Home office setups have become a must-have in this worldwide covid-19 pandemic. Making the most of available space and time is on everyone’s minds right now. Let’s explore ergonomy and health issues for your home office setup together.
Home Office Furniture Choices
Your furniture choices when it comes to a home office setup can make or break your health. Maybe not right away, but everytime you sit down on an uncomfortable chair or work from a desk that is the wrong height, you strain your body. So what are the most important home office furniture choices you have to make right from the start?
The home office chair
Choosing the right ergonomic home office chair can mean the difference between a sustained work from home schedule and continuous pain. Invest in a home office chair that supports your lower back and neck while allowing your shoulders and wrists to sit in a neutral position.
The most important feature of a home office chair is adjustability. Some chairs can even adjust to temperature changes thanks to the material they’re made of.
Not all office chairs are suited for everybody since we’re all different. But there are a few pointers that can help you choose the best work from home chair. For example, creating a 90 degree angle at your waist, knees (with feet flat on the floor) and wrists is the basic posture for working without strain. Sit all the way back in your chair, with shoulders back and relaxed.
What to take into account when shopping for a home office chair:
– adjustability – see how different chair components can be adjusted to your needs (height, lumbar support, seat inclination, seat depth, armrests, head rest),
– materials (some mesh materials are breathable and some adjust to your movements, supporting comfortable, neutral positions. Others, like memory foam, adapt to your shape),
– adaptability (the chair you choose should be able to support and adapt to your movements without effort from your part).
Ergonomic office chairs worth investing in:
- Sayl Chair by Herman Miller
- Herman Miller’s Aeron chair
- Gesture chair from Steelcase
- Ergohuman by Eurotech
- Balt Butterfly Executive Chair
The home office desk
The right home office desk must have a few features that ensure your body sits in a comfortable, healthy position.
Height-adjustable standing desks / Adjustable Monitor Stands
Home office desks that have adjustable height help support your home office work and prove their worth after hours and hours of working. Either invest in a height adjustable desk or use an adjustable monitor stand for the desk you already have to keep a healthy working position.
Sitting or standing, elevating your computer/laptop to eye level and making sure your arms can rest in a 90 degree angle are basic steps in creating that DYI home office setup.
Here are a few options you should consider:
- Varidesk Height-Adjustable Standing Desk
- VariElectric Standing Desk 48
- Airlift Tempered Glass Electric Standing Desk
- Mobile Laptop Desk Cart
- ErgotronHome Lift35
- AmazonBasics Adjustable Monitor Stand
- Humanscale QuickStand
- Ergotron Sit-Stand Workstation
While using a standing desk, remember good posture: tall neck and a neutral spine, shoulders relaxed and wrists parallel with your desk. Your feet should not be locked in place, but rather be slighly bent.
Also please remember that alternating between sitting down, standing and moving while working is the best choice when working from home.
Home Office Posture Devices
As important as your home office furniture choices might be, the posture you keep while working is the other half of the story. “Sitting up right” can be easier with the right chair and desk, yet you might need some more help to keep a good position.
From a postural standpoint, your home office hours can take a toll on your body if you ignore setting up a functional home office discipline. Remote full-time jobs might even require you to invest in the best home office posture devices for longtime health.
Lumbar Support Posture Devices
- Easy Posture Lumbar Back Support Mesh
- Core Products SitBack Rest
- Ajuvia Back Vitalizer
Seat Support Posture Devices
- Gaiam Balance Disc
- Aylio Coccyx Orthopedic Comfort Foam Seat Cushion
- BackJoy SitSmart Posture Plus
Feet Support Posture Devices
- Topo Comfort Mat by Ergodriven
- Genius Mat by Sky Mats
- Pono Board – The Level Motion Balance Board
Posture Gadgets
For those of you who love gadgets, the examples below are deemed as “digital posture coaches”.
- Upright Go (gentle vibrations for sitting up right),
- Luma Life Posture Coach and Activity Tracker (monitors your steps, calories burned, distance, and posture),
- BetterBack Therapy Posture Support System (uses heat and ice therapy features).
Strong abs and back muscles are absolutely important when it comes to working long hours. Preparing your body for working from home can even be done during work hours with some essential home office fitness equipment.
