Let’s outline the ideal ergonomic configuration for your standing desk. Before we get started, we should note that you should not stand for eight hours a day, every day. You should switch between sitting, standing, and walking at one to two-hour intervals. This helps to simulate the environment your body was made for—our bodies were not really meant to do anything for eight hours straight other than sleep. Changing your work position promotes better blood flow and reduces the chance of pain in the long term.
Standing Desk Height and Wrist Alignment
The first thing you want to do is make sure that your desktop is at the correct height. The determining factor should be the position of your wrist and forearm while typing. You want to make sure that your wrists are at a neutral position, or as close to it as possible. This means that your wrists should be close to level with your forearms, and your elbows should be only slightly bent. iMovR’s Steadytype line of adjustable built-in keyboard trays makes ideal ergonomics achievable, as you can tilt your keyboard down, allowing you to easily keep your wrists straight. If you don't have a SteadyType keyboard, you'll have to bend your elbows more in order to keep your wrists straight.
It will take a bit of adjusting to find the ideal height for your standing desk. There’s no harm in making minor adjustments to your standing desk height either—just make sure your wrists are staying straight.
Monitor Ergonomics
The next piece of the puzzle is your monitor. For anyone over 5’2” or so, working while standing requires a monitor arm for proper ergonomics—otherwise, your monitor will not be high enough and you’ll end up straining your neck. The top of your monitor should be at about eye level, which means you can look straight ahead without bending your neck.
Additionally, you’ll want to be at about arm’s length from your monitor. This is mostly up to personal preference—the real goal is to minimize neck movement while working. For this reason, the ideal monitor size for most people is 20-24 inches. Dual monitors present a minor ergonomic challenge, as they necessitate head-turning to use. We recommend changing your “main” screen every so often so that your neck isn’t constantly turned in one direction.
Posture
Just as avoiding slouching is an essential part of sitting ergonomics, keeping “good” posture is key to standing ergonomics. Standing up straight helps to prevent back pain. You’ll find that as you stand, you naturally shift positions slightly, and that’s ok. The key parts of standing ergonomics are to keep your chest open and your shoulders back—don’t hunch over your desk for long periods of time. Additionally, you’ll want to keep your upper arms close to your body. If you have to extend your arms forward like you’re in a conga line, you’re too far from your keyboard.
Use a Standing Mat
A good standing mat is an essential part of your active workstation. iMovR’s line of EcoLast Premium standing mats are made from 100% polyurethane at 0.75” thickness, alleviating foot pain and allowing users to stand for longer periods of time. While it may seem superfluous, most users find that once they’ve worked with a good standing mat, it’s hard to go back to standing on plain carpet or hard flooring.
To Summarize:
- Keep your wrists straight
- Keep your arms at a neutral position
- The top of your monitor should be at eye level
- Your monitor should be approximately arm’s length away
- Your upper arms should be close to your body
- Stand up straight, with your chest open and shoulders back
A Note on Laptops
It’s worth noting that laptops are especially problematic with standing desks. Laptops were designed to be used while sitting—that’s the only way that the screen-attached-to-keyboard model makes any sense. We highly recommend outfitting your setup with both a peripheral keyboard and an external monitor with a monitor arm, like the iMovR Dual-Purpose Laptop Holder or Laptop Mount Tray. You don't want to look downwards all day and suffer neck pain, so the monitor arm is necessary for optimal placement.
If you intend to use your laptop screen in addition to the monitor, we recommend using a notebook adapter and a second monitor arm, allowing you to position your laptop above your desk, in conjunction with a peripheral keyboard. If you only need one monitor, you can use your laptop keyboard, making sure to set your desk at the right height without having to worry about looking down at the screen. The only problem with using your laptop keyboard is that you sacrifice the ergonomics of "split" keyboards, which offer a host of benefits.
