We know that your health and comfort are important to you. Did you know that the height of your desk could be having a negative impact on your health and wellbeing? If you struggle with lower back pain, joint stiffness, headaches, or chronic fatigue, your desk could be responsible.
Have you ever ordered a desk online or tested one out in store? Most of the time, desk height isn’t actually something you consider. Instead, you look at the colour, the style, the available storage, and whether the desk will fit your space, when the key consideration should be desk height and whether it’s right for you.
In the UK, desk height should be between 70 and 80 centimetres to be comfortable for most people. With the correct ergonomic set-up, from the height of your chair to the distance of your monitor, you should be able to find and hold the correct posture all day long.
According to the British Heart Foundation, “Sedentary behaviour is increasingly common in a society where many of us do desk jobs, travel in motor vehicles and spend leisure time in front of computers and televisions [...] Adults of working age in England average about 9.5 hours per day of sedentary time.”
Choosing the right desk height can have a significant impact on your day-to-day health, productivity, and overall posture. We’ve all been told to stop slouching and sit up straight at least once! And while it can be a little annoying, it’s actually one of the best things you can do for your health.
Maintaining good posture can protect you from poor health by strengthening your muscles, encouraging good spinal alignment, decreasing stress on ligaments, preventing muscle fatigue, and reducing the likelihood of back pain. And having the right desk height can make all the difference.
Working at a desk that is the perfect height for you can have a number of benefits, including but not limited to the following:
There is no set rule as to how high an office desk should be. The perfect desk height will vary from person to person. What’s important is finding the right desk height for you. Below are a few simple checks you can make to ensure your office desk is the correct height.
When sitting at your desk, your feet should always remain flat on the floor. This is important because it will ensure your body is properly supported while working. If you cannot place your feet flat on the ground, even after adjusting the height of your chair, your desk may not be the right height for you.
Whether you struggle with back pain, joint stiffness, tense muscles, or general discomfort, you may want to examine your posture. How you sit can greatly impact the day-to-day aches and pains you experience. To maintain good posture throughout the day, it can be helpful to position your monitor at eye level. This will prevent slouching and ensure your back remains straight at all times, reducing muscle stress, ligament pain, and spine compression.
Positioning your arms correctly when working from a desk can impact everything from your posture to whether or not you experience back or shoulder pain. Many people position their arms too low and struggle with tense or painful shoulders as a result.
A good rule to follow is to position your arms at right angles. To achieve this, you may need to adjust the height of your chair. Doing so should reduce any back or shoulder pain you experience and help you work comfortably for longer.
Your chair should provide adequate support for your upper and lower back, holding your body in the correct position so as to reduce pressure on the spine and avoid the likelihood of back pain. If your chair isn’t offering the correct support, you might choose to sit on an exercise ball or stand for periods during the day. However, the most long lasting and beneficial change you can make is to purchase an ergonomic chair.
Can you make the changes listed above and still sit comfortably? If not, it’s very likely your desk isn’t the right height and you might want to consider a replacement.
Sometimes, choosing a desk that is the right height for you can prove to be a challenge. That’s why at Pastos Co, we have redesigned our flagship best-seller desk into an adjustable height desk. Adjust the desk height to whatever level suits you best. With our adjustable height desk, you can enjoy:
Made from reclaimed wood (for that beautifully rustic finish) and with a fully adjustable electric base, the adjustable height desk is one of our fastest selling products. You don’t want to miss out!
Finding a desk that is the right height for you, as well as ensuring your chair and equipment is set up ergonomically, will help support your long-term health, comfort, and productivity.
We want you to be happy with your workspace, whether you work from home or the office. That’s why we’ve created a whole desk range - from L shaped desks and desks with storage to our highly popular adjustable desk!
Browse our desks today and invest in a high-quality desk that is custom made to your requirements.
