Most desk discomfort isn't an equipment problem — it's a setup problem. Before you buy anything, spend ten minutes adjusting what you already own. Here's the sequence physios and ergonomists keep coming back to, in the order that makes each step easier than the last.
1. Set your chair height from your feet, not your desk
Sit all the way back and adjust the seat until your feet rest flat on the floor with your knees at roughly a right angle. If your desk then forces your arms up, raise the chair and put something stable under your feet — the chair fits your body first, the desk second.
2. Do the elbow check
With shoulders relaxed, your elbows should sit at about 90 degrees when your hands are on the keyboard. Shrugged shoulders mean the desk is effectively too high; reaching down means it's too low.
3. Check seat depth
You want two to three fingers of space between the front edge of the seat and the back of your knees. Less than that and the seat presses into your calves; much more and your thighs lose support. If your chair has seat-depth adjustment, this is what it's for.
4. Let the backrest do its job
Sit back until you feel the lumbar support meet the curve of your lower back — then leave it there. A backrest you hover in front of is furniture, not support. If your chair has adjustable lumbar, set it to fill the curve without pushing you forward.
5. Bring the screen to your eyes
The top of the screen should sit at or slightly below eye level, about an arm's length away. A laptop on the desk fails this test by definition — a stand plus external keyboard is the single cheapest ergonomic upgrade there is.
6. Keep the keyboard and mouse close
Both should sit close enough that your upper arms hang naturally. Wrists stay neutral — not bent up, not planted on a hard edge.
7. Recline is a feature, not a flaw
A slightly open hip angle takes load off the lower spine, which is why well-designed task chairs recline smoothly and lock at useful angles. Use the tilt through the day instead of holding one rigid posture.
8. Then move anyway
No setup survives four motionless hours. Stand when you take calls, refill the water glass more often than you need to, and give your eyes regular breaks by focusing on something distant. The best posture is the next one.
The 60-second recheck
- Feet flat, knees ~90°
- Elbows ~90°, shoulders relaxed
- Two to three fingers behind the knees
- Lower back touching the lumbar support
- Top of screen at eye level, arm's length away
If your current chair can't hold these settings — the height drifts, the lumbar doesn't adjust, the seat depth is fixed and wrong for you — that's when equipment actually becomes the answer. Our chair range lists fit ranges on every product page, and our sizing guide shows how to read them.