5 ON YOUR SIDE: Home office upgrade

Even if you don’t work from home every day, most of us do so from time to time. Making sure you are comfortable is key to a good installation. With help from the experts at Consumer Reports, adding a few ergonomic improvements can boost your office and maybe even boost your productivity.

Setting up a comfortable and ergonomic home office can be difficult. Consumer Reports’ ergonomic experts recently evaluated affordable office chairs to help people find comfort while working from home.

The only thing you need to focus on when looking for an ergonomic chair is the adjustability that will allow you to fit the chair to your body. CR says Staples Dexley Chair it costs $199.99 ($271.72 in Canada) and you can adjust the height, armrests, lumbar, and headrest.

If you’re working on a laptop, a stand can raise the top of your screen to eye level so you don’t strain your neck when looking down. Insignia Ergonomic Laptop StandPriced at $29.99 ($40.75 in Canada), this model requires no assembly or tools to adjust the height.

When using a mouse, a wrist rest can keep your wrist in a neutral position to help reduce hand or wrist discomfort. Think small and supportive Belkin WaveRest Gel Wrist Pad, it costs $9.99 ($13.54 in Canada).

If your feet are not flat on the floor, try a footrest. The footrest helps support the feet and relieves some of the pressure on the lower thighs that would occur if your feet sagged.

Mount-It Ergonomic Footrest It costs $33.99 ($46.08 in Canada) and you get the say.

CR says it’s helpful to try chairs in a store or on a site with an easy return option before purchasing. But no matter how long it takes to develop your space to fit your needs, it’s worth the work.

Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization and has no affiliation with advertisers on this site.

Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising.

For more information, visit consumerreports.org.

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