Ultimate Desk Setup Guide: Ergonomic and Functional Essentials

The key to a good desk setup is finding a deep desk, an ergonomic chair, and a high-resolution monitor for efficient work.

### Ultimate Desk Setup Guide: Key Components and Recommendations
* Consider the depth of the desk, as having a **deep desk is crucial for ergonomics**, allowing you to **rest your arms comfortably**.
* 🖥 Choose a desk that fits your specific purpose and has standing functionality, as the desk and chair are the **two most important components** of the setup.
* Invest in an ergonomic chair with **height adjustability** and **armrest adjustability**, avoiding gaming chairs that may cause **back problems**.
* 🖥 When it comes to monitors, choose based on personal preference, considering **resolution and screen estate** that can enhance your workflow.
* 🖼 Regularly changing wallpapers can affect your mood and motivation, giving your setup a **fresh look and feel**.
* 🖥 Use apps like Workspaces to **easily switch between different projects** by automating the **opening and closing of various apps and files**.
* 💡 Desk lights are essential to **illuminate your workspace**, and having a light that can **change color temperature** can be more useful than expected.
* 🖱 When it comes to mice and keyboards, choose what works best for you, with the **Magic Mouse**, **Logitech MX Master 3**, and **Magic Keyboard** being popular choices.
* 🎧 Consider adding external speakers to your setup for a **more convenient and immersive audio experience**.
* 🔋 With most phones supporting wireless charging, having a wireless charger on your desk can ensure your devices are **always charged up**.

I've made a lot of desk setups. Long-time subscribers will know that I am obsessed with trying to get the perfect setup. I've shared quite a few videos on this channel, sharing a number of those different setups. I've been working from home since before that was even a thing. It's been 13 years now that I've had a dedicated desk setup. Every home that I've lived in, every office that I rented. I've bought and used a ton of different desks, chairs, monitors, and all sorts of other desk accessories. I like to think I know which desk upgrades actually matter and what it takes to make a good setup that's both ergonomic and not a waste of money. When setting up a new desk, the first thing I do is look for the perfect desk for that specific space, as every space is different. So I like to make sure the desk matches. However, there is one important factor that I feel like a lot of people

don't think about enough when choosing a desk, and that is the actual depth of the desk itself. Having a deep desk is important if you're going to be there for hours at a time. As you'll need room to rest your arms on it when typing. If your arms aren't either resting on the armrests of your chair or the desk, you'll quickly start getting aching pains in your trapezius muscles, the muscles that are here and here. I've noticed if I don't have anything resting, if I'm not resting my elbows anywhere, over time, because you're sort of slouching and your arms are sort of like this, you end up just getting uncomfortable aching pains in those muscles. Because my office is quite roomy, I've gone with a large 180 centimetres wide and 80 centimetre deep desk. I then put it on a frame that gives me the option to turn it into a standing desk.

I bought them separately as I was looking
for this specific colour combination. With a desk this big, I have room for everything
I need within arm's reach. When it comes to desk
recommendations, I actually don't think
the brand matters that much. Price will simply vary depending
on the features and materials. All that matters is getting a desk
that fits your specific purpose and has standing functionality. But for those wondering, I'll of course leave links to the table top and the frame that I'm using
down in the description below. The next part of the setup,
and probably the most important, is the chair. A lot of people will simply
use a chair they already have like a dining table chair or buy a chair they feel like
they think looks good. They haven't actually thought about
the ergonomics of the chair itself. A general rule that I like to apply to my life that I've got it from someone else, but I can't actually remember
exactly where.

is that, whatever is separating yourself
from the floor, I think is worth spending money on. So things like an office chair,
a good mattress, a good pair of shoes, these sorts of things,
are separating you from the hardness of the floor
that I feel like it's just worth spending a little bit of money to make sure you get
a sufficient level of comfort. Please do not buy a gaming chair. I don't even understand
why gaming chairs are popular. They're not ergonomic,
they don't look good, and they're just gonna end up giving you back problems later in life. Please, avoid gaming chairs if you can. The specific chair I'm using
is the Herman Miller Aeron, which is known as the goat
when it comes to office chairs. It has an absolute ton of adjustability and is specially designed
to be as ergonomic as possible. However, this chair is not cheap, at over $1,000 new. So the two cheaper alternatives
I would recommend

are the IKEA MARKUS chair or one from Sihoo, I think it's called. The main requirements.
I think you should consider when choosing an office chair is height adjustability
and armrest adjustability. The height needs to be at a position where your feet can rest flat on the floor, and the armrest height needs
to be in line with your desk, so that you can rest your arms on there if you can't rest them on the desk itself. The desk and the chair are important
to get right from the beginning, as they will most likely be the two things you keep the longest in your desk setup. So you want to make sure they last. So when it comes to monitors, I feel like they are
very highly preference based. So I'm not going to be recommending
any specific monitors, but I did want to share what I think you should be considering when choosing a monitor for your setup. First thing, of course, is how many monitors.

