Skip to content
setuplify

How to4 min read

How to set up an ergonomic desk, step by step

Chair first, then desk height, monitor height and distance, keyboard and mouse, and lighting: the order that works, with our gear picks for each step.

By Setuplify Lab

Black Sihoo Doro C300 mesh office chair with headrest and chrome base, front view

Some links on this page are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our picks. How we make money

An ergonomic desk setup is mostly about order. Start with the chair, set the desk to the chair, then the screen to your eyes, then your hands, then the light. Do it the other way round and you spend the day adapting your body to the furniture. Here is the sequence, with the gear we would pick for each step if yours does not adjust.

1. Chair: set your base

Sit all the way back. Raise or lower the seat until your feet are flat on the floor and your knees sit at about the height of your hips. Leave two or three fingers between the front edge of the seat and the back of your knees. Then place the lumbar support in the curve of your lower back.

If your chair cannot do this, it is the first thing to replace. The Sihoo Doro C300 is our pick for most people: its lumbar support follows your spine on its own and the recline sets itself from your weight, so it is comfortable without fiddling. If you are tall or your thighs feel unsupported, the Doro C300 Pro adds the seat depth adjustment the C300 lacks. On a small budget, the Sihoo M57 has a lumbar pad you can move up, down, in and out. Our best office chairs and best budget office chairs guides cover more options.

2. Desk: match it to your elbows

With your shoulders relaxed and your elbows bent at about 90 degrees, your forearms should rest flat on the desk, roughly at elbow height. A typical fixed desk sits around 73 cm (28 3/4 in), which suits some people and not others.

If your desk is too high, raise the chair and add a footrest such as the IKEA ÖVNING. If you can choose, a standing desk solves the problem properly: you set the exact sitting height, and you can stand for part of the day. The FlexiSpot E7 goes from 58 to 123 cm before the top and stores your heights as presets, so switching takes one button. See our standing desk picks for more.

FlexiSpot Desk

FlexiSpot E7 Standing Desk

Setuplify score: 8.6/10

A dual-motor standing desk frame rated for 355 lb, sold here with a 63 in (160 cm) laminate top.

1,600 mmYes

$589.99Check priceat FlexiSpot(Affiliate link)

3. Monitor: height and distance

  • Height: the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, so you look slightly down at the middle of the screen.
  • Distance: roughly an arm's length. Larger screens sit further back.
  • Angle: straight in front of you with one screen. With two, put the main one in front and the second to the side, or center the join if you use both equally.

If your monitor's stand only tilts, a monitor arm fixes height and distance at once and frees the desk. The Ergotron LX Pro holds screens up to 34 inches and moves smoothly; our monitor arm guide covers cheaper and dual options.

Ergotron Monitor arm

Ergotron LX Pro Premium Monitor Arm (Matte Black)

Setuplify score: 8.9/10

The updated single LX arm in matte black, for screens up to 34 in and 4 to 22 lb, with tidier cable management and a 10-year warranty.

1

$199Check priceat Amazon(Affiliate link)

4. Keyboard and mouse: keep your wrists straight

Place the keyboard close to the desk edge, with the letter keys centered in front of you (on a full-size keyboard, the number pad pushes the mouse further out). Keep the mouse right next to it, so your arm stays close to your body.

Two pieces of gear help most people:

  • A keyboard with a palm rest, such as the Logitech Wave Keys: a wave-shaped layout with a cushioned memory foam rest and no learning curve.
  • A vertical mouse such as the Logitech Lift, which holds your hand at a 57-degree handshake angle. It is sized for small to medium hands and comes in a left-handed version.

Our guides to keyboards for work and mice for work compare more options.

5. Lighting: light the desk, not the screen

Avoid working in a dark room with a bright screen, and avoid lamps that shine on the monitor. A monitor light bar like the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 lights the desk with no glare on the screen and adds a backlight that softens the contrast with the wall behind. In a brighter room, the ScreenBar Pro gives the same wide desk light for less and turns itself on when you sit down. Our monitor light bar guide compares them, and our desk lighting guide also has a budget lamp.

6. Move

The best setup still needs breaks. Stand up, look away from the screen, and if you have a standing desk, change position a few times a day rather than standing for hours.

Checklist

  1. Feet flat, knees at hip height, lumbar support in the curve of your back.
  2. Desk at elbow height.
  3. Top of the screen at eye level, about an arm's length away.
  4. Keyboard close, mouse right beside it, wrists straight.
  5. Light on the desk, not on the screen.

Want to check a whole setup at once? Build it in the Setup Builder, or see our home office setup.

Written by

Setuplify Lab, Editorial team

The Setuplify team builds, photographs and takes apart desk setups so you can pick parts with confidence.

See it on a desk

Setups from this guide, with every component listed.

  • Bright home office by a large window with a lake view: a FlexiSpot standing desk with a light wood top, a Dell monitor on a silver arm with a webcam on top, a laptop on a silver stand, a keyboard and mouse on a grey mat, headphones on a stand, a dark gray architect lamp, a mesh tray under the desk, a black mesh chair with a headrest and a grey standing mat on the floor

    Standing Ops

    A sit/stand home office set up for back-to-back video calls.

    $1,84511 of 12 parts sold here

    12 components

  • Dark developer desk at night with a 34-inch curved Dell ultrawide showing code under a BenQ light bar, a Dell monitor in portrait on an arm on the right, a laptop on a silver stand on the left, a split Keychron keyboard and a vertical Logitech mouse, a CalDigit dock, a dark wood standing desk on a black frame and a Herman Miller Aeron chair

    Night Shift Dev

    A curved ultrawide, a vertical screen and a split keyboard for long coding nights.

    $4,6449 of 10 parts sold here

    10 components

  • Bright home office in afternoon light: a white Dell 32-inch monitor on a black Ergotron arm above a FlexiSpot standing desk with a bamboo top, a BenQ ScreenBar Pro and an Insta360 Link 2 webcam on top of the screen, wood-sided Edifier speakers on each side, a graphite Logitech keyboard and mouse on a gray felt mat, a black Sihoo mesh chair in front and a window with sheer curtains on the left

    Quiet Hours

    A calm home office in bamboo and felt, built for long days of video calls and focused work.

    $2,486

    10 components

Keep reading

All guides
Grey Anker Prime docking station standing upright with its status screen and front ports, power cable attached, on a plain background

Setup guide 8 min read

How to build a one-cable laptop desk setup

Plug in one USB-C cable and get your monitors, keyboard, network and charging: which dock fits your laptop, how to raise or park the laptop, and where to hide the rest.

Questions people ask

How high should my monitor be?

The top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, about an arm's length away, so you look slightly down at the middle. If your monitor stand does not adjust in height, a monitor arm or a laptop stand fixes it.

What is the right desk height?

The height where your forearms rest flat with your shoulders relaxed and your elbows at about 90 degrees, once your chair is set with your feet flat on the floor. It differs from person to person, which is why a height-adjustable desk helps; on a fixed desk, raise the chair and add a footrest.

Is a vertical mouse better for your wrist?

A vertical mouse like the Logitech Lift holds your hand at a handshake angle (57 degrees on the Lift) instead of flat on the desk, which many people find more comfortable over long days. Check your hand size first: the Lift is made for small to medium hands.

Open the Setup Builder