The Best Height for a Home Office Desk

When working from home, most people do not have the luxury of a trained colleague that can perform an inspection for optimal office desk or workstation set up. In these instances, it is important to do your utmost to set up the desk correctly yourself in a manner that does not negatively impact your body.

Generally speaking, this sounds simple but with humans having such a diverse range of heights and desks being more standardised, this can sometimes prove a difficulty. When it comes to optimal desk height, this is entirely dependent on the user and their posture and body. In this post, we will give you some tips on how best to set up your desk at home.

Correctly Setting Up Your Desk Height When Working From Home

Achieving a comfortable working environment is dependent on a number of factors. The desk, chair and monitor all have to be at the correct height and in the correct position in order to provide an adequate amount of support for your body. Let’s discuss the desk height in more detail.

Whilst you can find charts which tell you the optimum desk height for you, it is important to remember that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. As humans, we are unique and must find what is optimal for our individual bodies.

When sitting at a desk, your feet should be flat on the floor, your arms and wrists parallel to the desk and in a neutral position and the desk be slightly below your elbow height when your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. When using a standing desk, the recommendations remain the same but also, the knees should remain slightly bent so the joint is not in a locked position.

It is unlikely that you are going to be 100% accurate when setting your desk up for the first time. Trial and error can be a great ally; making small alterations of under 0.5 inches and then spending 30 minutes going about your work activities is an effective way of ascertaining the perfect height and positioning of your office chair, desk and monitor.

Why are Desk Ergonomics Important?

Optimal desk ergonomics not only provide comfort whilst working but also ensure parts of the body such as the spine, elbows and wrists are adequately supported throughout the day. If your home office desk is not set up correctly to your measurements, you could be subject to the following effects.

 

Short term

Almost immediately, users will feel discomfort and begin to form aches in areas such as the knees, elbows, spine and neck.

Long term

The long-term effects can range from a lowered metabolic rate and heightened risk of injury to much more severe conditions such as advanced spinal degeneration.

Luckily, the risk of these can be greatly reduced by a few simple techniques such as maintaining good seat posture, setting up your desk correctly and choosing an adjustable standing desk to alternate between sitting and standing.

Choose a Quality Desk at Hurdleys Office Furniture!

Are you looking for a quality yet affordable home office desk? Look no further than Hurdleys. We offer a plentiful range of sitting, standing and adjustable electric desks, so setting up the optimal workspace is easy when you buy through us. Browse our collection of office furniture today!