How to Set Up an Ergonomic Home Office in 5 Steps
By Ergolia · 2 October 2026 · 3 min read
Kitchen table, corner of the living room, spare desk: when you work from home, you tend to set up wherever there is space, not where you are comfortable. The good news is that an ergonomic workstation needs neither a big budget nor new furniture. You just need to adjust the right things, in the right order. Here is the method we recommend, from the chair up to the screen.
1. Set your chair height first
Everything starts with the seat. Sit right back in the chair and adjust the height so your elbows are level with the desk, forearms horizontal and shoulders relaxed. If your chair is not adjustable, a seat cushion can give you a few extra centimetres.
Quick checks:
- your elbows form an angle of roughly 90°;
- your shoulders are not creeping up towards your ears;
- your back touches the backrest all the way up.
2. Support your lower back
Most chairs, especially dining chairs, leave a gap behind the small of your back. The result: you slide forward and slump as the hours go by. A memory foam lumbar cushion fills that gap and helps you sit upright without effort. Place it just above your waistband, then adjust the strap so it stays put when you shift position.
3. Keep your feet flat
Once the chair is at the right height, many people find their feet no longer rest properly on the floor. Legs dangle, thighs press against the edge of the seat, and you end up crossing your legs or perching on tiptoe. The simplest fix is an adjustable footrest. Choose the height that keeps your thighs level, with your knees at about 90°. A tilting platform also lets you move your ankles rather than staying still.
4. Bring the screen up to eye level
This is the most common mistake with a laptop: the screen is too low, so your head drops forward. The top of the screen should be at eye level, or slightly below, about an arm's length away, which is 50 to 70 cm.
- With a laptop: put it on an adjustable laptop stand, then add an external keyboard and mouse.
- With a fixed monitor: a monitor riser often provides the missing 8 to 10 cm.
- With two screens: put your main screen straight in front of you and the second slightly to the side, at the same height.
Think about light too. Ideally, the window should be to the side of your screen, never directly behind or in front of it, to cut down on glare and reflections.
5. Align your wrists and move regularly
The last step is your hands. Keep the keyboard close to the edge of the desk and the mouse right next to it, so your elbows stay close to your body. Your wrists should stay in line with your forearms, without bending upwards. A vertical mouse and a wrist rest help you hold that neutral position day after day.
Finally, remember this rule: your best posture is your next one. Even with a perfect setup, your body is not built to stay still for eight hours straight. Plan a short break roughly every 45 minutes: stand up, walk to the window, refill your glass of water. A reminder on your phone is enough to build the habit.
The quick checklist
Before you get back to work, run through this in 30 seconds:
- Elbows level with the desk, shoulders relaxed.
- Lower back supported by the backrest or a cushion.
- Feet flat, on the floor or on a footrest.
- Top of the screen at eye level, an arm's length away.
- Wrists straight, mouse close to the keyboard.
There is no need to buy everything at once. Start with whatever bothers you most, which is often screen height, and build up your setup over the following weeks. And if discomfort persists despite these adjustments, talk to a healthcare professional.
