People assume an uncomfortable crouched position when using laptop computers on a lap

Placing a laptop directly on a desktop doesn’t allow the monitor or keyboard to be adjusted to the appropriate distances or heights

Laptops encourage awkward wrist and hand postures from smaller keyboards and awkwardly placed track pads

Laptop users cannot place documents or other materials in an easily readable and comfortable position

This results in:

Tendon Disorders

Nerve Disorders

Neurovascular Disorders

Neck & Back Pain

Ergonomic guidelines provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) include that a computer users’ head should be level or bent slightly forward, forward facing, and balanced, with the top of the computer screen at eye level.

The Cornell Human Factors and Ergonomics Research Group at Cornell University recommends that laptop users in particular should pay attention to their posture and 1) elevate the laptop off the work surface so that they can see the screen without bending their neck, and 2) connect a separate keyboard and mouse to a laptop to enable proper ergonomic positioning.

Ergonomic evaluation research by Szeto and Lee (2002), from the Department of Rehabilitation Services at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, found that study participants typed faster and more accurately with full-sized keyboards and elevated computer screens, and that these features reduced the risk of musculoskeletal discomfort.

It elevates the laptop screen to eye-level, and brings it closer to the edge of a desk

It provides a convenient surface directly in front of the user to place documents

It enables the user to position in a most comfortable position

It provides the user with the choice of any input device, such as a full-sized ergonomic keyboard and mouse