Where to put your monitor: distance, height and tilt for a home office
Many people working from home set the monitor wherever it fits on the desk. A few simple adjustments can make long screen sessions noticeably more comfortable. This guide summarizes what the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends in its computer workstation guidance, and turns it into a checklist you can apply in a few minutes.
Distance: about an arm's length, not closer than 20 inches
OSHA describes the preferred viewing distance as between 20 and 40 inches (50 to 100 cm), measured from your eyes to the front of the screen. Its basic advice is to put the monitor directly in front of you and at least 20 inches away.
If text looks too small at that distance, the guidance is to make the text larger rather than pulling the screen closer. On a small laptop screen this usually means increasing the display scaling in your operating system settings.
Height: top line at or below eye level
OSHA recommends placing the monitor so the top line of the screen is at or below eye level. It adds that the center of the screen should normally sit 15 to 20 degrees below horizontal eye level, and that the downward viewing angle should never be greater than 60 degrees.
In practice, sit in your normal working position, look straight ahead, and check where your gaze lands. If it lands below the top of the screen, the monitor is probably too high. If you have to bend your neck to see the bottom of the screen, it may be too low. Monitor arms, adjustable stands, or a stable stack of books are common ways to fine-tune the height.
Centered in front of you
Twisting to one side for hours is something to avoid. OSHA says monitors should not be farther than 35 degrees to the left or right. If you use one main screen, center it with your keyboard. If you use a second screen only occasionally, place it to the side of the main one rather than splitting the difference between them.
Tilt and glare
OSHA suggests tilting the monitor so it is perpendicular to your line of sight, usually by tilting the screen no more than 10 to 20 degrees. Tilting it too far back can pick up reflections from ceiling lights.
For glare from daylight, the guidance is to place the monitor perpendicular to the window rather than facing it or with the window behind it. If reflections remain, OSHA notes that a glare screen may be needed. Closing blinds at the brightest time of day is a free alternative worth trying first.
Quick checklist
Screen directly in front of you, at least 20 inches away. Top line at or below eye level, with the center a little below it. Screen tilted back slightly so it faces your eyes. Window to the side of the screen, not in front or behind. Adjust the chair and desk together with the monitor, since changing one usually affects the others.
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-11-07.