Last updated: June 10th, 2025
Building an ergonomic, functional and attractive work-from-home office is both an art and a science. You must balance conflicting priorities, from chair selection to screen positioning, while keeping the design fresh.
Because of this perceived complexity, many Australians don’t prioritise home office design. Too hard basket, right?
I’ve worked from home for over 15 years, so I’ve had to transform many boring spare rooms into comfortable, Instagram-worthy, ergonomic office spaces. Let me show you how.
(Related: 10 Best Work From Home Jobs In Australia).
Important!
The top of your monitor should be at (or slightly below) your eye level. When you look at the middle of your screen, your eyes should look slightly down.
5 Golden Rules For Best Home Office Ergonomics.
Follow these rules to create an optimal ergonomic workspace in your home.
1. 90 Is The Magic Number.
Your elbows, ankles, hips and knees should be at a 90-degree angle to one another. When they’re not, your muscles will be forced to overcompensate, learning to discomfort, soreness and injuries.
A couple of things to be aware of:
- Your arms should be flat on your desktop, with your wrists in a neutral position. If your wrists flex up or down, adjust your chair height.
- Your back must be straight, with your monitor at arm’s length. Avoid slouching.
2. The 20-20-20 Rule.
The 20-20-20 rule helps prevent stress and eye strain. It recommends you look at something 20 metres away for 20 seconds after every 20 minutes of screen time.
During these short breaks, your brain and eyes get some respite. Use these breaks as an opportunity to:
- Grab a drink of water.
- Walk around the room.
- Stretch and do a quick exercise (best exercises for home office).
- Close your eyes and meditate.
(Related: Dora Pro Standing Desk Review: Best WFH Desk?)
3. Create Pools Of Light.
What’s the secret to creating a great mood with lighting? Avoiding having a single overhead light source. Use multiple light sources with soft diffusers to create pools of light in your home office.
Shown above: pools of light add a sense of calm and separate areas.
As a rule of thumb, put:
- An attractive feature lamp on your desktop. This creates a central focal point, making the space more inviting.
- Small light behind you. This adds depth to the room, creating interest (as an added bonus, it also makes you look more engaging on Zoom calls (more about this shortly).
4. Don’t Turn The Couch Into A Workstation.
Avoid the temptation to work from your couch or bed. Keep spaces for comfort and relaxation separate.
Couches make you hot (which, in turn, makes you sleepy and more prone to procrastination.
Expert Tip.
Don’t work from your dining room table, either. Doing this will cause your table to “feel like work” and will make your family time less enjoyable.
5. Create An Attractive Background.
What’s immediately behind your office chair? A messy bookshelf? A plain white wall?
Shown above: styled bookshelves create an attractive background in my current home office. Note the small light for added depth and interest.
An aesthetically pleasing background makes your office feel more inviting.
- More importantly, it sends the right message to people on your Zoom, Teams and Slack calls.
Remember – everything you share with your colleagues shapes your personal brand. Your home office background is not exempt from this.
Essential Equipment For WFH Ergonomics.
You should aim to (over time) invest in revamping all your office equipment to improve your workstation to be as ergonomic as possible.
We’ve ordered our guide in a suggestion of most to least essential, but this will be individual to your circumstances.
1. Adjustable Office Chair.
Ill-fitting office chairs are one of the leading causes of WFH discomfort, which, in turn, can significantly impact your productivity. Here are the most common problems:
- Poor seat depth.
- Unbreathable materials.
- Poor-fitting (or missing) armrests.
When investing in an ergonomic office chair, we have a couple of tips:
- Adjust: Ensure that the chair has sufficient adjustment options (height, backrest tilt, and armrest height are bare minimum). You should be able to sit comfortably, with your feet flat, your spine neutral, and your wrists and forearms parallel to the floor.
- Comfort: If you live in warmer parts of Australia (or don’t have air conditioning in your home), opt for mesh instead of fabric.