I think many people go through the phase of thinking they need multiple monitors to be ultra productive. I'm not going to lie, I was definitely one of those people. I used to think that I need like three or four or five different monitors to be super productive. And yeah, I kind of just realised that isn't the case. I just much prefer having one large monitor. What I've noticed as well is that if I do need an extra secondary monitor, I can just use the monitor on my MacBook. But even then, I rarely ever actually use the monitor on my MacBook. My personal monitor that I have in this specific setup is the Apple Pro display XDR. And I do also have a Studio Display at home. And there's a few reasons as to why I chose these monitors. First up is they are very high resolution monitors that are ideal for my workflow. The Pro Display XDR is specifically 6k resolution.

That resolution gives me
a ton of screen estate, but is also still very sharp. I primarily do design work,
video editing, and photo editing. For design work, especially, the resolution and screen estate
is very important. It also only requires one cable
to connect to my MacBook, so it's quick and easy to get going when I get into the office in the mornings. The way I see it is that if a product is going to help me
get my work done quicker and more efficiently,
then it's worth the investment. The wallpaper. So I'm biased here, as I sell my own wallpapers, but I'm obsessed
with regularly changing wallpapers. There's something
about having a new wallpaper that gives my setup
a whole new look and feel. Wallpapers for me can affect my mood, they can motivate me or just match a certain aesthetic
I'm going for. I'll of course, leave links
to all of my wallpapers down in the description below.

Next up, I want to share
an awesome app called Workspaces, who are also sponsoring this video. Something I do often is move
between very different projects, so I might be working on a video. I might be working on a website,
or something like that. I have to keep changing those apps. I have to keep
shutting down apps, opening apps. Workspaces helps solve this problem. So for example, when editing a video, I need to open up Notion for the video notes. I need to open up
Final Cut Pro for the edit, and I need to open up
Finder for the video clips. Workspaces is an app that can do
all of that for me with one click. Another example is when setting up
my development environment for making a website. I need to open up Visual Studio Code,
Figma for the design, Safari, and I might even have
a relevant music playlist to help me stay focused. Workspaces makes it super easy
to set up different apps.

files, folders, emails, and a bunch, bunch more. All you have to do is run a workspace, and it opens up everything for you. Then when you're done, you can close it all for you too. You can customize what the actions do, whether you want something to happen immediately, with a delay, or even when you finish. You also don't have to launch a whole workspace if you want to get to a specific action. Maybe there's something within a workspace that you want to access. You can launch those individually, but still take advantage of workspaces doing the automation. So make sure to check out Workspaces. I'll leave a link to it down in the description below. I have my monitor on a monitor stand, but if you don't have a deep desk, I would highly recommend getting a monitor arm instead. They will take up significantly less room on your desk and are also fairly affordable. Prices for them can vary depending on materials and functionality.

If you do have the room, though, a desk shelf could also
add more space to your desk, as well as bringing up
the level of your monitor. It might not look as minimal, but I added a desk shelf to my setup
recently and have been loving it. It gives me more room for little things
such as my Dyson fan remote, SD cards, and any other
sort of small little belongings. I also have room underneath for other things that I need quick access to. Because I like having my laptop open
next to my monitor, I prefer having a laptop stand
to raise the MacBook. It now brings it more alongside my monitor, making it easier
to move windows across to it. The monitor stand
that I have here is from Ugmonk. But I'll also leave links to some other alternatives
that are height adjustable. Having a desk light, I think, is a must, whether it's a lamp, LED lighting strips,
or a monitor light bar.

I found that having a light
that can light up my desk area and even change colour temperature more useful than I ever thought it would be. I have a pretty unique desk light here. It's called the Logitech Light Litra Beam, and it's actually a key light
for video streaming, but it can be doubled up to be
a desk light as it is so versatile. You can put it into various
different configurations; it's really down to preference. And you can change the brightness
as well as the colour temperature. Next up is the mouse and keyboard. And when it comes to mouse and keyboard, I feel like there is so much choice out there that you should be able to find
whatever you like. I've tried many different mice, and I just keep personally
going back to the Magic Mouse; for me, it is the one that's been the most useful due to how well it's integrated with Mac. I've been using it for over ten years now,
and I've had no issues.

