In my several desk jockey jobs over the course of my career, I never really thought much about ergonomics or monitor mounts. After working with just such a set up at Chief for almost two years, I’ve got to say that I had no clue what I was missing.
One of the most important benefits of having an adjustable monitor arm solution is the flexibility monitor mounts bring. The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society notes the following requirements when considering the monitor support surface and viewing angle:
- Allow users to adjust the tilt and rotation angle
- Allow users to adjust line-of-sight distance
- Locate the screen’s center 15 to 25 degrees below horizontal eye level
Monitor mounts help to meet those requirements much better than standard desk stands. They also enable easy movement when you have a workstation with special requirements such as:
- Multi-user requirements
- Special work injury/ergonomic needs
- Aging workforce
- Bifocal wearers
When it comes to flexibility, a monitor mount provides users with a wide range of tilt and swivel options for the side-to-side, front/back and up/down movement that today’s workforce requires. For instance, monitor mounting solutions allow bifocal users to tilt their monitor and/or drop the bottom of the monitor all the way down to the work surface. This means no more leaning back and tilting the head up or looking down to read the monitor screen.
In addition, monitor mounts allow for quick height adjustments up to 13 inches with no knobs or levers, which creates an ideal situation for multi-user environments. Some mounts provide up to 23 inches of height adjustment. Monitor mounts can also be used with height-adjustable tables to enable even more user flexibility.
Me, I like to change it up at the office depending on the time of day or day of the week. I might have my chair lowered as far as it goes or raised as much as my legs will allow – I call it the Joel-slouch factor. The range is from “disenchanted teenager or whatever” to “At Attention, Sir!” Whatever my mood, I can adjust the monitors accordingly to accommodate my new viewing angle.
Workers in general are happier and healthier with ergonomic workspaces, of which Chief is glad to be a part. Chief has monitor mounts for just about any workstation situation you can throw at us: single arm, dual arm, static or adjustable arrays. Accessories can help with laptop or tablet set ups as well. For the computer coders or spreadsheet fans among us, the screens are also easily swiveled to portrait position to create a longer work surface for all your numbers and columns.
There are more reasons to get monitor mounts, so keep an eye out for my next post about the productivity benefits.