(Related: Australia’s Favourite Ergonomic Chairs).
2. Standing Desk (Or Very Adjustable Regular Desk).
I highly recommend standing desks for WFH setups. They counteract sedentary lifestyles, help you stay more cognitively alert, encourage good posture and improve productivity.
Prices range between $500 and $2,000, depending on brand, wood type and strength of construction. This review will help you choose the best desk for your needs.
3. Laptop Stand Or Monitor Mount.
Laptops have inherently poor ergonomics. With screens and keyboards fixed roughly at the same level, they prevent you from placing both into an ergonomic position.
You’re stuck with having to look down at your screen or elevate your wrists into an unnaturally high position.
Laptop stands solve this issue by elevating the screen to your eye level.
Expert Tip
Laptop stands also improve air circulation around your laptop. This helps reduce heat buildup, which can improve the performance and lifespan of your laptop.
Monitor arms, meanwhile, give you the ability to:
- Keep your computer screen at eye level and arm’s length if the included stand is inadequate.
- Work with multiple screens without sacrificing ergonomics.
(Related: Guide To Buying The Best Monitor Stand).
4. External Keyboard & Ergonomic Mouse.
Keeping your wrists at awkward angles can lead to long-term conditions such as repetitive strain injury.
There are three main types of ergonomic keyboards to consider for your home office:
- Split keyboard. Divides keys into two separate sections, allowing you to move each half into the most comfortable position.
- Arc keyboard. The curved design keeps your wrists straight and hands shoulder-width apart.
- Contoured keyboard. The most sophisticated approach to keyboard design, the contoured keyboard provides a wrist rest while using a wavy pattern to reduce forearm pronation and reduce ulnar deviation.
The humble mouse is also a frequent source of wrist pain. Consider ergonomic alternatives such as vertical and adjustable mice instead:
- Vertical mouse. Allows your right thumb to point toward the ceiling with your hand in a handshake position. The benefit? This position supports the wrist and reduces the physical consequences of long-term strain or exacerbated arthritis.
- Adjustable mouse. Allows you to change the angle of your mouse by lifting it higher or lower in the standard mouse position.
Steven
Cody says:
Hi,
Do you know 9am HOME standing desks?
I want to know how about their desk.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Cody, I’ve never seen them before but I took a quick look for you and I’m 90% certain it’s another Jiecang desk. You can tell by the design of the feet and the lowest height (60cm). Desky, Omnidesk, Stand Desk are all pretty much the same.
Cody says:
Which one do you mean? Pesk or Robin series? I am interested in their Robin series, it looks unique and beautiful. I can’t find anyone like it in Desky.
Steven McConnell says:
I was talking about the Pesk Series. Robin series does look attractive and unusual, but I’m usually not a fan of tubular legs as they tend to be more prone to wobble. I can’t say whether this is the case in this instance, as I haven’t physically tested the desk myself. The 10 year warranty is reassuring, however. I wish they offered a risk-free trial to let you test out the legs!
Cody says:
Thank you very much, Steven; I will take your comments into consideration.
Erin says:
Do you know much about Kangadesks? There are Australian as well.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Erin, its another Jiecang standing desk. Same as Desky, Omni, Stand Desk etc. The design of the feet and 60-125cm height range gives it away. The desk appears to currently be currently on sale for $299, which is an absolute steal and I’m wondering why they’re selling their stock at 1/3 of RRP. Regardless, even if they’re about to go bust, I’d still buy one at that price.
EDIT: Be careful. Fakespot showed these warnings while browsing their website: “Multiple eCommerce scam experiences detected, Poor customer service”
Suzy says:
Hi – given all the desks are so similar, is it possible to mix a desk from one brand with a drawer accessory from another? I don’t like the UpDown desk metal drawer (hangs very low so likely to impede leg space) but don’t mind the Desky one – can these be mixed and matched?
