With many people working from home at the moment, our working-from-home setup has emerged yet again!

With this, it's very important to make sure your work from home setup is arranged in a way that won't cause injuries or unneeded muscle pain. So the Mighty Ape team has decided to give you some quick tips on how to set up your workspace properly, and some products that may help with this process. The end result will help prevent injury and keep you comfortable.

Firstly, you're gonna need a sturdy desk!

A workstation starts with a good desk that is the right height, and sometimes that means one that can convert into a standing desk so that you're not sitting all day. Make sure there is enough space on your desk to be able to hold a keyboard, mouse, 1 or 2 monitors, and your laptop if you're not using a PC + a bit of free space to place anything extra!

Check out our range of office desks and standing desks. If you want to stand up while working a standing desk mat will make it more comfortable. You can also free up a bit of desk space with monitor mounts.

Secondly, let’s talk chairs.

Having good support and posture during a long working day is immensely important! So here are some tips on adjusting your office chair to work better for you.

Height – Adjust your chair height and make sure your wrists are level when they are placed on the keyboard for typing. You are aiming to have your hands ‘falling’ naturally on the keyboard.

Make sure your feet are flat on the floor, ensuring good posture. If not you may need a footrest. The aim is to have your feet firmly supported, as that helps ‘push’ you back into the lumbar support of the chair, ensuring good posture.

Backrest – Adjust the backrest of your chair. It should be positioned so the curve of the chair (the lumbar support) supports your lumbar area (the inward curve in your back). The angle of your backrest should be between 90 and 95° for most tasks. Sitting upright, but not rigid. If you need help with your posture you can even get wearable posture trainers!

Check the space between the back of your knees and the chair‐ there should be room to feel comfortable and that you are sitting right back in the chair. Too short a seat (more than about 4 cm of thigh extending over the seat edge) can be uncomfortable and is not supportive – you may need a seat with a ‘longer seat pan’.

If you want a chair that can be adjusted then check out our range of office chairs.

Then comes the Monitor, Keyboard, and Mouse positioning + any other accessories!

Adding a good keyboard and mouse combo can be great for your WFH space! Make sure you're sorted with any other accessories you may need as well, such as a second monitor or webcam. Check out how to set up these components down below.

Keyboard – The keyboard letter section should be centered directly in front of you. Your Wrists, when you are using the keyboard, should be straight, not bending in any direction.

Mouse – Your Mouse should be close, don’t overreach for it or let it ‘drift’ up the desk as the day goes on.

Monitor – Adjust your monitor screen so it is about an arm’s length away and the top is about level with your eye. People who wear progressive lens glasses may need to have the screen a little lower.

If your monitor height doesn't feel comfortable, use a monitor riser to adjust the height. Also, adding a second monitor can dramatically change your work from home experience.

Make sure you have all the office computing accessories you need. This may include a mouse pad to allow your mouse to track properly, wrist rest, or a webcam to communicate during your Zoom meetings, and if your setup is looking a bit messy, we have cable management options too!

We hope this blog has helped you with your home office space and given you some ideas on how to make your work from home setup as comfortable as possible! WFH can be great once you have your space set up properly – but don't forget to get up and stretch every once in a while!

Stay safe NZ,
Mighty Ape team @(^.^)@