INTHEBLACK April 2025 - Magazine - Page 58
WORK SMART
TECH STACK
Ergonomic
home office
equipment
While working from home offers the freedom to forgo formal attire,
it is still essential to ensure your workspace supports your health
and wellbeing. Here are five top picks to create an ergonomic
home office set-up.
Words Adam Turner
AN ERGONOMIC WORKSPACE IS DESIGNED
to encourage correct posture, to avoid a stiff
neck and shoulders, a sore back and aching
wrists, as well as more permanent injuries.
There's much more to ergonomically sound
posture than simply sitting up straight, which
is why moving with a laptop from the couch
to the dining table is not enough.
Dining chairs are typically too low relative
to the table, which is why it is best to invest
in an adjustable desk and office chair with
good back support. If there’s no space
at home for a desk, sitting in an adjustable
office chair at the dining table still helps
to improve posture.
Good posture requires elbows level with
the tabletop, to ensure they bend at 90
degrees and wrists remain straight when
reaching for the keyboard.
58 INTHEBLACK April 2025
Feet should sit flat on the floor, with knees
level with the hips. If that's not possible,
consider a footrest.
Whether sitting or standing at a desk,
good posture also requires the top of the
monitor to sit at eye level, to avoid neck
strain from looking down.
Connecting a laptop to an external monitor
with an adjustable stand helps reduce neck
strain. A docking station makes it easier
to connect a monitor, keyboard, mouse
and other accessories with a single cable.
If there is no space for a monitor, a laptop
stand can elevate the display, perhaps
accompanied by an external keyboard
and mouse.
To reduce eye strain, ensure adequate
lighting, avoiding reflections and glare
on the screen. Sitting perpendicular
