Ergonomic Computer Setup
Stop wrist, neck, back, and eye pain at the computer.
Mouse — for wrist & arthritis pain
- Vertical mouse (Logitech MX Vertical, Anker) — $40-100. Hand position is "handshake" instead of palm-down. Cuts forearm strain.
- Trackball mouse (Logitech M575) — $40. Move thumb, not whole arm. Easy on shoulders.
- Apple Magic Trackpad — gestures via swipes. Works on Mac and iPad.
Keyboard — for visibility & typing
- Logitech K780 / K780 Plus — large keys, easy on aging hands.
- Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad — bigger than the slim version.
- Logitech ERGO K860 — split, curved layout. Best for serious typers.
- Big-key keyboards for low vision — search "low vision keyboard" — high-contrast, oversized letters.
- Backlit keyboard — see keys in dim rooms.
Monitor & laptop placement
- Top of screen at eye level — stops the head-tilt-down that wrecks necks.
- Laptop stand ($30) — props laptop up. PAIR with external keyboard so you\'re not reaching up.
- Monitor arm ($60-150) — adjustable height and angle. Game-changer for desk setups.
- 20-20-20 rule — every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Cuts eye strain.
- Brightness: match the room\'s light. Don\'t crank to max in a dim room.
- Night Shift / Night Light — both Mac and Windows have it. Reduces blue light evening hours.
Chair & posture
- Feet flat on the floor (or on a footrest).
- Knees at 90°.
- Hips slightly higher than knees.
- Back supported (lumbar pillow if your chair lacks one).
- Shoulders relaxed, NOT shrugged.
- Elbows at ~90° at the keyboard.
- Get up every 30 minutes. Even just to refill water.
Eye strain
- Computer glasses — drugstore +1.0 to +1.5 reading glasses for screen distance. Cheap and effective.
- Get a real eye exam yearly — astigmatism gets worse with age and causes screen pain.
- Increase font size system-wide — Settings → Display → Larger Text. Don\'t squint at default size.
- Use Reader Mode on long articles — fewer ads, bigger text.
- Blue-light filtering glasses — research is mixed. Probably small effect, but inexpensive to try.
Order of impact
If you have $100 to spend on ONE thing — get a vertical mouse. If $150 — laptop stand + external keyboard. If $200 — adjustable monitor arm. If $50 — drugstore computer glasses. Each of these eliminates a different daily pain.