THE SEAT
Fit the seat to you
Set the height so the seat supports the front and back of your thighs equally, with a small gap behind the knee.
The four settingsStart
A FIVE-MINUTE SEATING CHECK
Sit well.
Stand up often.
A good chair helps. Getting out of it helps too.
Most of us sit for hours a day, often in a chair we never adjusted. UK workplace guidance boils good seating down to a few simple checks: thighs, knees, lower back, screen, and short, frequent breaks. Here they are, in plain English.
Plain English, with the sources linked.
SITthen stand
Check your chairKeep in mind
- Support your thighs
- Free your knees
- Raise the screen
- Move every hour
THE SHORT ANSWER
Fit the chair, then leave it.
The Health and Safety Executive's posture checks
take a few minutes and need no new furniture.
THE SCREEN
Bring the screen up
Put the top of the screen level with your eyes, about an arm's length away, so you are not peering down.
Run the chair check
THE BREAKS
Get up little and often
Short, frequent breaks beat long, rare ones. Even a perfect chair is not meant for hours without moving.
Why it mattersA QUICK CHAIR CHECK
Five things to check
before you sit down.
Pick a part of your set-up to see what UK workplace guidance suggests. The bar shows how far through the five checks you are.
This is general guidance for comfortable screen work, taken from the Health and Safety Executive. It is not medical advice; if sitting is painful, speak to a health professional.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
A lot of sitting,
a lot of aches.
Why a few minutes on your chair
and your breaks is time well spent.
511,000
Workers with a work-related musculoskeletal disorder
The Health and Safety Executive's key figures for Great Britain count 511,000 workers suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder, the aches and injuries of muscles, joints and back.
HSE · 2024 TO 2025
7+ and 10+
Hours a day many adults spend sitting
The NHS says many adults sit for more than 7 hours a day, and people over 65 spend 10 hours or more sitting or lying down. The UK Chief Medical Officers advise breaking that time up.
NHS · SITTING TIME
Not every ache comes from a chair, and the HSE figure covers all kinds of work. But seat, screen and breaks are the parts of the day you can change in minutes.
SET IT UP TODAY
Four settings
for a better sit.
Step 1
Set the height
Raise or lower the seat until it supports the front and back of your thighs equally. Too low and the chair cannot go higher? Add a cushion.
Step 2
Mind the seat edge
Sit back and check for a gap of about 2 to 3 cm between the front of the seat and the back of your knee.
Step 3
Line up the screen
Top of the screen level with your eyes, about an arm's length away. Keyboard just below elbow height, mouse in line with your elbow.
Step 4
Plan the breaks
After 50 to 60 minutes of continuous screen work, stand up for 5 to 10 minutes: fetch water, stretch, take a call on your feet.
CHAIR FACTS
Five things worth
sitting down for.
The chair that came in a box
Thonet's No. 14 bentwood chair was launched in 1859. The Design Museum calls it the first piece of furniture designed to be shipped in parts to save space.
Six pieces of wood
The original No. 14 is made of six pieces of wood, ten screws and two nuts, a short parts list that suited a chair designed to be shipped in pieces.
Fifty million by 1930
By 1930, fifty million No. 14 chairs had been sold, according to the Design Museum. It is the café chair many of us still picture first.
Little and often beats long and rare
HSE guidance says short, frequent breaks from screen work are better than occasional long ones, and that breaks should come before you start to tire.
Every bit of movement counts
The UK Chief Medical Officers advise adults to minimise time spent sedentary and to break up long periods of inactivity with at least light activity, alongside 150 minutes of moderate activity a week.
QUICK QUESTIONS
Sitting, answered.
Short answers to the questions people ask most.
What height should my desk chair be?
The Health and Safety Executive suggests a seat height that supports the front and back of your thighs equally, with the keyboard just below elbow height. If the chair does not go high enough, a cushion can raise your seated position.
How much space should there be behind my knees?
HSE guidance suggests a gap of about 2 to 3 cm between the front of the seat and the back of your knee.
Where should my screen be when I sit?
HSE suggests the top of the screen level with your eyes and about an arm’s length away.
How often should I get up from a screen?
HSE says short, frequent breaks are better than occasional, longer ones. Its example is a 5 to 10 minute break after 50 to 60 minutes of continuous screen or keyboard work, rather than 15 minutes every two hours.
How long do people usually spend sitting?
The NHS says many adults spend more than 7 hours a day sitting down, and people over 65 spend 10 hours or more sitting or lying down. The UK Chief Medical Officers advise breaking up long periods of inactivity with at least light activity.
Destination
Where the facts come from
- Good posture when using display screen equipmentHealth and Safety Executive
- Should VDU users be given breaks?Health and Safety Executive
- Key figures for Great Britain, 2024 to 2025Health and Safety Executive
- Why we should sit lessNHS
- UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelinesGOV.UK
- Thonet Chair No. 14Design Museum
Updated