I thought it would be handy to start a thread about ergonomics since I believe for most people, they’re pretty underrated. I’d like to think we here are a bit more ergonomically minded (trying to avoid RSI here haha).
Feel free to post your set-up, as well as give suggestions to others. If you want to improve your own set up, feel free to ask questions and I’m sure we as a community can help you out.
Notes:
I want to upgrade my chair next. Hoping to score a used Herman Miller Aeron for cheap in the future.
My desk is fine, but I don’t find myself using the stand function as much as I thought I would. Normally when I get tired I just stand and walk for a bit instead which seems to defeat the point of needing to stand at my desk for periods of time. I might change my desk to an L desk in the future for extra space, TBD.
Ergonomics that I want to improve on greatly are actually my work bench.
Currently my work bench is at an L to my desk, but sits much higher. Since it’s in the L formation, I use the same chair, but my chair can’t go any higher. Over long periods of time, this causes strain in my shoulders and neck. I try to make it easier by scooting in a bit more, but since I have boxes and stuff in the undersection of the work bench, I don’t really have anywhere for my legs which means I can’t really scoot in that much.
Should I consider just getting an adjustable stool to use for both my workbench and computer desk? Anyone have any suggestions or opinions on how I can improve the situation?
I’m in need of a better chair soon, my piece-o-crap mesh task chair is losing all of it’s padding and is also a cat claw magnet. Any cheap suggestions that are worth a look?
I have an Uplift desk, which is a convertible sit-stand desk. I like it a lot, although I also only use the standing feature occasionally. But just being able to choose the exact height you want is very nice, and I really like their keyboard drawer, which can be adjusted for height, position and angle. I got a very wide one that can accommodate three monitors, and I also have a non-adjustable side table for things like my printer and scanner.
I have yet to find a really great chair, but I haven’t tried anything very high-end.
Just a warning for those of you on the big and tall end of the spectrum - Aerons may not be all that and a bag of chips. At my previous workplace, I started with one of these, and had to ditch it almost immediately, as I kept sliding forward out of the seat, and its adjustments weren’t enough to render it usable. A Steelcase Leap was much better in terms of seat depth. (For reference, I’m 6’7".)
With that said, I still don’t feel that I’ve found a great desk chair yet. If there are any other giants out there that have recommendations, would love to see those!
I have a Herman Miller Mirra 2 chair. Fantastic chair that I got for free from my in-laws, as they were no longer using it. Aside from some sag with the piston, all around great chair.
An unfinished slab door from Home Depot on top of IKEA ADILS legs. Eventually planning on getting sit/stand legs to put under this top. The top is super solid, very thick, holds a lot of weight, and I can drill in it/ through it as much as I need to without worry.
And I use the Elecom EX-G Pro trackball mouse. No complaints, kept my Razer Deathadder Elite for gaming.
Just need a wrist rest and those sit-stand legs and it should be perfect for me.
I am 6’4" and I am in the same boat. The Aeron is about a quarter of an inch too short for my legs from the knees down so they fall asleep after 20 minutes.
I am rocking a Steelcase Leap and whatever sit/stand desk they use at work and a Steelcase Think chair with Bluelounge StudioDesk at home.
I use the secretlab Titan chair in stark contrast with a huge ugly teacher’s office desk (beige painted metal and all). I use my new Model O for my main mouse as I can’t make the dive into trackballs.
Hmmmm… does your new chair need to be cat claw magnet proof?
That part wouldn’t be my specialty, but I do have an overall positive outlook on my Ikea Markus chair. I’ve had it for ~5 years now and it’s still going extremely strong.
Man… Some of y’all have some really expensive desk chairs. Admittedly, I don’t really use my desk at home much (I’d typically rather just sit on the couch and use my laptop), but I just use a $40 chair from Amazon and a desk I got for free from a friend. I do have a sit-stand desk at work which is nice, but I find that I rarely use that feature after the initial novelty of it wore off.
The only ergonomic thing I really use is my mouse; a Logitech MX Vertical. Bought one for work and I liked it so much that I got a second to use at home. I was having some wrist pains before I got it (I assume pre-carpal tunnel) and those have completely gone away since I started using it.
Yeah, my normal set-up is a crappy laptop and a very nice keyboard at my kitchen table. You can tell by my occasional keyboard “glamour” shots that I’m a pathetic soul. But I have a Tempurpedic butt cushion for the kitchen chair, which is nice. (It also raises my height a bit for more comfortable typing.).
I thought it might be nice to provide a counterpoint to the fancy stuff in this topic. We all have a place here, no shame.
Also, my butt cushion is really nice. TOP OF THE LINE, baby. Two thumbs up. It’s about five years old now, no compaction or deformation, and the outer cover is washable and made of good flexible material. If you’re looking for a good butt cushion, this one is great.
The only reason I went fancy is because of how much I do at home while I am at the desk anyway, figured I would splurge for comfort after several years of chairs that made me overheat/fell apart easily. Certainly not something I recommend often.
Another one of the Aeron gang here. I developed a love for them back when I worked for RIT in the 2000s and they supplied us with them. Admittedly my current Aeron was a hand me down from a friend of mine, and I am eternally grateful to him. All I had to do was spend $20 on replacement armrests for it on Amazon. Interesting about the chair not being very compatible with taller people. I don’t have that problem as I am only 5 foot four.
I have a crappy hand me down desk that I got from a thrift store that has seen me through several moves now and I don’t do anything fancy for mice… Just Amazon basics optical. I do have a nice buckling spring patent desk mat that I like a lot. Also it covers up my crappy desk surface, bonus!
Where I end up spending a lot of time money and care is in workstations (MacBook Pro 15) displays (Thunderbolt and another 27” next to it) and lately, keyboards! (you didn’t think I was going to forget about keyboards did you?)
Home
Desk/s: I have 3 miscellaneous Hon desks, that previous employers were getting rid of.
Chair: Hon Nucleus with a Hon Endorse headrest and a squishy tube pillow, for lumbar support. - Wish there were more chair options for people that are out of the 95th percentile.
Mice:
Gaming: G Pro Wireless
Writs relief: Logitech MX Ergo Plus with 3d printed 40° degree stand and the
Wrist relief: Wacom tablet
Wrist relief: TrackPoint on the Tex Shinobi.
Office
Desk Riser: FlexiSpot M3B (Bought by me.)
Chair: Hon Ignition 2.0
Mouse: Logitech MX Ergo Plus with 3d printed 40° degree stand and the
