Many people’s first work-from-home desk is whatever was available: a dining table, a bed, a laptop on a sofa arm. That’s fine for a week. Over months it often turns into a stiff neck, a sore lower back or aching wrists.

The good news is that most ergonomic problems are fixed by adjusting what you already own. Buying things comes second. Work through this checklist in order, and only buy something when a step can’t be fixed for free.

This is general comfort advice, not medical advice. If you have ongoing pain, numbness or tingling, please see a doctor or physiotherapist.

Step 1: Chair height and support

Start with the chair, because everything else is adjusted relative to how you sit.

  • Feet flat on the floor, knees at roughly hip height or slightly below.
  • Thighs roughly parallel to the floor, with a small gap between the front of the seat and the back of your knees.
  • Lower back supported. Sit all the way back and let the backrest hold the curve of your lower back.
  • Armrests (if any) low enough that your shoulders stay relaxed, not hunched.

Free fixes: if your feet don’t reach the floor, use a box, a stack of books or a footrest. If the backrest doesn’t support your lower back, a rolled-up towel works surprisingly well.

Worth buying if: your chair has no height adjustment or no backrest. A proper ergonomic office chair with adjustable height, lumbar support and a seat you can sit back in is the most important purchase in this whole guide. Look for adjustable lumbar support, a breathable mesh back (helpful in Indian summers) and a good warranty on the gas lift.

Step 2: Desk and keyboard height

  • Elbows at about 90 degrees when your hands are on the keyboard, forearms roughly parallel to the floor.
  • Wrists straight, not bent up or down while typing.
  • Shoulders relaxed, not raised because the desk is too high.

Most dining tables and many desks are a little too high for typing comfortably. If that’s your problem, raise the chair until your elbows are level with the desk, then use a footrest so your feet still rest flat.

Worth buying if: you can’t get the right height any other way. A keyboard tray lowers your keyboard below desk level. A height-adjustable or standing desk lets you set the exact height, and alternate between sitting and standing.

Step 3: Screen position

This is where laptop users suffer most. Looking down at a laptop screen for hours is the classic cause of neck strain.

  • Top of the screen at or slightly below eye level.
  • Screen about an arm’s length away.
  • Screen directly in front of you, not off to one side, if it’s your main display.
  • No glare. Place the screen at right angles to windows when possible.

Free fix: put your laptop on a stack of books and use any external keyboard and mouse.

Worth buying if: you work on a laptop most days. A laptop stand plus a separate keyboard and mouse is the single best-value ergonomic upgrade for laptop users. For external monitors, a monitor arm gives you precise height and distance control. See the laptop stands and docks guide and the monitor guide for more detail.

Step 4: Keyboard and mouse

  • Keyboard directly in front of you, centred on the keys you type most (the letter keys, not the number pad).
  • Mouse right next to the keyboard, so you don’t reach out sideways.
  • Light touch. You shouldn’t need to press hard on keys.

Worth buying if: you reach a long way for your mouse. A tenkeyless or 75% keyboard brings the mouse closer. See the keyboard guide. If your wrist aches when you use the mouse, a vertical mouse holds your hand in a more natural handshake position. Give it a week to get used to.

Step 5: Lighting

  • Enough light on your desk that the screen isn’t the brightest thing in the room.
  • No bright window directly behind your screen (you’ll squint) or directly behind you (it reflects on the screen).

Worth buying if: you work in the evening in a dim room. A monitor light bar lights your desk without shining on the screen, and takes up no desk space.

Step 6: Movement

The best posture is your next posture. Even a perfect setup becomes uncomfortable if you don’t move for three hours.

  • Stand up and move every 30 to 60 minutes, even for a minute or two. A long build or test run is a good reminder.
  • Look at something far away every 20 minutes for about 20 seconds to rest your eyes.
  • Take calls standing or walking when you don’t need to look at the screen.

What to buy first

If your budget is limited, buy in this order. Each item fixes more problems for the money than the one after it:

  1. A laptop stand plus an external keyboard and mouse (if you use a laptop).
  2. A properly adjustable chair (if yours has no height adjustment or lumbar support).
  3. A footrest (if raising your chair leaves your feet dangling).
  4. A monitor arm or a better monitor.
  5. A standing desk, when everything else is already right.

Comfortable work isn’t about owning expensive gear. It’s about getting a few measurements right, then moving regularly. Work through the checklist once, and recheck it whenever you change your desk or chair.