I used to make painful computer posture mistakes when it came to monitor height. I would use a laptop monitor 8 hours a day. Laptop monitors are too small and too low. This caused me a lot of eye and neck strain. That neck strain would contribute to the painful headaches I used to get.
Once I realized using a laptop monitor wasn’t ergonomic, I switched to an external monitor. But I also kept that monitor height too low. I didn’t raise my external monitor up to the correct height until after the first couple years I had it.
The proper monitor height is one of the most important variables of computer ergonomics. It’s helped me prevent:
- eye strain
- neck strain
- headaches
- slouching forward
- spinal disc degeneration
This article will focus on reducing eye and neck strain with correct monitor placement. Which is actually a pretty simple fix.
This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the desk worker health tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
What is the Proper Monitor Height to Prevent Eye and Neck Strain?
Ergonomic advantages of an external monitor
Laptop monitors are too small and too low to be ergonomic. An external monitor makes it super easy for ergonomic monitor positioning. My large external monitor has helped me:
- avoid slouching forward
- prevent neck strain
- prevent eye strain
- keep my spine in a neutral, balanced position
- avoid forward head posture
- prevent headaches
Best monitor height to avoid neck strain
The best monitor height for me always remains the same.
I always keep the top of my external monitor screen even with my eye level.
It allows me to keep my head in a neutral, balanced position. This helps me avoid both neck strain and eye strain.
I used to look downward at a monitor that was too low. I made this computer posture mistake for years.
Holding my head in this tilted position caused muscle tension and chronic pain that took years to recover from. The muscles on the front of my neck contracted and shortened over time. At the same time, the muscles on the back of my neck overextended and lengthened. This muscle confusion took a lot of work to correct.
But it is possible to live a pain-free, active life, while still working on a computer. We just need to make small improvements to our ergonomic habits. And practice them on a daily, consistent basis.
Best monitor height to avoid eye fatigue
Monitor height does have an effect on eye fatigue. But monitor size is more of a factor. Laptop monitors are typically very small. So I have to strain my eyes much more to read off a small laptop monitor, than I would off my large external monitor.
Using my external monitor also increases my work productivity. Because it’s large enough to have 2 windows open at the same time. That’s not possible on my small laptop screen.
But to answer the question, “What’s the best monitor height to avoid eye fatigue?”, I always keep the top of my external monitor screen at eye level.
Ideal screen distance to reduce eye strain
This distance can vary according to how good the office worker’s eye sight is. Personally, I like to keep my monitor about 24 inches from my eyes.
If anything else, I’ll move my monitor closer to me to change it up (about 18 inches away). But I won’t move it anywhere outside of 18 to 24 inches.
I like to change up different ergonomic variables to keep my posture dynamic. I don’t want to sit in the same static posture for long periods of time. Because that can cause repetitive strain and overuse injuries. Regardless if our posture is good or bad, sitting or standing.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!
If you liked this article on computer posture frequently asked questions, check out my book titled 45 Ways to Improve Computer Posture.
This book is a great supplement to the article you just read. It covers healthy ergonomic habits like posture, sleep, hydration, and breathing.
I wrote this book to be the resource I wish I had back in 2002, when I first started sitting at a computer for long periods of time.
Go to SittingPosture.com/book to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen
