You've invested in a complete ergonomic setup: a high-quality adjustable standing desk and a fully adjustable ergonomic chair. You have all the tools you need for a comfortable, pain-free workday. But now you face a classic ergonomic puzzle that can feel like a "chicken and the egg" problem: when you sit down to work, what do you adjust first? The chair or the desk?

Getting the sequence right is surprisingly important. Adjusting them in the wrong order can lead you down a path of frustrating micro-adjustments, and you may never achieve a truly optimal posture. The correct method is a simple, sequential process that uses the floor as your anchor and builds your posture up from there. This definitive guide will walk you through the correct, step-by-step sequence to achieve perfect seated ergonomics every time.

The Golden Rule: Your Body is the Constant, the Environment is the Variable

The core principle of ergonomics is to make the environment fit you. Therefore, the setup process must always start with your body's relationship to the one unchangeable element in the room: the floor. Your chair is the tool that connects your body to the floor, and your desk is the tool that connects your work to your body.

This gives us our clear, sequential order:

1. Step 1: Adjust Your Chair to the Floor.

2. Step 2: Adjust Your Desk to Your Chair.

Step 1: The Chair-to-Floor Adjustment (Your Foundation)

Ignore your desk completely for this step. Roll your chair away from the desk into an open space.

1A: Set Your Seat Height.

• The Goal: To get your feet flat on the floor, providing a stable base for your entire body.

• The Method: Raise or lower your chair's seat pan until your feet are resting comfortably flat on the floor. Your thighs should be roughly parallel to the floor, and your knees should be at a comfortable 90- to 100-degree angle. There should be no pressure on the back of your thighs from the edge of the seat.

• Troubleshooting: If your feet can't reach the floor even at the chair's lowest setting, you need a footrest to bring the "floor" up to you.

1B: Set Your Seat Depth.

• The Goal: To ensure your back is fully supported while allowing for good circulation in your legs.

• The Method: Slide the seat pan forward or backward until you have a gap of about two to three fingers' width between the front edge of the seat and the back of your knees. This prevents the seat from cutting off circulation.

1.C: Set Your Backrest and Lumbar Support.

• The Goal: To support the natural "S" curve of your spine.

• The Method: Scoot your hips as far back into the chair as they can go. Adjust the height of the backrest or the lumbar support so that the curve of the chair fits perfectly into the small of your lower back. Adjust the recline tension so that it supports you in a comfortable, upright or slightly reclined posture.

Your chair is now perfectly adjusted to your body and the floor. Do not change these settings.

Step 2: The Desk-to-Chair Adjustment (Connecting Your Work)

Now, roll your perfectly adjusted chair up to your Venace desk. Your arm position will now dictate the desk's height.

2A: Set Your Desk Height.

• The Goal: To achieve the "90-degree elbow rule" and a neutral wrist posture.

• The Method: Let your arms hang relaxed at your sides. Then, bend your elbows to 90 degrees. Now, use your control panel to raise or lower your desk until the surface is at a height where your forearms are parallel to the floor and your hands can rest on your keyboard with your wrists perfectly straight. Your shoulders should be completely relaxed, not hunched up.

2B: Save Your Preset!

• The Goal: To make this perfect posture effortless to achieve again.

• The Method: Immediately save this height into Preset 1 on your Venace control panel. This is now your perfect, repeatable seated ergonomic height.

What About Standing?

The same principle applies when you set your standing height. The floor is your anchor.

1. Stand up straight in your supportive footwear on your anti-fatigue mat.

2. Let your arms hang relaxed at your sides.

3. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees.

4. Raise your desk until the surface meets your hands, allowing for a straight wrist posture.

5. Immediately save this height into Preset 2.

Conclusion: A Simple Sequence for Perfect Posture

The "chair or desk first" dilemma is easily solved when you remember to build your posture from the ground up. By first anchoring your body to the floor with your chair, and then bringing your desk to meet your body, you create a stable, supportive, and perfectly aligned ergonomic system. This simple, two-step sequence removes the guesswork and frustration, ensuring you can quickly and easily find your ideal posture every single time you sit down to work.

Ready to build a workspace that adjusts to you, not the other way around? Discover the power of precise adjustability at vvenace.com.

For more ergonomic tips and setup guides, Contact us: sales@venace.com.