Rethinking Monitor Ergonomics: Why One “Perfect” Viewing Distance Isn’t Enough

When it comes to workstation ergonomics, there’s a piece of advice that comes up again and again:

Set your monitors at the correct distance.

It’s simple, easy to follow, and widely accepted. But like many simplified guidelines, it doesn’t tell the full story.

In practice, visual comfort isn’t about finding one perfect position. It’s about giving your eyes the ability to move, adjust, and recover throughout the day.

The Myth of the “Perfect” Viewing Distance

Most ergonomic guidelines do, in fact, recommend a viewing distance. Depending on the source, that range can fall anywhere between roughly 50 cm and 100 cm, often with adjustments based on screen size, resolution, and the type of work being performed. That variability alone should raise a flag.

This advice is really more of a starting point or rule of thumb. The reality is that what feels comfortable depends on the user, the task, the display(s) being used, and even the moment-to-moment demands of the work.

Reading fine text, reviewing imaging, scanning multiple displays—each of these activities places different demands on the visual system. A single fixed position simply can’t accommodate all of them equally well.

What Actually Causes Visual Fatigue?

To understand the limitations of a fixed setup, it helps to look at how the eye functions. We tend to think of repetitive strain injuries (RSI) as relating to the wrists, back, neck, etc. We often forget that our eyes, too, are a physical system, susceptible to the same risks of prolonged strain.

When you focus on a screen, your eyes are doing two things continuously:

• Adjusting the lens to maintain focus (accommodation)
• Aligning both eyes on the same point (convergence)

Holding that focus at a single distance for extended periods requires sustained muscular effort. Over time, this can lead to symptoms like blurred vision, headaches, and difficulty refocusing. 

Research on digital eye strain consistently points to this issue. Even relatively short periods of uninterrupted screen use can reduce the eye’s ability to adjust focus comfortably.

Why Static Setups Fall Short

A workstation can be set up “correctly” and still contribute to fatigue.

Even at an ideal distance, maintaining the same focal demand hour after hour places continuous strain on the visual system. That’s why many common recommendations, like the well-known “20-20-20 rule,” encourage people to periodically look at objects farther away.

But in most environments, that kind of adjustment is treated as a break from work, rather than something that can be integrated into it. 

The job may be dynamic, but the viewing experience is very likely static.

The Case for Dynamic Focal Distance

In everyday life, our eyes are rarely fixed at a single distance. We naturally shift focus between near and far objects without thinking about it—reading a dashboard, checking mirrors, looking down the road.

That variability is part of how the visual system maintains comfort.

There’s growing recognition of this in other fields as well. In display technology, for example, newer systems are being developed specifically to vary focal distance in order to reduce eye strain. The goal is not to lock the user into one position, but to better match how the eye actually works.

Workstations should follow the same principle.

A More Flexible Approach to Monitor Positioning

Instead of treating monitor distance as something to “set and forget,” it’s more useful to think of it as something that can be adjusted throughout the day.

Small changes in focal distance can help:

• Reduce sustained muscular effort in the eyes
• Improve comfort during different tasks
• Allow users to naturally shift posture and perspective

This doesn’t require constant or dramatic movement. Even subtle adjustments, made periodically, can make a meaningful difference over the course of a long shift.

Where Ergonomic Monitor Mounts Make an Impact

This is where adjustability becomes more than just a convenience.

A well-designed monitor mounting system doesn’t just help users find a comfortable starting position. It allows them to easily refine that position as their needs change—bringing displays closer for detailed work, pushing them back for a broader view, or simply resetting their focus.

In that sense, the value isn’t in achieving one “perfect” setup. It’s in supporting a range of positions that align with how our eyes actually work.

Moving Beyond Static Ergonomics

For years, ergonomics has focused on helping people find the right posture and the right positioning. That starting point is still important. But when it comes to visual comfort, the next step is clear.

It’s not just about where you are, in relation to your monitors. It’s about whether those monitors can move with you.

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