How far should your monitor be? Distance and height explained

What the guidance says

Three well-known sources agree closely on screen distance:

The overlap is 20 to 28 inches. That is a sensible starting point for most people with a typical 24 or 27-inch monitor, and you can push the screen a little farther back if you use a larger display.

How high the screen should be

Distance is only half of it. The same sources also describe screen height:

• Mayo Clinic: the top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level.
• American Optometric Association: the center of the screen should be about 15 to 20 degrees below eye level, which it describes as about 4 or 5 inches below.
• OSHA: the center of the screen should be about 15 to 20 degrees below horizontal eye level.

If you wear bifocals, Mayo suggests lowering the monitor an extra 1 to 2 inches so you do not tilt your head back to read through the lower part of your lenses.

A quick way to check your own setup

1. Sit back in your normal working position.
2. Stretch your arm straight toward the screen. Your fingertips should land near the screen or just short of it. That is roughly the 20-to-28-inch zone.
3. Look straight ahead. Your eyes should meet the top part of the screen, not the middle.
4. Measure with a tape from the bridge of your nose to the screen if you want the actual number.

What to do when the desk is too shallow

On a desk that is 20 inches deep or less, a monitor on its own stand often ends up too close, because the stand's foot takes up desk space in front of the screen. You have three main options:

Our guide to monitor arms for shallow desks compares arms by clamp range and reach. If you are still choosing a desk, what size desk you need explains how depth and screen distance relate.

Reduce glare at the same time

Screen position and lighting work together. The American Optometric Association suggests placing the screen to avoid glare from overhead lights and windows and using blinds or curtains where needed. OSHA notes that tilting a screen back too far can pick up reflections from ceiling lights.

In a small room, the simplest fix is often to put the desk side-on to the window rather than facing it or with your back to it. If the room has no window at all, see lighting a home office corner with no window.

Rest your eyes

The American Optometric Association recommends the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It also suggests a 15-minute break after two hours of continuous screen use, and blinking often to avoid dry eyes.

The AOA lists eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes and neck and shoulder pain as common symptoms of long screen sessions. Screen position can help, but if symptoms continue, see an eye care professional; uncorrected vision problems are a common cause.

Summary checklist

• Screen 20 to 28 inches from your eyes
• Top of the screen at or slightly below eye level
• Screen directly in front of you, behind the keyboard
• No window directly behind the screen or behind you
• A break to look into the distance every 20 minutes