monitor position that enhances your productivity and overall health.
The ideal monitor height should be that your eye level is five to ten centimeters below the top edge of the monitor. Keep the monitor angled 18 to 20 degrees below eye level to get the best field view and to avoid eye strain. As for monitor distance, it should be 1.5 to three feet away to avoid eye strain.
If you’re curious to know about improving your postural health, we’ll give you all the necessary skills to adjust your standing desk and monitor height.
Table of Contents
What is the Ergonomically Correct Height for a Desk?
The height of your standing desk plays a crucial role in preventing back and neck pain. Finding your ideal desk height is key to maximizing the benefits of standing versus sitting while working.
As a general rule, desk height should sit right below your elbow. But what does that mean?
Let’s look at the considerations:
Stand tall and hold your arms straight out. Your forearms should be parallel to the floor and you should be able to rest them on the table.
Get a standing desk that’s deep enough for your monitor to be at least 20 inches away from you. Ideally, your wrists should rest comfortably on your keyboard.
To get the best standing desk for you, get the measurement from the floor to your elbows. Remember to factor in the shoes that you’ll be wearing.
The standing desk that you get should be adjustable to its ergonomic height.
If you’re looking for a shared workstation, we recommend getting an electric standing desk .
Most models will have programmable heights for saving the best height for multiple users.
For standing desk work stations, the optimal height for height-adjustable tables should be in the 35 to 47-inch range.
How High Should a Monitor Be for a Standing Desk?
Knowing how to find the optimal height for your standing desk isn’t the end of the story. You should also adjust your monitor height to get the full ergonomic benefits of a standing desk.
Your monitor should work for you, not the other way around. To avoid bodily strains to your neck and shoulders, adjust your monitor height rather than forcing your body to endure an uncomfortable position.
The top third half (five to ten centimeters) of the center of your screen should be about 18 to 20 degrees below eye level.
This is because our eyes see more below the horizontal field of vision, meaning that your best field of view is below eye level. (Note: Position it one or two inches lower if you are wearing bifocals).
If your monitor isn’t settled on the right height, you should get a monitor stand or riser to correct the viewing position. At the same time, getting a stand or riser will free up some space on a cluttered work table.
We recommend monitoring stand risers with drawers and slots to keep your workspace organized. The SimpleHouseware Metal Desk Monitor Stand Riser is a great choice for a versatile monitor stand with multiple compartments.
If you need dual monitors for your line of work, there are also lots of dual monitor stands for limited desk spaces.
How to Get the Best Monitor Position for a Standing Desk?
Aside from height, here are the three considerations to finding the perfect monitor position:
Distance
Make sure to get a standing desk that’s wide enough for your monitor to be at least 1.5 to three feet away.
Having your screen at least an arm’s length away should allow you to see the entire screen comfortably. This is to protect your eyes and neck from unnecessary strain.
If you don’t have a standing desk at home, you can easily adjust monitor distance with the help of a standing desk converter with a keyboard tray .
For a multiple monitor setup, we recommend the to maximize your desk space.
Angle
Your monitor should also be tilted back slightly so that it’s perpendicular to your eyes. Tilting back your screen will also reduce glare from your monitor, which can be very uncomfortable, especially if you’ll be working the whole day.
We recommend getting a desk mount that makes it easy to tilt your monitor so you can get the best viewing angle to reduce strain on your eyes, neck, back, and shoulders.
The HUANUO Monitor Wall Mount Bracket uses a pneumatic spring system that offers a screen tilt range between -35 to +35 degrees. It also allows 180-degree swivel and 360-degree rotation.
Movement
It’s also important that you can easily adjust the position and orientation of your monitor with just a few adjustments.
With the help of an electric sit-to-stand workstation, you can easily move your monitor with the press of a button. The AVLT dual monitor standing desk supports three programmable heights. It even has a timer that tells you when it’s time to stand up!
Monitor arms are another no-frills solution to monitor movement. Most models support these movement types: articulating, tilt, swivel, and rotation.
- More Stable than Desk Monitor Mount - This single monitor wall mount is mounted on the wall, it is more stable than...
- Full Motion Adjustable Monitor Wall Mount - Adjustable wall mount monitor arm offers -35° to +35° tilt, 180°...
- Compatible with Most VESA Sizes - HUANUO single monitor wall mount comes with a VESA extension kit that fits most...
Conclusion
Making the most out of your standing desk doesn’t end at finding the ideal desk height. You should also mount your monitor to achieve optimal ergonomics.
The top third half of your screen should be about 18 to 20 degrees below eye level. To get the best viewing experience, it should be 1.5 to three meters away from you and it should be tilted back to reduce glare.
My name is Vance, and I am the owner of To Ergonomics. Our mission is to improve your workflow by helping you create a supportive and welcoming environment. We hope that you’ll find what you’re looking for while you’re here.