Not many people know this but the height of a working desk matters a lot in determining how long you will be able to work on it and will it be the cause of back pain or not. Many people leave their office being tired and having muscle pains and stress. When it comes to ergonomic desks, knowing your desk height will enable you to select a desk comfortable enough to work for long hours.
For both short and tall people knowing their desk height will work wonders for them. In this article, we will be decoding the puzzle of ergonomic desk heights and how you can select one based on their height to avoid muscle and back pains. We will also elaborate on some strategies that you can utilize while shopping for ergonomic desks.
Why Ergonomics?
To go in-depth into the ergonomic height saga we first need to understand why it matters for workers to know about ergonomics. Not only workers but a large population should know what ergonomics are and why o they matter to us.
The science of work and workstation that supports the human body is called ergonomics. Many people develop diseases like musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) that can be caused due to poor ergonomic conditions and lack of care. Ergonomics prevents such diseases from harming our body and supports our muscle tissues in the longer run.
Apart from such benefits, they are known for boosting productivity and performance in the corporate sector, and in terms of poor ergonomics, people especially employees get demotivated, tired ad less productive. When you will adapt good ergonomic height you will be able to achieve efficacy and quality work.
Why Does Height Matter?
As we said previously, this is one of the topics that many people are unaware of. Many people don’t know about the adverse effects of not adjusting or purchasing the desk height at work. Many companies have employees that suffer from neck pains due to a lack of awareness regarding height adjustability.
A good ergonomic desk should always have space enough for your arm to get comfortable, your wrist to settle, and your hands to be positioned in a neutral position. If you are keeping or placing your arms at the sides of your table, have your elbows bent at a specific angle and your desk at elbow height. This is a perfect combination of height and keyboard tray where you can be able to rest your hands.
How Much High a Desk Must Be?
For a perfect working experience, the standard height for the workstation is 28 inches so people can enjoy working for longer periods without slouching their shoulders. But somehow not everyone needs this height as some people might find it uncomfortable and in ergonomics, this much height is not usually preferred.
To make the best decision, we have listed some of the most adjustable ergonomics desk tips,
Choosing a Standing Desk
To determine the height of the desk you first need to refer to which type of desk you are seeking. Experts always opt for the standing desk as it will always help you adjust the height most easily. A standing desk will help you to be productive all day without having a bad posture or muscle pains.
Standing can also be helpful if it is purchased in a hybrid module which is a sit and stand desk that can get adjustable according to your sitting and standing preferences. You can also modify them whenever you feel the need to. Many traditional desks lack this feature and versatility and often end up being the worst purchase for many people.
You can not always make two different people with different heights on the same desk height as it can be uncomfortable for many employees in an office setup. With height-adjustable desks, you will be able to provide your employees and yourself with multiple options and it will help you in achieving mini desk exercises throughout the day.
Ergonomic Office Chair
If you want to add something exciting to your working routine add a good ergonomic chair that is both adjustable and comfortable to work on. The standard heigh of office desks is 28-30 inches, which is deliberately given to promote good posture and spinal health for limited people.
The adjustable ergonomic chair can easily be beneficial for those who are struggling to attain a height that is not available within the desk range. The ergonomic chair can help you in fixing errors that you can make while typing due to the lack of support and you can move the chair according to your preferences whenever you will need to. It will help you in having a better position of your wrists and arms to have a perfect and comfortable posture.
Considerations While Choosing a Desk
When you are choosing a desk based on a specific height try to incorporate these tricks so that you end up purchasing the right one for yourself. We have listed some of the considerations that you should keep in mind while selecting a desk with a specific desk height to suit all your needs.
1. Availability of Space
When you are choosing something make sure that it offers enough space for your daily chores. In offices, we often have less space to rest our arms and our wrists in comfortable spots. Try to buy a desk that has enough space to allow you to have a comfortable posture. Try to check the dimensions of the desk that you are thinking to purchase
Try taking these measurements at an early stage as it will help you in avoiding a bad shopping experience later on. Start measuring both the length and width of the space that you have in your mind for your desk setup and try to imagine the area you will be occupying after you get the desk. This will help you in choosing the right space for work so that you can later utilize it while you lean back and stand up etc.
2. Sizes and Surface Area
Many people tend to have a minimalistic approach to their desks. They don’t put any decorative stuff or any sophisticated lamps on the side. However, others prefer surface area and want to elevate the look of their workstations.
People with minimalistic preferences can buy desks with small surface areas and people who seek to have a decorative desk or workstation can go for a larger surface area. For people who keep a lot of things on their desks should prefer desks with a lot of storage and space so that they can have enough room for all their things.
If you are an office worker, try to buy desks that have a medium surface so that yiu can enjoy the best of both worlds having both a minimalistic yet a sufcnet surface and desk. Adjustable desks with perks of height changing facilities and people can easily utilize them for their preferd positions at work. With such simple tips you will be able to determine a complete height chart and will be able to spot what type of consideration syou have to keep in mind.