geekhack
geekhack Community => Ergonomics => Topic started by: Melvang on Sun, 15 November 2015, 00:39:11
-
Has anyone tried any of those low monitor stands?
http://www.amazon.com/SL102-Limbo-Monitor-stand-100mm-VESA/dp/B002CMPW48
Not this exact one, but this style, where the monitor sits low on the desk and angled up to you. Curious on experience with this style.
-
Any reason why you would want something like this? Monitor stands be at eye level (sitting upright). This stand is terrible for you ergonomically.
-
I prefer a lower monitor as the most comfortable neck position for me is angled slightly down.
Not sure I'd trust something like this with my precious monitors - I'd be worrying that if I knocked the desk or monitor that the "leg" would collapse.
So I tend to use the manufacturer's monitor stand set as low as possible, and raise my chair height up a bit.
-
Relevant thread:
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=63234.0
Basically, research suggests that for someone sitting up straight, the top of the screen should be below eye level, and the display should be tilted a bit.
That is, the second diagram here would be better than the first:
(http://i.imgur.com/iSkZNbM.png)
Maybe people putting their displays too high is an explanation for slouching. :-P
-
I think a large part of the question is also your desk/chair relationship. If you have a tall desk and a short chair, you are already asking for problems. My desk is a couple inches too high to be perfect, but not high enough to use a pullout tray. I prefer to jack up my chair and use a foot rest to get comfortable and once I am up that high, my monitor is dead center in front of me. If I am just leaning back playing a game, I keep the chair a little lower and angle the monitor down at me so I don't have to keep my neck bent or my back off of the supporting part of the chair. If you feel comfortable and are using whatever ergonomic additions that you have, then you are fine.
-
I learned to touch type when I was doing data entry at a warehouse about 30 years ago. I was in a little darkened room and we would input info from merchandise being received as it passed by a window we'd look through. The monitor was set at an angle partially inset into the tabletop. It was necessary, otherwise the monitor would block the items passing by.
I think a set up like that has its place in certain situations but is probably not ideal. In the Amazon ad, it seems to solve specific problems for people who have special circumstances. It probably offers little advantage otherwise. I think the room I worked in was darkened because a high angle would reflect light back from ceiling lights. I possible problem for conventional usage. It seems like a good solution if someone needed such a configuration.
-
Any reason why you would want something like this? Monitor stands be at eye level (sitting upright). This stand is terrible for you ergonomically.
I don't think that's true. You can try this yourself with a simple experiment:
1. Sit upright
2. Keep your head/neck straight
3. Look about 30 degrees downwards
4. Notice how relaxed your eye muscles are
5. Raise your eyes up to look horizontally straight
6. Notice the muscles at the back of your eyes straining to keep the gaze horizontal
Also, try to slowly close your eyelids. You will notice that as your eyes get relaxed and the upper eyelid moves down, so does the eye itself, and your gaze is lowered just before the eyelids meet. Well, that's how I feel, I don't know if there something subjective in this, but I'm 100% sure that, for my body, the most relaxed gaze direction is slightly downwards. I always set my monitor as low as possible (using the factory stand), that is, almost touching the desk.
EDIT: Of course, the idea is that you don't tilt your neck downwards (that would indeed be non-ergonomic), but keep your neck straight and just look slightly downwards.
-
I first read about monitor ergonomics in the thread jacobolus linked above, and I've been keeping my monitors below eye level ever since. It definitely helps.
I like the idea of these tilted stands, but don't personally have the desk space.
-
Large monitors necessitates them set low. A situation that postdates many ergo studies. I made my desktop about 28" off the floor for that reason. Even then, the screen top is higher than eye level, especially on the 40 incher.
-
Large monitors necessitates them set low. A situation that postdates many ergo studies. I made my desktop about 28" off the floor for that reason. Even then, the screen top is higher than eye level, especially on the 40 incher.
Didn't surprise me that you built your own desk, you maniac.