Ergonomics & Movement

Safe Work Australia recorded 146,700 serious workers' compensation claims in 2023–24 — claims involving at least one week of lost working time. Body stressing is the largest single cause, at roughly 50,600 claims.

Worth saying plainly, because the number gets misused: the great majority of those claims are manual handling in trades, warehousing, health and aged care. They are not office chairs. What the figure does show is that musculoskeletal injury is the biggest single way Australian workers get hurt, which is a reasonable argument for taking a desk setup seriously — not evidence that any particular chair will change your outcome.

This guide is about how workstations are measured and set up. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is a claim that furniture treats, relieves or prevents any condition. If something hurts persistently, see a GP or physiotherapist.

1. Start with the chair

A genuine ergonomic chair is not a padded seat with armrests. It is an adjustable system, and what matters is whether it adjusts to your dimensions. Four things decide that, and all four are published figures you can check before you buy:

  • Minimum seat height. Sitting right back, your feet should rest flat on the floor with your thighs roughly level. Across the chairs we stock, minimum seat height ranges from 366 mm to 470 mm — a spread of more than 10 cm. If a chair will not go low enough for you, no other feature compensates.
  • Seat depth. Aim for a two-to-three finger gap between the back of your knees and the front edge of the seat. Some chairs adjust this; the Herman Miller Aeron does not, because it is sized A, B or C instead.
  • Lumbar support that adjusts for height, not just depth. A pad fixed in the wrong place for your back is worse than none.
  • A mechanism that keeps moving. A chair locked in one position asks you to hold that position all day.

Our guide to office chairs and back pain works through all four with the published figures for everything we stock, and is the page to read before you spend anything.

Our recommendations

The Herman Miller Aeron comes in three sizes so you can match the chair to your body rather than compromising with a one-size-fits-all approach. Getting the size right matters more than any other decision with it — see our guide to Aeron sizes.

If you prefer a chair that requires no manual adjustment at all, the Herman Miller Cosm uses an auto-harmonic tilt that responds to your weight, and the Humanscale Liberty uses a weight-sensitive recline with no tension dial to set wrong.

For a different sitting position entirely, the HÅG Capisco saddle chair lets you sit forwards, sideways, astride or perched at standing-desk height. It suits people who work over something rather than back from a desk.

The HÅG SoFi Mesh at $750 has the lowest minimum seat height of any conventional chair we stock, at 390 mm, and adjustable seat depth — the two measurements that matter most.

Browse the full range: Ergonomic Task Chairs | Executive Chairs

Further reading: Office chairs under $1,000 compared | How to Choose an Ergonomic Task Chair

2. Desk height and posture alignment

Once the chair is set, the desk has to match it. Sitting with your back supported and feet flat, your elbows should sit at roughly a right angle with your forearms parallel to the desk, and your wrists straight rather than angled up or down.

Most fixed desks are 720–730 mm, which suits an average adult and nobody else particularly. If your desk is too high, raise the chair until the elbow angle is right and then add a footrest so your feet are supported — the HÅG StepUp mounts to the chair itself. If the desk is too low, which is less common, a riser or a height-adjustable desk is the fix.

3. Monitor position

Monitor height is the setting people most often get wrong, and it is the cheapest to correct. The rules are straightforward:

  • Distance: roughly an arm's length away, 50 to 70 cm.
  • Height: the top third of the screen at or just below your natural eye level. You should be able to read the centre of the screen without tilting your head.
  • Angle: tilt the screen back slightly so the viewing angle is closer to perpendicular to your line of sight.
  • Dual monitors: if you use two screens equally, centre the gap between them in front of you. If one is primary, put it directly ahead and angle the second to the side.

Standard monitor stands rarely give enough height or depth adjustment. A monitor arm solves that and frees desk space, and it costs a fraction of a chair.

Our recommendations

The CBS Flo Single is our most popular arm, and the CBS Flo Dual is the two-screen version. Screen weight rather than screen size is what decides fit, and the current Flo carries 2–7 kg — so check your monitor's weight, not its diagonal, before ordering. For heavier or ultrawide displays the Humanscale M8.1 is the heavier-duty option; ask us for the current load range, because Humanscale does not publish full figures for it.

Browse the full range: Monitor Arms

Further reading: Premium monitor arms compared | CBS Flo vs Ollin

4. Keyboard and mouse placement

Position the keyboard and mouse so your wrists stay straight and your hands sit at or slightly below elbow level. Keep the mouse close to the keyboard rather than out to the side — if you do not use the number pad often, a compact keyboard brings the mouse nearer your centre line.

