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Optimal Workstation Heights Vision Care Equipment, Tools, Office Supplies

What is the Optimal Keyboard, Mouse and Monitor Height? Measurement A: Sitting Elbow Adjust the chair so your feet are firmly on the floor and your knees are even to or slightly lower than your hips. Relax your shoulders, place your hands in your lap, then raise your hand even with your elbow. Ask your ergo buddy to measure the distance from the floor to your elbow. Measurement B: Keyboard/Mouse Surface There are six options for the height of the surface that supports the keyboard and mouse, three for each style of typing. Select the option that matches the keyboard design and your tying style. Using the Sitting Elbow height you measured above (Measurement A), determine the correct keyboard/mouse surface height for yourself as follows: Touch typist 1" lower than sitting elbow if a standard keyboard is used. 2" lower than sitting elbow if alternative keyboard such as Logitech Comfort Duo or MicroSoft Natural keybaord is used. 3" lower than sitting elbow if keyboard tented up to 3"e (e.g., Goldtouch) is used. Non-touch typist Same height as sitting elbow if a standard keyboard is used. 1" lower than sitting elbow if alternative keyboard such as Logitech Comfort Duo or MicroSoft Natural keybaord is used. 2" lower than sitting elbow if keyboard tented up to 3"e (e.g., Goldtouch) is used. Note: You will always need to use a low profile keyboard tray if you have no space between your thighs and forearms and you do not look at the keys when you type. Measurement C: Monitor Height The monitor should never be so high that you have to lift your chin to see any part of the screen. Therefore, the top ¼ of the screen should be equal with your straight-ahead vision, unless most of your work is done in the lower ¼ of the screen (then the monitor can be higher) OR if you wear bifocals (then the monitor needs to be lower). Do not place the monitor on the hard drive/docking station if it sets it too high. The monitor should be close enough for you to see your work without holding your head forward. Reading/Writing Surface Your work surface should be 2" above your sitting elbow. You should be able to sit comfortably under the surface and work at it without elevating your shoulders. If the surface is not adjustable, you will need to raise your chair and use a footrest. Do not lower your chair to the incorrect height if the surface is too low. Instead, raise the surface so you can keep your knees slightly lower than your hips.

To reduce the risk factors leading to eye fatigue, refer to our article on eye care, The Eyes Have It, and follow the recommendations below:

• Adjust the screen height and distance to reduce excessive movement of the eyes to look up and down the monitor. Eye movement to read from side to side is less fatiguing and reduces repetitive realignment of the eyes. Avoid purchasing excessively large monitors to reduce unnecessary eye and neck fatigue related to constant and repetitive movements required to see the whole screen.
• Adjust the monitor contrast and brightness for comfortable viewing. When creating graphics or pages for online use, select light backgrounds with dark characters. Avoid using green or amber font color on a black background as these are more straining on the eye.
• Decrease glare and reflections by:
  1. Regularly cleaning the display screen
  2. Adjusting the angle tilt of the monitor to avoid reflections from the ceiling or overhead lighting.
  3. Use a glare visor to shield the screen from excess light from the top or sides. See our Glarescreens Product page for purchase information. Avoid using glare screens which darken the display causing further eye strain, and do not eliminate glare.
  4. Close window blinds to reduce glare and window reflections on the display. Consider reconfiguring your office if you have excessive reflection from windows. It is best to have the display at right angles to windows. Windows behind the display will reflect directly on the display and windows behind the display cause eye strain from looking right at the bright window all day.
• Use appropriate task lighting:
  1. Adjust ambient lighting, but do not turn off all of the lights. Eye strain is caused by a large contrast between the display brightness and the surrounding light levels. Reduce display brightness and increase ambient lighting to avoid contrast. Adjust ceiling lighting fixtures if they are too bright. Install less bright fluorescent tubes if possible.
  2. Use task lighting to illuminate printed material and desk work.
• Keep your eyes lubricated:
  1. Remember to blink and do not stare at the screen
  2. Keep a plant in your office to add humidity to the air
  3. Consider using moisture drops, especially if you wear contact lenses.
  4. Make sure your monitor is not too high, causing your eyes to be open too wide.
• Rest your eyes:
  1. Rest the muscles that keep your eyes open by closing them for a few seconds.
  2. Look at a distance of 20 or more feet every 20 minutes for 20 seconds. Go for a short walk. Stand and look above the cube walls.
• Have your eyes checked annually to make sure your vision is healthy and any glasses prescriptions are up to date. If you wear bifocal, trifocals or progressive lenses, make sure the prescription takes into account use of the computer monitor. Tilting the head back to use the bottom of such glasses is very fatiguing to the neck and to eye muscles. Consider getting computer glasses if you use the computer extensively and discuss prescription options with your eye doctor.

