Getting An Ergonomic Desk

Yes, believe it or not, choosing a desk can be an important part of your ergonomic setup.

Consider my own situation, where I had a desk and chair combination that drove me around the bend. I have arm rests on my chair that were exactly the right height for getting in the way when I am typing at my desk. Most ergonomic assessors will ask you to have your arm rests set to a height that allows you to rest your arms on them while maintaining a 90 degree angle with your elbows while typing. Usually, this means that your arm rests are at or near the height of your desk, and for me makes it very difficult to adjust my chair as needed to get me close enough to type. The arm rests just get in the way and force me to sit further back, and absolutely forget about pushing in your chair when you’re done!

So of course, the solution to this problem is to get a keyboard tray. This allows your arm rests to go on either side of the tray, allowing you ample flexibility to move your seat to the exact required position. It also means that your arm rests are lower and will comfortably fit under most desks without having to lower them and readjust them any time you want to use them again.

This was my biggest gripe with a fixed desk that requires your keyboard to be placed on top, but another thing that I could have done was to get a desk that could raise and lower as needed. That way, I could leave my arm rests as they are, exactly as I need them, and instead raise my desk slightly to tuck my chair away. Far less of an inconvenience!

Of course, this is not what this kind of desk is normally used for. It’s not called a sit/stand desk for no reason! There are many studies that suggest working while standing can actually be better for you if you are able to manage it. Having the option also allows you to keep working on that tight deadline while taking your standing stretch break. If you have the budget to have one of these desks, it’s highly recommended, and you will definitely see the advantages when it comes to being comfortable!

Finally, the last thing to consider when desk shopping is desk size. Yes, it’s one thing to have something that fits the space in the room you’re putting it, but it’s another thing entirely to ensure you have ample space for your monitors, keyboard, mouse, and any working materials that you use on a regular basis, whether it be pencils or pens, paper, important documents, sticky notes, and much more. Having an organization system that allows you to have everything in reach is highly preferential.

So there you have it, find a desk that suits your needs the best, and as always, do your research! You would be surprised at just how much inventory is out there and some of the deals that you are likely to find!