Most of us know the posture. Laptop on the table, shoulders rounded, chin drifting down towards the keys. An hour passes. Then two. By late afternoon, the back of your neck has a few things to say.
This is a calm look at why laptops pull our heads down, what workplace safety guidance says about screen height, and a few simple set ups that make a long day at the desk feel easier.
Why looking down loads the neck
A laptop joins the screen and the keyboard together. When the keyboard sits at a comfortable height for your hands, the screen sits low. So your head tips forward to see it.
Comcare, the Australian Government work health and safety authority, puts it plainly. Its guidance on laptops and devices notes that we tend to put the device on a desk and work, which means bending the neck forward to see the screen.
The further your head moves forward of your shoulders, the harder the muscles at the back of your neck have to work to hold it there. Researchers at Washington State University measured this in people using tablets. They reported that the demand on the neck muscles in typical tablet postures was 3 to 5 times that of a neutral, upright head. The lowest demand came when the tablet was propped up high.
That study looked at tablets rather than laptops. Still, it shows the general idea. Head position matters, and a screen that sits higher asks less of the neck.
What the guidance says about screen height
Workplace guidance is fairly consistent here. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration's computer workstation guide suggests placing the monitor so the top line of the screen is at or below eye level. It also suggests the centre of the screen sit about 15 to 20 degrees below horizontal eye level, at a viewing distance of roughly 50 to 100 cm.
Closer to home, WorkSafe Queensland recommends setting your monitor at eye level or below, depending on the type of glasses you wear. If you use a laptop in the office, it suggests docking it and using a separate monitor, keyboard and mouse.
The common thread is simple. The screen should sit high enough that you can see it without bending your neck forward. The keyboard should sit where your arms can stay in a neutral position. A laptop on its own cannot do both at once.
Simple set ups that help
You do not need a new office. A few small changes make a real difference to how a workday feels.
- Separate the screen from the keyboard. Comcare suggests that if you raise your laptop to see the screen properly, you also use an external keyboard and mouse, so your arms are not lifted out of a neutral position.
- Raise the screen with what you have. A sturdy stack of books will do. So will a separate monitor, if you have one to plug into.
- Sit square to the screen. OSHA suggests putting the monitor directly in front of you, so your head, neck and torso face forward.
- Move often. WorkSafe Queensland suggests aiming to change your posture every 30 minutes. Comcare recommends regular breaks and changing positions, noting that the less time spent in the same posture, the better.
Where a laptop stand fits
Not every session happens at a full desk set up. Sometimes you work at the dining table. Sometimes you are typing straight onto the laptop for a while, with no separate keyboard in sight. For those times, a gentle slope can make the keys feel more comfortable under your hands.
The Laptop Stand is made for this. It is two independent wooden supports that raise the back of your laptop into a sloped typing position. Front lips hold the laptop in place, and it stays open underneath for airflow. When you are done, it packs away easily, which suits a shared table or a small desk.
It is designed for typing comfort and a tidier desk. On long days, pair it with the set up above. On its own, it suits the quick session at the table, the laptop you type on directly, and the desk you would like to look a little calmer.
It comes with our 12 month Settl guarantee. If that sounds like your kind of desk, you can find The Laptop Stand here.
Sources
- Comcare, Laptops and devices (Office Safety Tool). Laptops encourage bending the neck forward; use an external keyboard and mouse when raising the laptop; take regular breaks and change positions.
- Washington State University, Tablets increase neck strain 3 to 5 times, says ergonomics study. Summary of Vasavada and colleagues, Ergonomics, 2015, on neck muscle demand in tablet postures.
- OSHA, Computer Workstations eTool: Monitors. Top of screen at or below eye level, centre 15 to 20 degrees below eye level, viewing distance of 50 to 100 cm, monitor directly in front.
- WorkSafe Queensland, Setting up your workstation. Monitor at eye level or below, dock laptops with a separate monitor, keyboard and mouse, change posture every 30 minutes.