Keyboard tilt should be neutral or slightly negative, with the front edge higher than the back. The old advice of propping keyboards up on their rear feet puts your wrists into extension and is best ignored.

5. Movement and active sitting

Even with a well-configured workstation, any posture held for hours is a posture held for hours. The answer is not standing all day either, which brings its own problems. It is variation: changing position often, and breaking up long sitting stretches with standing and walking.

Active sitting

Active sitting means using a chair that allows and encourages movement while you work, rather than locking you into one position. The HÅG Capisco is the clearest example — its saddle seat lets you sit conventionally, straddle the seat, perch at height or lean to one side. The HÅG Tion offers a more conventional look with the same balanced-tilt mechanism.

Further reading: The science of active sitting | Complete guide to HÅG chairs

The sit-stand approach

A sit-stand desk lets you alternate through the day. One widely used rule of thumb is roughly 20 minutes sitting, 8 standing and 2 moving in every half hour, but it is a starting point rather than a prescription — in practice, change position when you feel stiff or restless.

When standing, set the desk so your elbows stay at roughly a right angle and raise the monitor to standing eye level, which is where a monitor arm earns its keep. Supportive footwear and an anti-fatigue mat help.

Further reading: How to choose a sit-stand desk in Australia

6. Lighting and screen glare

Position your monitor perpendicular to windows rather than facing them or with your back to them, and use blinds to control direct sun. Overhead lighting is better diffused than harsh; if you have fluorescent panels directly above the desk, an adjustable task lamp gives you control over your immediate area. Set monitor brightness to roughly match the room.

7. Acoustic environment

In open-plan offices, noise is consistently near the top of what people report as distracting. Options range from sound-absorbing panels and white noise systems through to dedicated quiet spaces.

For focused work and confidential calls, soundproof office pods provide a self-contained acoustic environment. The Framery One is built for one person and the Framery Four for up to four. Both are rated Class A, 30 DS,A dB speech level reduction under ISO 23351-1 — which means at least 30 dB of speech level reduction, not inaudibility. Anyone telling you a pod makes conversation impossible to hear is overclaiming.

Further reading: How to compare acoustic pods honestly | What a Framery pod costs to own

8. Practical habits

  • The 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something about 6 metres away for 20 seconds.
  • Micro-breaks: every 30 to 45 minutes, stand, stretch or walk for a minute or two. Set a timer if it helps.
  • Posture resets: when you notice yourself slumping, sit back into the lumbar support and drop your shoulders.
  • Keep water at the desk. It forces regular breaks, which is half the point.
  • Walking meetings for one-on-ones that do not need a screen.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I spend on an ergonomic chair?

Less than most people assume. Our range starts at $599 and the HÅG SoFi Mesh at $750 has the lowest seat and adjustable seat depth, which are the two measurements that decide fit. Above about $2,000 you are buying particular capabilities — sized shells, perching at standing height, executive materials — rather than a generally better chair. Our guide to office chairs under $1,000 compares four of them on published specifications.

Is a standing desk better than sitting?

Neither is inherently better and the point is alternating between them. Standing all day brings its own problems, just as sitting all day does. A sit-stand desk gives you the flexibility to vary.

Do I need a monitor arm?

If your monitor is not at the right height, or you switch between sitting and standing, a monitor arm is one of the cheapest changes you can make and it clears desk space as well.

Which chair should I look at if my back is sore at the end of the day?

Start with fit rather than with a model name. Check that the seat goes low enough for your feet to sit flat on the floor, and that the front edge of the seat is not pressing behind your knees. Our guide to office chairs and back pain sets out those measurements for everything we stock, and explains what a chair will not fix. If the pain is persistent, worsening or waking you at night, see a GP or physiotherapist rather than buying furniture.

How often should I change posture?

Often. Small continuous adjustments are easier to sustain than scheduled ones, which is the argument for a chair that moves with you. If you use a sit-stand desk, alternate on comfort rather than on a timer.

Australian workplace obligations

Under the Work Health and Safety Act, Australian employers have a duty of care to provide a safe working environment, and that includes workstation setup. Safe Work Australia publishes guidance on computer-based work covering seating, desk configuration and breaks.

For businesses fitting out offices we supply specification, testing and warranty documentation for tender submissions — see commercial fit-outs.

Where to start

If you are unsure what suits your situation, call us on 02 9640 0642 or visit our Pyrmont showroom to sit in a few. Tell us your height and your desk height when you book and we will have the right chairs set up before you arrive.

Shop Ergonomic Chairs Shop Monitor Arms Shop Sit-Stand Desks