The working from home thread: tips and advice

I was tempted to this, but i always have a privacy cover on my webcam, which i'd have to flip up every time

Yeah they make some cheaper ones but they tend to be for laptops (i.e. not on a cable), and not as well reviewed.

Picked up this, which has an automatic privacy cover, so only opens when the camera is active.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BJDVKJB9?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Does a software controllable privacy cover addressable by the camera ease any privacy concerns?

I'm nearly done sorting out my garden office.

plan is to mount the ultrawide monitor and the tv on the left wall there high enough i can angle my tablet screen under the monitor but i'm questioning myself on how to line up the tv and the ultrawide vertically and don't want to have to faff around changing it once its up.

I think the most sensible option is line the tops of both screens up but for some reason i keep wondering if aligning them on their centre makes more sense.

it's aligned top, right?

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Are there any decent office chairs that aren't absolutely massive? I've got a really crappy one that I got for free from a neighbour. I find my back and neck are quite uncomfortable after a full day on that bad boy when I WFH.
I want something that'll tuck under a table and not take up half of the living room when it's not in use. The cheaper the better!

This is a hunt I've been doing on and off for years. Even without a budget restriction finding a small chair with lumbar support and decent adjustability seems pretty impossible.

You could get one of those ergonomic stools on which you "kneel". That'll tuck under the table.
I don't WFH, but now work almost exclusively whilst standing, only sitting down to converse with the seated other cad monkeys.
..On my old office chair that I converted to a sort of stool by removing the back rest.
It also fits neatly under my high desk that way.

HAG Capisco, chair or stool

Honestly I think it's down to personal preference. I use 2 monitors that are the exact same, but 1 landscape, and 1 portrait. I have tried bottom alignment, top alignment, and center alignment, and I marginally prefer center. I think I'd be fine with any of them if I had to, though.

Best practice, of course is to make sure that your main screen is centred at eye level so you're not straining your neck needing to look up or down for long times.

Herman Miller Sayle might fit the bill, quite compact, all the 'proper' features, bit strange looking maybe. I have a Setu which looks good in a domestic setting but not really a task chair.

The chair might not be the biggest contributor to your neck and back problems, and that there is a quick win in changing your monitor setup.

I started out going for top aligned today but was rushing to rip the ply i was fixing to the studs to help reinforce things and used the narrower of the screens for reference for its width so when it came to mount the tv it was too narrow to mount the second one low enough without the bottom screws going off the edge. so went for middle and i'm happy with how it turned out.

need to get the cabling all sorted so i'll be taking them off and on a few times still before i tighten the mounts up fully so they're a little misaligned for now but they sit dead level when properly seated.

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my screen heights are always a little janky as i prefer top and bottom to side by side so i'll do the bulk of my detail work on the tablet screen looking slightly down and most of my secondary stuff up on the top monitor looking slightly up.

my current setup uses an lg double-up so it's just how i'm used to working now even if it goes against norms on eyelevel.

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After 5 years of mis-matched dual monitors - 1 QHD (2560x1440) and 1 WSXGA+ (1680×1050) - I've gone and bought myself a 40" 5K2K (5120 x 2160). It is marvellous with no alignment faff and as it has an integrated thunderpants hub the cabling is tidy. Should have done it ages ago.

Next is to replace the desk I stole/borrowed when I moved out of my parents last millennium and get something a little higher. Are desks available in different heights without going full sit/stand?

Are desks available in different heights without going full sit/stand?

My IKEA desk has adjustable legs. I have it set quite high as I like my chair high and use a foot rest.

I'm going to try raising my laptop as a first step. I think I'm quite hunched which is probably the biggest problem. My partner has a monitor that I'll try as well, see if that improves my position. I don't really like using one generally but beats knackering my back.

If that doesn't work, I'll spend the money on a decent chair.

Sticking your laptop on a box & using a separate keyboard will get you the biggest bang for your bucks. Get the middle of the laptop to eye level, and you're laughing.

I started with boxes as well, then have found these laptop stands to be very good value for money (less than 20 bucks, very sturdy, also they keep the laptop cool which is a nice plus).
Yea it is of course annoying to have a stand plus external keyboard and mouse on your desk instead of just the laptop, but your back / neck will definitely love it, do recommend 👍

It turns out my partner has a spare keyboard and laptop riser like the one above! I'm WFH tomorrow so will try it out and see if I need to change anything else.

Thanks for the advice everyone. This is a much better set up! I'm still not sure about the chair but will see how I get on. I only work from home a couple of days a week so reluctant to have a massive office chair tucked in a corner of the living room for the other 5.

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Nice lamp!

Thanks! I happened to be passing a clear out of a posh flat in Battersea in a van and got given it for free.

reluctant to have a massive office chair tucked in a corner of the living room

Isn't there ergonomic cushions you can get? Could be an option to stick one on a dining chair

Yeah not a bad bet! I do have an office chair that's small enough to tuck under the table but it's not very comfortable. It was free so can't really complain.