We all know that furniture has come a long way and that producers do their best to improve the quality and the accessibility of their products. Whether we talk about home or office furniture, comfort is the criterion that prevails when we choose our furniture. Luckily for us, nowadays we have at our disposal a wide range of furniture manufacturers who do their best to meet our demands.
The last years we witnessed a huge increase in the use of computers at home and at the office. Computer furniture, however, seems to be neglected in comparison with other types of furniture. This sort of furniture seems lest important for many people who don't understand how important quality furniture is for their health. Computer furniture should not be neglected, especially by those of you who spend many hours in front of their computers every day.
Nowadays, professionals are constantly working at home and the computer is an indispensable tool when it comes to their professional duties. Computer furniture should be treated with the proper attention and the criterion that should prevail when choosing such furniture is health. Style and budget are, of course, important aspects, but they are by far less important than our health. Computer furniture may be both ideal for your health and stylish; thus, you can have custom-made furniture which looks exactly as you like it and which takes into consideration important health aspects.
Quality computer furniture is just a part of a well done job. Another critical aspect is the maintenance of the furniture. Computer furniture requires periodic maintenance such as dusting, cleaning and even finishing. If you have paid a lot for your furniture and you want it to last as long as possible, try not to eat while you are at the computer, even if you work from home.
Home office furniture has also improved these last years due to the fact more and more people prefer to work from home. This type of furniture is available in a variety of styles, but if you are having a hard time finding what you like, you could try custom made furniture. Home office furniture that is custom made gives you the possibility to select furniture with specific features. This type of furniture gives you freedom on the material, color and design choices.
Home office furniture selection involves space, budget, functionality, safety and usability. If you want to decide faster about the type of furniture you need, make a list in order to avoid buying furniture that is unnecessary. Furthermore, buy furniture that is aesthetically and visually appealing since this is the place where you will be working. Home office furniture comes with a warranty and it is important to check the type of warranty you are being offered. Consider comfortable and ergonomically designed furniture, if you don't want people to start complaining about fatigue, backaches, headaches, etc.
Finally, we suggest making sure that you buy your furniture from a reputed dealer who offers quality and genuine products. Choose a dealer who will listen to your needs and who will help you buy furniture that suits your necessities. Quality is the most important aspect when talking about furniture and this is why we suggest purchasing your furniture from reputable companies, who offer you a warranty for their products.
It's not hard to do especially when you consider that a bad computer furniture arrangement will, even in the short term:
- create and maintain a distorted or unhealthy posture while using the computer.
- give you inadequate lower back support, creating aches and pains later.
- force you into staying in one position too long, which would be another recipe for strain and muscular tension.
- make you stretch bend and twist unecessarily.
So what features should your screen, desk, keyboard, mouse and chair have to keep you feeling good?
Your monitor should:
- swivel, tilt and elevate. Fit an extra adjustable stand to adjust the height if need be. Or replace it.
- be positioned so the top line of the monitor is not higher than your eyes or not lower than 20° below the horizon of your eyes or field of vision
- be at the same level and near the document holder (if you use one).
- be between 20 to 25 inches (50-56 cm) away from your face
Your keyboard should :
- be detachable and adjustable (with legs to adjust the angle).
- allow your forearms to be parallel to the floor without having to raise your elbows.
- allow your wrists to be in line with your forearms so your wrists don't have to be flexed up or down.
- include enough space to rest your rists or should include a padded detachable wrist rest (or you can use a separate gel wrist rest which should be at least 2 inches (50 mm) deep.
- be placed directly in front of the monitor and at the same height as the mouse, track ball, touch pad, or any other pointing device.
The mouse or pointer device should :
- be close to the keyboard.
- allow you, (if possible), to use both left and right hands while handling the pointer/mouse.
Your computer chair should :
- support your back, and have a vertically adjustable independent back rest that returns to its original osition, plus tilt adjustment to support your lower back.
- allow you to adjust its height while seated.
- be adjusted so the back crease of the knee is slightly higher than the pan of the chair (use a suitable footrest, if required).
- be supported by a five prong caster base.
- have removable and adjustable armrests, if possible.
- have a contoured seat with breathable fabric and rounded edges to distribute the weight, and be adjustable to allow the seat pan to tilt forward or back.
The table/desk should :
- provide ample leg room and be height adjustable (preferably).
- have enough room to support the computer equipment plus space for documents.
- be at least 36 inches (90 cm) deep.
- have rounded blunt and undamaged corners and edges.
This covers the basics of good computer furniture setup, but you can improve your protection by taking further standard precautions:
- Ensure each user maintains their own set up.
- Taking regular breaks from working at your computer for a few minutes, at least once an hour.
- Alternating work tasks by mixing computer tasks with non computer tasks to reduce strain.
- Learning and carrying out keyboard shortcuts to reduce mouse usage.
- Carrying out regular gentle stretching to relax your body.
- Using health support equipment such as footrests,
wrist/palm rests, and document holders if required.
- Adopting a NEUTRAL BODY POSTURE, with hands, wrists, and forearms inline, straight, and almost parallel to the floor, body facing forward, shoulders relaxed,elbows close to body and bent approximately at right angles.
If you organise and maintain a good PC furniture set up, you'll be well on track for fit and healthy computing through 2006 and beyond!
Both Clint Jhonson & Mick Madigan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Clint Jhonson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Modelling, Home Buyers Guide and Gardening. Do you want to make a change in your office or simply you just need new furniture? We are delighted to put at your disposal the best . Our cl. Clint Jhonson's top article generates over 1000000 views. to your Favourites.
Mick Madigan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Health and Arts. Mick Madigan lives in the UK, has a continual interest in healthy computing, and has recently published a unique detailed guide on the ways computing can harm you - and how you can avoid them - at. Mick Madigan's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.