# How far to sit from your screen

> The arm's length rule keeps your eyes comfortable and your posture healthy.
- Title: How far to sit from your screen · Engadget | Shortify
- Summary: The arm's length rule keeps your eyes comfortable and your posture healthy. Stretch your arm to position monitors twenty to twenty-eight inches away for…
- Keywords: computer ergonomics, monitor placement, eye strain prevention, desk setup, posture health, osha guidelines, technology, far, sit, screen, Engadget
- Source: Engadget — https://engadget.com/2264095/how-far-you-should-sit-from-computer-monitor-laptop
- Author: Christine Persaud
- Published: 2026-09-22T18:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: computer ergonomics, monitor placement, eye strain prevention, desk setup, posture health, osha guidelines, technology
## The arm's length rule
Stretch your arm toward the monitor. Position it so your fingers can touch the screen. This simple method ensures proper distance for comfortable viewing.
## Why distance matters
Monitors too close cause eye strain and fatigue. Too far away and you squint. Leaning forward strains your neck and back, creating poor posture habits.
## The twenty to twenty-eight inch rule
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends keeping monitors twenty to twenty-eight inches away for twenty-four-inch displays. For twenty-seven-inch monitors, increase distance to twenty-four to thirty-two inches.
## Larger monitors need more space
Thirty-two-inch monitors and larger require thirty-four to thirty-eight inches distance. Higher resolutions like fourteen forty p let you sit closer without seeing individual pixels.
## Height and tilt adjustments
Position the top of the monitor at or slightly below eye level, with the middle fifteen to twenty degrees below. Tilt the screen back ten to twenty degrees, or thirty to forty-five degrees if you wear bifocals.
## Laptop and brightness tips
Laptops need separate keyboards and mice to maintain proper distance. Adjust screen brightness to avoid eye strain, or use an anti-glare filter. These rules apply to multi-monitor setups too.
## Key takeaway

Stretch your arm to position monitors twenty to twenty-eight inches away for twenty-four-inch displays, adjusting distance and height to prevent eye strain and poor posture.