Thank you for the reviews! Super helpful.
Steven McConnell says:
Yes, it’s possible to play switcheroo. But you may want to consider that UpDown design is curved, so it will hurt less if you do jam your thighs into it. Desky’s meanwhile, is quite angular. Pro tip: you can also find a bunch of inexpensive slimline desk drawers on Amazon.
jason says:
I’ve spent far, far too much time agonising over which desk to get haha, definitely more than a week. Very happy that you’ve added the omni-desk to your catalogue. That was the one I was considering the most untill you came you with a review saying that it was more wobbly!
Anyways, do you have an opinion on the new updown desk KLIK Series? Its advertises to be significanlty ligher while having better (on paper) specs
Thanks!
Evelyn says:
Hi Steven, great blog post – thank you! I’m also wondering whether you have any opinion or insights on the new UpDown Desk KLIK series…they come at $100 more expensive (for the same size/table top) but seem to be ‘better’ according to the UpDown website.
Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Evelyn, thanks! I will have a full review of the KLIK up around February 2025. It’s not necessarily a better standing desk – but it is lighter, less bulky and promises easier assembly.
Ben Clements says:
Hi. I’m interested to know more about whether I actually could fit the Desky cable management system in the Omnidesk? I’ve had a look at the omnidesks in person at the showroom and it looks like their cable management trays screw on (vs the clip in at the edges of the desk with the Desky tray). The desky system also has the power plugs that snap into place in the tray.
So I’m curious to know if you have you tried it, and if so how did you do it please? Or is your thinking that you’d just buy the power boards and plugs from Desky and rest them in the Omnidesk tray?
I’m stuck, because I prefer the Omnidesks but I really love the idea of a single power lead!
Thanks
Steven McConnell says:
I just had a new Omnidesk delivered to my house. Give me about two weeks to assemble it, test it out and report back.
Sunni says:
Thanks for your very helpful (and funny) review. I used the information to to buy a Desky standing desk in record time – no consumer agonising for weeks, as is my usual practice. It has a pneumatic up/down mechanism, so lets see how that goes.
Steven McConnell says:
Ha! You’re welcome, Sunni. Glad I helped you cut down on the agonising. The pneumatic mechanism is an interest choice – let me know what you think of it?
Amber says:
Hi Steven,
Really great and insightful review. It was refreshing to see something that wasn’t filled with ChatGPT affiliate link garbage!
I’m curious about your opinion on L-shaped standing desks? I know that Desky, UpDown and a few other retailers offer these types of desks and I would assume they are more strong and stable, but I’m not an expert and I can also imagine the opposite being true due to the irregular shape. I’ve been looking at these types of desks because I think their shape suits my space the best. Do you have any knowledge on this or do you only have experience with regular rectangular shaped desks?
Steven McConnell says:
Thanks, Amber. Did you know that I have a L-shaped standing desk review? Search for “arielle best corner standing desks” and you’ll find it.
Melissa says:
Hi Steven great article thank you!
I’ve spent way to much time on this, and I’m now leaning towards the Artiss thanks to your review.
I’m wondering if you have any insight into ergonomic chairs for the home office also?
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Melissa, thanks! The Artiss is a great budget pick. I’ve written numerous ergonomic chair reviews – Google “arielle best ergonomic office chairs” to find them 🙂
tania says:
hey are there any other manual desks apart from the ikea ones you don’t recommend, that you would recommend? I prefer the idea of not needing electricity to move between stand up and sit down but maybe that doesn’t really exist?
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Tania, all of the premium brands (UpDown, Desky, etc) offer a manual crank model. Definitely the way to go if you want to avoid electronics. But TBH I suggest you reconsider. Electronics are very reliable these days – and hand-cranking your standing desk is more annoying than you’d expect.
Adam says:
Hi, do you know much about the UpDown Klik vs Pro system?
Steven McConnell says:
The company has shipped their new Klik standing desk to me yesterday. Stay tuned!
