Say Goodbye To Back Pain With These Desk Add-Ons And Gadgets – BGR

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Chronic back pain is the eternal nemesis of desk workers everywhere, whether you work in an office or remotely at home. Given how common desk work is, back pain is a problem that has been tackled from endlessly different angles, with helpful improvements like ergonomic chairs and standing desks. In addition to those major overhauls, though, there are a variety of smaller additions you can make to your setup to soothe your back further, such as support pillows, anti-fatigue rugs, and adjustable monitor stands.

Whether you already have the major back pain-busting tools and need a little more or simply don’t have the money to drop on major office overhauls, these add-ons and gadgets can help in their own way. The right chair and desk add-ons can help to improve your posture, reduce fatigue on your legs and feet, and keep your arms and neck in comfortable, neutral positions. These products are great for your own office, and make quality gifts for the remote workers in your life.

All of these products are readily available for purchase on Amazon, where they’re backed up by at least 10,000 user reviews each, culminating in user scores of at least four out of five stars.

One of the best ways you can invest in yourself as a desk worker is by purchasing a high-quality ergonomic desk chair. While this is ideal, it’s called an “investment” for a reason: The highest-quality desk chairs from brands like Herman Miller can easily run you hundreds dollars or more. For some more affordable back support on your chair, try the Qutool Lumbar Support Pillow, available on Amazon for $38.99.

This mesh pillow can be easily affixed to most desk chairs, encouraging you to sit with proper posture and providing a gentle, comfortable slope to your spine. It’s made of thick, soft memory foam, resistant to flattening out with an easily removable, washable cover. What’s nice is that the pillow is large enough to provide support to your upper, middle, and lower back simultaneously. The pillow’s standard placement does provide more support to your lower-mid back, though you can also flip it over to prioritize your upper-mid back if you need support there instead.

At the time of writing, the Qutool Lumbar Support Pillow is the #1 best seller on Amazon in the lumbar pillows category, with a 4.4 out of 5 score based on 25,745 user reviews. One user called it the office essential they never knew they needed, saying it molds perfectly to their spine and keeps their posture proper. Another user had similar praises, though they noted the pillow’s large size may make it less comfortable for shorter individuals.

A back pillow may be your first thought, it’s not the only tool for battling back pain. For example, if you’re trying to improve your sitting posture and reduce pressure on your glutes and hips, a good foot rest can help. If you’re in the market for a desk foot rest, try the Adjustable Foot Rest from Everlasting Comfort, available on Amazon for $49.99.

This memory foam foot rest keeps your feet comfortably elevated while you’re working at your desk, improving posture and circulation over just leaving your legs hanging or oddly planted. In addition to the primary cushion, the foot rest comes with an adjustable base, allowing you to lift or lower the cushion to meet your ideal height. You can use the cushion by itself, with the base, or flip the cushion over to use it as a rocker pad. The base also opens up to reveal several pressure point nodes for gently massaging your feet and relieving built-up tension.

The Everlasting Comfort Adjustable Foot Rest is an Amazon’s Choice product, with a user score of 4.5 out of 5 based on 27,474 reviews. One user said it was a game-changer for comfort and posture, with equal measures of firmness and softness to comfortably support their legs through the work day. Another user did say that they wished the adjustable base could go a little bit higher than it does, but otherwise liked it.

Standing desks are among the premier tools in the war on back pain. Certainly, standing up straight instead of sitting down improperly will do your back a lot of good. However, staying standing on a hard floor all day is much easier said than done. If you’re looking to commit to the standing desk lifestyle, you’d do well to supplement it with a KitchenClouds Anti Fatigue Rug, available on Amazon for $21.99.

While technically intended for kitchen work, this Anti Fatigue Rug also advertises itself as perfect for those working at standing desks. It’s made of soft, elevated PVC foam, providing extra support and comfort to your tired muscles and joints and helping to relieve pain in your extremities and back. It’s waterproof and dust resistant, so you can stand on it in your shoes, socks, or bare feet, then clean it with a simple wet cloth. It’s also available in a variety of sizes and colors, so you can find a perfect one to match your desk shape and decor.

The KitchenClouds Anti Fatigue Rug is marked as an Amazon’s Choice product, with a user rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars based on 20,628 reviews. After using this mat for several weeks, one user said it made a noticeable difference in the state of their back and legs after a day of standing. Another user called it a quality product, though they wished it was a bit softer than it actually is.

Whether you have a sitting or standing desk, you probably keep your keyboard and mouse right on top of it, in front of your monitor. The problem with placing your peripherals there is that, unless your desk happens to be perfectly level with your hands, you still have to lift your arms up to use them, which can get tiring. To adjust your keyboard placement, try the Vivo Under Desk Keyboard Tray, available on Amazon for $59.99.

This keyboard tray drops your keyboard and mouse several inches below your desk to create a more comfortable, ergonomic typing angle, which in turn lessens stress on your wrists and shoulders. It’s easy to install, latching onto your desk with a pair of adjustable C-clamps. The tray can slide in below your desk, which also helps to reduce the overall clutter of your desk’s actual surface. It’s available in three sizes, and comes in a variety of colorations and material types to meet your preferences, making it a perfect pair for an ergonomic keyboard and vertical mouse like the Keychron M5.

The Vivo Under Desk Keyboard Tray is another Amazon’s Choice product, with a user score of 4.4 out of 5 based on 12,107 user reviews. One user appreciated the large, deep size of the tray, more than sufficient to hold their large-sized ergonomic keyboard. That user does note they had some problems with assembly due to a faulty clamp, but Vivo customer support swiftly provided a replacement.

If you use at least two monitors for work or gaming, you know how much of a pain it can be arranging them on your desk. Not only are you constantly turning your head to look at one or the other, but if they’re not leveled out, you’re constantly craning your neck, a critical monitor mistake that can wreck your posture. To get your displays on the level, try the Huanuo Dual Monitor Stand, available on Amazon for $69.99.

This dual-arm mount clamps firmly onto the back of your desk with a C-clamp or grommet base, then holds up to two 13 to 32-inch monitors in its adjustable arms. These arms allow your monitors to be easily tilted, swiveled, rotated, and otherwise adjusted with a simple touch, no adjusting of screws required. You can set your monitors vertically, horizontally, a mix of both, or however you need to achieve your ideal viewing angle for neck and shoulder comfort.

The Huanuo Dual Monitor Stand is another Amazon’s Choice product, with a user score of 4.6 out of 5 stars based on 32,535 user reviews. One user said this stand was perfect for both decluttering their desk and getting their work monitors up to proper eye level. Another user had similar praises, though they added that they needed to add a three-inch spacer into the setup in order to get their ideal height.

The last thing you want is to spend money on something that’s supposed to lessen or eliminate back pain and fatigue, only to find it does nothing or makes it worse. To help ensure you only get quality products, we focused on desk add-ons, gadgets, and accessories on Amazon with a user score of at least four out of five stars. Additionally, to ensure those high scores are properly weighted, we narrowed further to products with at least 10,000 user reviews.