Cables and desk layout

Which Comes First When Setting Up a Desk, the Chair, the Keyboard or the Screen?

Published · By Ergocrew · Specs and guidance as of that date, from the pages under Sources

Summary

The chair comes first, then the keyboard and mouse, then the screen, and everything else last. Each step sets up the next one. The chair decides where your elbows are, your elbows decide where the keyboard goes, and the spot where you sit to type decides how far away the screen is. Set the screen first and it will need moving again once the chair changes.

The order, with a check for each step

The checks below come from OSHA's workstation evaluation checklist and its monitor page.

StepWhat you adjustHow to tell it's right
1. Chair and feetSeat height, footrest if needed"Feet rest flat on the floor or are supported by a stable footrest if the work surface cannot be adjusted."
2. Keyboard and mouseDistance from you, mouse position"Elbows are close to the body" and the mouse is "right next to the keyboard so it can be operated without reaching."
3. ScreenDistance and height"at least 20 inches away" and "top line of screen is at or below eye level"
4. Everything elsePhone, notebook, lamp, drinksThings you use often sit close enough to reach with your elbows near your body

Why the chair goes first

On a desk that doesn't adjust, the chair is the only thing that can bring your elbows level with the keyboard. OSHA's desk page says "If the work surface cannot be lowered, raise the chair to accommodate the user," and follows it with "If needed, provide a footrest to support the user's feet."

You can find the number with a tape measure. Sit with your shoulders relaxed and your forearms level, and measure from the floor to the underside of your forearm. Then measure the desk surface. If the desk is 3 inches higher, the seat goes up 3 inches, and your feet will need something about 3 inches high under them. Our footrest guide covers what to use.

Why the screen comes after the keyboard

Once the keyboard and mouse are in place, you've also decided where you sit. The screen distance is measured from your eyes at that spot, not from the front edge of the desk. OSHA's monitor page gives a range of 20 to 40 inches and says to put the monitor "directly in front of you." A monitor that was placed before the chair went up 3 inches now sits 3 inches lower relative to your eyes, which is why it waits until step 3.

The rest of the desk

CCOHS, the Canadian occupational safety centre, sorts the desktop into three zones by how often you reach for things. The primary zone is "immediate reach, for items needed most frequently." The secondary zone is "within arm's reach, for items of lower importance or used occasionally." The tertiary zone "requires you to bend forward to reach, for rarely used items." The phone you pick up twenty times a day belongs in the first zone, and the stapler in the third.

After a few days of normal work, some of this will need changing. OSHA's own overview accepts that from the start: "There is no single "correct" posture or arrangement of components that will fit everyone."

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Related guides

Sources

  1. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Evaluation Checklist
  2. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Desks
  3. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Monitors
  4. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool (overview)
  5. CCOHS, Working in a Sitting Position - Basic Requirements

We have not tested these products. Specs and guidance are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; the manufacturer's page for your model has the current details.

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