An "ergonomic" product is one that fits the user and is appropriate for the task (i.e., it does not cause discomfort or injury and improves productivity). There are a large variety of quality and cost-effective products available. Please refer to the Products portion of this website for our recommendations.

• Ergonomic chairs. Please click here for detailed information on selecting an appropriate chair.

• Wrist rests and arm supports. Wrist rests should be used to keep the wrists flat and off of a cold, hard surface when you are not typing or using the mouse. It is important to move your hands across the keyboard, to use your full arm while mousing, and to not plant your wrists on the rest to avoid hand strain.

• Footrests. A footrest should be used if the worksurface cannot be lowered to the appropriate height (i.e., keyboard surface @ 1 - 2" below the user’s sitting elbow height, writing surface @ 2" above sitting elbow height). The chair must be raised to accommodate the worksurface height, causing the knees to be lower than the hips. A footrest will improve this angle and, more importantly, will create adequate back support by allowing the back to rest against the back of the chair.

• Keyboards and trays. If your forearm is not parallel to the floor, the keyboard is too high. If your elbows are away from your body while typing/mousing, the keyboard/mouse is too far away. Finally, if your upper body feels tense while typing with your wrists off the rest/desk, the keyboard is too high. A keyboard tray is one option of improving your computer set-up. Warning: a keyboard tray should always be long enough to accommodate the mouse.

• Input devices (i.e. mice). Many standard-issue input devices are not designed correctly for the user’s hand. Alternative devices with a click-lock feature and programmable software are superior. (Note: The software can always be updated by downloading the latest version from the Internet.) The device must not increase stress in the hand, promote wrist extension, or overuse the thumb. The Logitech, Kensington products and Contour products are good options.
  
  The mouse or trackball should be placed adjacent to the keyboard. The user should be able to keep the elbow close to the body. Users tend to chase the mouse to the opposite side of the work surface and wind up using the mouse at full arm reach resulting in very awkward postures for the neck, upper back, and shoulders. Movement of the mouse should come from the shoulder and arm, not isolated to the wrist and hand. Trackballs should be moved with the entire palm, fingers, and forearm. Curling and extension of the fingers is not desireable.

• Office supplies. Writing tools, scissors and staplers can all cause undue stress in the user’s hands. Individuals should use the tools that fit their hands and task. For example, a pen that is too slim requires much more forearm force to grip than does a wider pen or a pen with a foam grip on it.

• Slant boards and document holders. To avoid serious neck and back pain, it is critical that all documents referred to during keyboarding are supported by a holder. Individuals who read or edit should always use a slantboard to prevent neck flexion.

• Monitor stands. Typically, the computer CPU case is not an appropriate monitor stand because it raises the monitor much higher than the user's straight-ahead vision. The top of the screen should be at eye level unless you are wearing bifocals, not the middle of the screen. Stackable risers or a height-adjustable stand is most effective for supporting the monitor.

• Computer accessories. Alternative keyboards and other computer accessories are not designed for all users. ("Ergonomic" keyboards sometimes cause more problems than they allieviate.)

• Headsets. If your job requires prolonged phone conversations or simultaneous phone and computer/desk work, a headset is a necessity. Cradling the phone causes tremendous neck strain.