Our editors’ desk setups: Jan’s all about ergonomics

Letters that need to be dealt with, bits and bobs that don’t have a proper place yet and a test device here and there – that’s the kind of stuff that’s often left lying on my desk. Needless to say, I took this article as a welcome opportunity to tidy up the chaos and make sure my devices can be seen in the photos.

Ergonomics first

When it became clear that I’d be spending more time working from home, I invested in ergonomics. I bought a height-adjustable desk from a Swedish furniture store. So far it’s been moving up and down perfectly every day, making sure I’m not forced to spend the full day sitting. Standing every once in a while is recommended even if your desk chair is as easily adjustable as the Giroflex 353.

The keyboard: seduced by the Kev-fluencer

For a long time, I didn’t pay much attention to keyboards and used whichever one was at hand. This only changed when I started working for Galaxus in Germany and reading my colleague Kevin Hofer’s articles. The result of his influencer work? I had to get a mechanical keyboard.

I went for the Keychron K4, as I can’t work without a number pad. To prevent my hands from adopting an excessively curved position when I’m typing – ergonomics, remember – I use the matching walnut palm rest.

However, when I tested the Cherry KW X ULP, I developed a liking for flat mechanical keyboards. That’s why there are two keyboards on my desk at the moment.

The vertical mouse

When picking a mouse, I was also inspired by a test device. The Logitech Lift introduced me to the concept of vertical mice. Currently, the slightly larger and more flexible Contour Unimouse is complementing the collection of ergonomically shaped devices on my desk.

The screen does its job

The Acer BE270UA dates back to when I spent more time in the office than at home. It does everything I expect from a work monitor. Having said that, I do catch myself daydreaming about a larger 32 or 34-inch model.

Although my monitor is height-adjustable, I put it on a wooden monitor stand. This gives me extra storage space for a docking station or keyboard. (Shortly before publishing this article, I had the idea of placing the docking station to the left of the stand. This way, it would still be easy to access and I could fit a keyboard under the monitor.)

The satisfying webcam

I like using the Logitech Brio 500 for video calls. Mainly because of the good picture and automatic optimisations, the adjustable viewing angle and various options in the Logitune software that goes with the camera. Auto-framing centres the camera on me when I move back and forth in my office chair during a video call. With its flexible mount, it’s not permanently attached to my monitor.

Computer without passion

When it comes to my notebook, don’t expect a passionate description. The HP Elitebook 840 G9 is the work device my employer has provided me with. If I’d spent money on it, I’d have been disappointed by its slow startup and sometimes very loud ventilation. Apart from that, it’s an effective tool that I can adjust to the optimum ergonomic height and angle on my Tech-Protect ProDesk.

If my personal 2015 MacBook Pro finally gives up the ghost, I’m toying with the idea of getting a laptop from Framework and installing Ubuntu on it. I haven’t had a gaming PC for a long time. Instead, I have an Xbox Series X by the TV in case I want to use a controller.

One docking station isn’t enough

My notebook isn’t always on my desk. At some point, I got tired of plugging in multiple cables for the monitor, webcam and power. The solution? A docking station. I borrowed our standard model from the office. Since the HP Thunderbolt 120 W G4 Dock’s been on my desk, there’s only one cable connecting to the laptop.

After installing it, I discovered the disadvantage of HP’s docking station. Apart from one USB-C port, all connections are on the back. The way I’ve hidden it under the monitor stand, it’s difficult to reach the connections. In addition, neither the docking station nor the notebook has a memory card reader. So I added an i-tec USB-C Nano Dock. It extends the single front port of the docking station, allowing me to transfer photos from memory cards and temporarily connect other devices.

Camera for article photos

What can’t be seen in this picture is the Canon EOS 90D, which is usually close by. I use it, together with the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2, to take most of the photos for my articles.

If you’ve missed an episode of our desk setups, here’s the full list:

Samuel:

David:

Flo:

Jan:

Kevin:

Domi:

Tinu:

Header image: Jan Johannsen