Collect Crypto in COMFORT! Reclining Computer Chair DIY Desk: How to Assemble Your Own

Reduce pain, fatigue, & discomfort by making your own computer set-up comfortably healthy. This series of posts is for people who use a computer all day - from a chronic pain & rehab health professional. More about my work in Post 1

POST 3: DO-IT-YOURSELF Comfy Armchair Desk

This is what my set-up looks like:

This series includes:

• How to improve your existing computer ergonomics at a desk
• Getting screens right to eliminate neck pain
• DIY super comfortable ARM CHAIR DESKS
• Easy stretches & gentle posture improvements to relieve pain
• Checklists for eliminating muscular strain in daily life
• Depending on the comments and questions, possible other stuff!

The first two posts in this series lead to this third one today:
Post 1- Fine Tuning Ergonomics
Post 2 – Using Multiple Screens

Most of us Steemians use a computer for many hours a day. It’s important to make it as comfortable as possible.

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There’s a spectrum where we each find our optimum personal work chair comfort:

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The early prototypes have pros and cons:

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We’re aiming for something between the above old school styles and the pricey designer models:

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Some of the super whiz-bangers aren’t ergonomically ideal and many are extremely expensive as well.

For me, the essential thing is to find an armchair that has a wide enough space between the armrests, so that my wide-ish ergonomic keyboard can rest in my lap. I’ve found several second-hand armchairs over the years on New Zealand Trade Me (like Craig’s List & Ebay) online and in second-hand shops. Your friends and relatives might even have one they want to give away:

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The arm rests have to be flat and wide, because the mouse goes on them. An upholstered fabric chair works better because the mouse can slide off leather & vinyl arm rests, and even keeping a piece of fabric on leather or vinyl to hold the mouse can be tricksy.

A cheap adjustable footrest might be necessary if your heels don’t comfortably press on the floor for when you want to be sitting fully upright. I use this kind of adjustable footrest that someone gave me for free:

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I don’t usually raise the chair’s built-in foot lift to fully recline in the chair unless I’m surfing, reading, or watching stuff for long periods when I don’t need to type. The rest of the time, I keep my posture upright in the chair, using the black plastic footrest.

For use with a recliner chair, you’ll need a Computer Monitor Swing Arm Desk Mount. The swing arm clamps to a heavy piece of furniture at your side or in front of you. There are many different kinds of swing arm monitor mounts nowadays that you can attach your monitor to.

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The heavy piece of furniture anchors the weight of the monitor swing arm and it has to be something that the vertical clamp fits onto. This was the trickiest bit for me to find. I clamp the swing arm to a small heavy book case positioned about a metre in front of my feet.

More details on the above ergonomic fine-tunings are in POST 1 in this series

The next few post in this series we’ll look at how you can eliminate pain and discomfort with easy stretches and postural techniques. A preview of some of the things coming up:

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I look forward to your comments :)

Images are my own except for those noted with numbered links.