What is the Proper Monitor Height?

There are several competing schools of thought on this issue, however, we at ErgoCanada recommend that the top of the viewable screen of your monitor should be at the same approximate height as your eyes. Since most of the time you are focused in the middle of your monitor, you will be looking slightly downward at a 10° - 15° angle, on average. And the monitor should be slightly tilted back (about 10° - 15°) so that when you are looking at the center of the screen your line of sight is perpendicular to the surface of the screen. At the very most the bottom of the viewable area of your monitor should never be more than 25° - 30° below your line of sight.

The biggest problem with locating the monitor at a lower elevation is that it will result in your eyes looking downward. When you look down, even slightly, your head will have an automatic tendency to tilt downward, putting strain on the neck muscles. If you maintain that position, over time you will start bend your entire body over and lean forward subconsciously to relieve the tension on your neck. This will put you in a poor posture which can lead to increased strain on other parts of your body (a back support on a chair can't help you if you are leaning forward in your chair).

A normal relaxed position for your head is anywhere from completely vertical to as much as 10° looking downward - any 'tilt' larger than that can lead to the issues noted above. While you may have a tendency to start leaning forward when looking as the taskbar at the bottom of the screen, that will correct itself when you need to target on a menu at the top of the screen if your monitor is at the correct height. However, when even the top of the viewable area is below your 'straight ahead' viewing angle there is nothing to correct the subconcious tendency to curl into a 'hunched' position which is anything but ergonomic.