apart from the God-awful way of charging it, of course. However, if the Magic Mouse
is uncomfortable for you, there's the Logitech MX Master 3s
and the Logi Lift. These two mice are the ones
that I keep recommending to people looking for
an ergonomic productivity mouse. I've also made a dedicated video
sharing my favourite mice, so make sure to check that out. For the keyboard, I'm currently
using the Magic Keyboard. I personally like the shallow key
travel and the compact size. I think it's well worth
spending the money on a keyboard for two main reasons. It's probably the most touch thing on your desk, so it definitely needs to hold up, and it can make or break your productivity. A good keyboard will help you type
faster and get things done quicker. Alongside the Magic Keyboard, I recommend the Nuphy Air75
and the MX Mechanical Mini. I also, again, have a dedicated video

sharing my favourite keyboards right now. So make sure to check that out. When it comes to desk mats, again, I'm a bit biased here,
but a desk mat is a must. I have this full grain
leather one from ULX. It has a smooth, shiny leather finish to it, which is ideal for a mouse. It gives my desk
a bit of texture and warmth that you won't get with a bare desktop. So I don't think this one is totally necessary, but it's definitely an upgrade worth having. In every setup that I've had, I've always had a set of external speakers. I just much prefer listening
to music through speakers. I much prefer to listen
to podcasts through speakers, and of course watching video. There's just something about it for speakers that is just a lot more convenient than having to mess
around with earbuds or headphones. And because I'm usually working alone or maybe with one other person, I'm not really interfering with them
or other people around me.

So it's just for me, makes a lot more sense. The speakers I have
are the Bose Companion 50s. I've had these speakers since 2015, which is wild as that is a pretty long time. There have been absolutely faultless
in my ownership. One of the best desk upgrades I've made. But unfortunately,
they didn't sell them anymore. So I'll leave links to some other
alternatives that I would recommend. Now that most phones
have wireless charging, it only makes sense to have
a wireless charger on your desk. It also means you'll
find is always charged up. So you don't have to worry
about the battery so much. I actually have
two wireless chargers on my desk. I have the Oakywood
MagSafe charger on my desk shelf. This one is used to charge my iPhone and also it gives me the ability to turn my phone sideways so I can take advantage of StandBy mode.

Below the desk shelf, I have a Nomad 3-in-1 charger, which is used to charge
any other phones that I might have, AirPods, and my Apple Watch. I'd highly recommend getting
an all-in-one charger if you can. Having one place to charge
all of your devices quickly means no
having to worry about low battery. And these are just some of the desk
upgrades that I would recommend. If you have any recommendations yourself, please leave them
in the comments below. Also, make sure to check out
my full desk tour video that I published earlier in the year. Hopefully, you guys enjoyed it. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter. And subscribe for more. [closing gentle music]

12 Desk Setup Upgrades That ACTUALLY Matter

Oliur / UltraLinx

It's important to find a desk that matches the specific space and has a sufficient depth for resting your arms to avoid muscle aches.

A large desk provides room for everything you need within arm's reach and the option to turn it into a standing desk, offering versatility.

When choosing a chair, prioritize ergonomics over appearance, to ensure proper support and comfort for long hours of use.

Investing in Comfortable and Ergonomic Work Equipment

Spending on items that provide comfort and support, like office chairs and good shoes, is worthwhile.

Gaming chairs are not ergonomic and should be avoided to prevent future back problems.

The Herman Miller Aeron is a top choice for an office chair, but if it's too expensive, the IKEA MARKUS chair or a Sihoo chair are more affordable alternatives with important adjustability features.

High-resolution monitors are a personal preference, with the option of using a single large monitor for increased productivity.

The Importance of the UltraSharp 4K Monitor for Design Work

The UltraSharp 4K monitor provides ample screen estate and high resolution, making it ideal for design, video editing, and photo editing.

It offers a quick and easy single-cable connection to a MacBook, improving efficiency in the office.

The monitor stand is a space-saving and affordable option for those with limited desk space, while also offering the flexibility of a monitor arm for a more streamlined setup.

Adding a desk shelf can create more space and elevate your monitor.

A laptop stand can help align your laptop with the monitor for easier use.

A versatile desk light that can change brightness and color temperature is essential for illuminating your workspace effectively.

Recommended Office Equipment for Productivity

The Logitech MX Master 3s and the Logi Lift are recommended ergonomic mice for productivity.

The Magic Keyboard is worth the investment for its tactile feel and impact on productivity.

A desk mat, like the full grain leather one from ULX, is seen as a valuable upgrade for adding texture and warmth to the desk, while external speakers are favored for a more convenient and immersive work experience.

Upgrading Your Desk: Speaker and Charger Recommendations

The Bose Companion 50s are a reliable desk upgrade, even though they are no longer sold, but there are alternative options available.

Wireless chargers, like the Oakywood MagSafe charger and the Nomad 3-in-1 charger, offer the convenience of keeping your devices charged and are highly recommended.

An all-in-one charger for all your devices can help eliminate the worry of low battery, making it a worthwhile investment for your desk.