Scott Long says:
You mention in your review of the Up Down Pro that you would get the cable holes and grommets done, but it looks like your (very pretty) Messmate desk doesn’t have them. Is your recommendation a hindsight reflection, or did you choose not to spoil the look of the desk with the grommets? Without the grommets can you can still run the cables behind the desk and into the cable management tray? Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Scott, I said in the review that grommets and holes are a great idea, not that I have them. They’re less important if your standing desk faces a wall. But if you have an open-plan style home office like mine, they’ll make your workspace look much cleaner. PS You can still run cables into the tray without the holes and grommets – the cables will simply run behind the desk.
Isaac Jenkinson says:
Hello,
Have you had a chance to try the new UpDown Lyft model? Curious about its stability vs the pro.
Steven McConnell says:
Isaac,
Not yet. On first glance, it looks like a budget alternative to the “big brothers”. It’s probably pretty good (UpDown has a reputation to maintain), but I’m of the opinion that buying cheap means you pay more in the long term. I’d save up another few hundred bucks and get the Pro. You can often get a melamine or bamboo-topped model on sale for around $900.
David says:
This is a great site and will help me decide on which desk to buy. Have you heard any good/bad reviews about the Blacklyte Atlas Lite or Ergo-Rise II from BDO furniture?
Steven McConnell says:
David, thanks for the kind words. Never heard of the Atlas Lite until you mentioned it. Looks like a decent gaming desk that borrows heavily from Secretlab Magnus – but why not just buy a real Magnus instead?
As for the Ergo-Rise – looks like a decent desk, but its height controller is outdated. The best standing desk brands have upgraded to OLED controllers.
Ben says:
Thank you for writing this review Steven; really helpful to break through the BS.
By any chance have you used or hold an opinion on Vertilift desks?
Steven McConnell says:
You’re welcome. God, I haven’t even heard of them – but thanks for the heads-up. There are too many standing desks on the Australian market. Obviously I haven’t used these in person, but I’m almost certain they’re yet another Jiecang variant (i.e., frames are identical to Desky). You can tell by the identical max and min heights, as well as the design of the foot.
Eloise says:
Hey Steven, I was recommended the Alwyn or Octavia (Living Fusion) 140cm sit and stand desks from Temple and Webster which don’t even get a mention in your review. Would you bother with any of their brands ? (I may have dodged a bullet by finding your review!)
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Louise, I haven’t had first-hand experience with the T&W standing desk (must add one to my list!).
However, I had a look through the specs for you.
It doesn’t look too bad, actually – considering the price. If you can’t stretch your budget to ~$950 for an entry-level UpDown or Desky, this could be a good option.
Jordan says:
Hi Steven, Thanks for the review! I am starting out with a home office set up and need a new chair and sit stand desk. I’m a student but I prefer to buy things I know will last, but I don’t have too much experience with sit stand desks. I initially thought to buy the Artiss but have considered buying the Acacia UpDown Pro+ so I know it lasts and I don’t have to buy another desk in a couple of years. Is it worth the price jump for me? Thanks!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Jordan, the Artiss and the UpDown desks sell at two very different price points. If you have the budget, I suggest you stretch to the UpDown standing desk – you won’t regret it.
jason says:
I know you’ve disqualified the flexispot e7 pro so the e7 max plus would probably also be disqualified, but a quad motor 4 column desk frame at a prices competitive with UpDown desk is incredibly tempting. Plus 15 year warrenty (if the company lasts that long)
Have you had a chance to take a look? Its like half the price of the desky quad!
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Jason, great observation. I haven’t included quad standing desks here because they’ve traditionally attracted a niche consumer – someone who needs to place a tonne of gear on the desktop and doesn’t mind paying 2X the usual price. But Flexispot’s sharp pricing on their quad desk certainly changes things. I haven’t seen one in the wild yet – but the specs look promising.
Steven