I’ve been looking at upgrading my work-from-home environment to make it more ergonomic. The department of labor has some information and a checklist that is quite handy to evaluate your current work setup, and see where improvements can be made. In my case, on quite a few of their points.
So I’ve been dreaming up an ideal setup, after some input from Justin:
- Chair: Herman Miller Aeron
- Desk: Anthro Bench, probably the 48″ wide model. Not sure yet how high it should be, they have different models.
- Keyboard tray: Anthro Deluxe keyboard and mouse tray
- Keyboard: Kinesis Advantage USB, the QD model
I said I was dreaming – the total cost of this setup is currently about $2200, before shipping or tax. That’s pretty steep. On the other hand, if it avoids future medical problems, it’s not a bad investment. I’d expect to spend a similar amount on a new laptop, and these puppies last about 2 years for me. One could expect the ergonomic work environment to last much longer; so as a business expense its probably not so bad…
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I’ve noticed that Aerons sometimes go on eBay for $3-500, depending on their condition. I admit to being spoiled by the Aeron at work – once you get it adjusted, I believe it is the most comfortable chair I’ve ever used. I have given a lot of thought to trying to pick up a used one, but I think I’m alright for now.
I have to say that the Anthro equipment is excellent – the lifetime warranty doesn’t hurt. I’m really liking the keyboard tray’s full range of adjustability, and the thing is like a tank.
As for the Kinesis – a friend of mine has one, and I had the opportunity to try it out, albeit in Dvorak. My first impression was that it was very comfortable – and that, given time, you could type very fast, indeed. Even using it for a few minutes, I was struck by the ease of use and how “fast” it felt.