What type of desk is best for dual monitors?
Best desk for dual monitors
What type of desk is best for dual monitors – or could a dual monitor stand be a better alternative? Can I fit two monitors on a small desk? You are working hard and you now need to upgrade to using two monitors but you aren’t sure where to start. You will need a large desk big enough to hold two (or more) monitors, but what sizes should you buy?
As a guideline, the minimum work surface area should be 140 cm wide with a depth of 63.5 cm. Obviously, the longer the length of the desk the more equipment can be placed upon it. But remember that the desk you choose needs to be able to support the combined weight of all of the equipment including:
- monitors
- keyboards
- mouse
- speakers
- documents/files
- coffee cup 😊
Note: Suppliers generally provide details on total weight-bearing loads for each desk.
But have you considered using a dual monitor stand as an alternative?
If you find you need to use dual monitors (or more) it might be more beneficial to purchase a dual monitor (or triple) stand rather than having the additional expense of changing your office desk. It will not only allow you extra space on your desk, but it will also allow a better working experience by letting you adjust your sitting/working positions.
There are many positives to buying a dual monitor stand
- Adjustable stand – adjust the height to match your eye level improving possible issues with eye strain and bad posture
- Swivel, rotate, and tilt stands offer a wide variety of positioning options for each individual monitor
- Gas spring dual monitor stands provide ease of use
- Free up desk space – mount the stand to the edge of your desk allowing access to more work surface
- Integrated cable management – no trailing cables
- Just fit the stand to your existing office desk, attach your monitors and you are ready to go.
Where should you position the dual monitor stand?
- Place the dual monitor stand so it will hold the monitor you use most often directly in front of you – just as if it was a single monitor
- Choose which side (left or right) you wish to place your second monitor taking into consideration that you may have one eye more dominant than the other
- Attach both monitors to the dual monitor stand and position each one of them to avoid glare
- Distance – Your monitors should be positioned so you can see the entire screen at once
- The monitors should be an arm’s length away from your normal sitting/standing position. Generally, this is between 50 to 100cm
- Height – the height of the monitor should ensure that the top of the screen is level (or slightly below) your eye level
- When viewing the center of the screen your eyes should be looking slightly downwards
Conclusion
An existing large desk can be used to accommodate several monitors and when correctly positioned can increase productivity.
The benefits of attaching a dual monitor stand include better posture, and less eye strain, thereby allowing more productivity. They can easily be installed on any existing desk. Attach to your desk, add the monitors and you are good to go.
Can you think of any other benefits of using either a large desk or a dual monitor stand? Drop us a message and let us know.