How Far Should Your Monitor Be From Your Eyes?

Most of us never set up our monitor. It goes wherever it fits on the desk, and then we spend years leaning towards it. Getting the distance and height roughly right takes five minutes and makes a long working day noticeably more comfortable.

Here is what the main ergonomics guidance actually says, and how to apply it at a desk or with a laptop.

The short answer

Put the screen directly in front of you, at least 50 cm (20 inches) from your eyes, and usually somewhere around arm's length. The top line of text should be at or slightly below eye level.

That is the rule of thumb. The details below explain the range and when to adjust it.

What OSHA recommends

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publishes a computer workstations eTool that is one of the most widely used references. Its quick tip is to put the monitor directly in front of you and at least 20 inches (about 50 cm) away.

It goes on to say that the preferred viewing distance is between 20 and 40 inches (50 to 100 cm) from the eye to the front of the screen. For height, it recommends placing the monitor so that the top line of the screen is at or below eye level, with the centre of the screen normally around 15 to 20 degrees below horizontal eye level. In practice that means you look slightly down at what you are reading, not straight ahead or up.

What other guidance says

Other sources land in the same place, with small differences. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggests the top of the screen level with your eyes and about an arm's length away. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says you should be sitting about 25 inches (around 64 cm) from the screen, which it describes as roughly arm's length.

Cornell University's ergonomics tips also recommend sitting at arm's length from the monitor. Interestingly, they place the top of the monitor casing 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches) above eye level, which with a typical bezel puts the first line of text at about eye level. The point is the same: you should be able to read the screen without tipping your head up or down.

Guidelines differ by a few centimetres because people, screens and tasks differ. Treat the numbers as a starting point, then adjust for comfort.

How to set it up in five minutes

Sit back in your chair with your back supported, then stretch an arm out. Your fingertips should land around the screen. That is a reasonable first distance.
Centre the monitor and keyboard in front of you so you are not twisting.
Raise or lower the monitor until the top line of text is at or just below eye level. A stack of books works if your stand does not go high enough.
Check you can read normal text comfortably without leaning forward. If you can't, increase the text size before you move the screen closer.
With very large or wide screens, you will usually want to sit towards the far end of the range.

If you wear bifocals or varifocals

OSHA notes that bifocal wearers often read through the lower part of their lenses, which tips the head back. Its suggestions are to lower the monitor below the usual height, raise your chair, or ask about single-vision lenses designed for computer distance. An optometrist can help with the last one.

Laptops: the hardest case

A laptop joins the screen and keyboard together, so you cannot get both in a good position at once. If the keyboard is at a comfortable height, the screen is far too low, and you end up looking down for hours.

OSHA's workstation checklist says that if a laptop is used as your main computer, it should be set up like a desktop, with an external keyboard and pointing device. The HSE gives the same advice: keep the keyboard and mouse separate from the laptop so the screen can be raised on a laptop riser or similar.

Put the laptop on a stand, a riser or a sturdy pile of books so the top of the screen is near eye level.
Plug in a separate keyboard and mouse and keep them close, at roughly elbow height.
Or connect an external monitor and treat the laptop as a second screen.
If you work from a sofa or a café, keep sessions short and change position often.

Distance drifts during the day

Even with a perfect set-up, people tend to creep towards the screen as they concentrate. A good distance at 9 am can easily become half of it by mid-afternoon. Regular breaks help, and so does a quick check whenever you notice your nose getting close to the display.

That creep is what Upsaro was built for. It uses your webcam, processed on your own computer, to notice when you lean in towards the screen and send a gentle reminder to sit back.

If you still get frequent eye strain or headaches after adjusting your set-up, have your eyes tested. An out-of-date prescription is a common reason people lean in.