Home office screen planner
Monitor size and viewing-distance tools
Use screen width and viewing angle—not diagonal size alone—to compare monitor formats with your desk. The 45° to 55° band below is a SetupSelect planning range for comparing screen sizes, not a medical or universal ergonomic standard.
How far away should my monitor be?
Comfortable starting range
57–72 cm
Target about 65 cm from your eyes to the screen. The visible panel is approximately 60 × 34 cm, with an estimated 109 pixels per inch.
Desk-depth starting point: approximately 50 cm, assuming your eyes sit around 18 cm in front of the desk edge.
What monitor size fits my distance?
Suggested diagonal range
26–33 inches
Start with commercially available sizes inside or near this range, then check text scaling, stand depth and whether you prefer one large canvas or multiple screens.
Two monitors: measure to the primary screen. Angle the secondary screen inward and avoid placing the join directly in front of you if one display is dominant.
High resolution: more pixels can make text sharper, but operating-system scaling still determines readable text size.
Monitor arms: they can recover desk depth, provided the desk edge and load rating are compatible.
Save or reuse the calculation
Share these inputs or embed the calculator
The link stores only the four calculator inputs in its query string. No result or personal information is sent to SetupSelect by this feature.
Physical size reference
24-inch vs 27-inch vs 32-inch monitors
Diagonal labels hide the dimensions that use desk and wall space. These figures describe the visible 16:9 panel, calculated from the diagonal; the stand, bezel and casing make the complete monitor larger.
| Diagonal | Visible width | Visible height | SetupSelect comparison range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 inches | 53.1 cm | 29.9 cm | 51–64 cm |
| 27 inches | 59.8 cm | 33.6 cm | 57–72 cm |
| 32 inches | 70.8 cm | 39.8 cm | 68–86 cm |
Privacy-screen measurement helper
Accessory makers may specify either the visible panel or the complete filter. Measure your screen yourself and follow the chosen filter's fitting instructions.
Calculated filter rectangle: 60 × 34 cm. This uses the selected monitor's calculated panel size plus the entered coverage on both sides.
How the calculation works
Panel dimensions: diagonal inches are converted to centimetres and split using the selected aspect-ratio triangle.
Distance: panel width ÷ (2 × tan(horizontal angle ÷ 2)). The page shows the distances created by 45° and 55° horizontal angles.
Desk depth: the target eye-to-screen distance minus an 18 cm planning allowance between the eyes and front desk edge, with a 50 cm minimum starting value.
These formulas make different screen shapes comparable. They do not establish a medical requirement or account for eyesight, font scaling, glare, task or mounting position.
Measure the rest of the workstation
Screen distance is only one constraint. Check seated elbow height, chair clearance, desk depth and monitor mounting before choosing products.
The calculator provides transparent comparison estimates rather than medical or ergonomic advice. HSE guidance describes the screen as approximately an arm’s length away, with the top near eye level; it does not prescribe the field-of-view band used here. Visual comfort varies, so adjust distance, scaling and brightness and seek professional advice for persistent symptoms. Read the HSE guidance.