5 Tips for Healthy Laptop Use

May 31, 2024

In this fast-paced digital age, it's safe to say that our trusty laptops have become our indispensable companions. From work to entertainment, we spend countless hours glued to the screens.

In this article, we'll review a few ideas that will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle while using a laptop.

It is tempting to use a laptop on the sofa or outdoors on your lap. However, it is not ideal for anything above 30 minutes. In such cases, you'd be better off moving to a desk. Otherwise, you are risking back and neck strain due to slouching.

But just moving to the desk may not be enough to ensure a healthy spine. A proper posture while using a laptop involves sitting up straight and ensuring that your screen is high enough that you don't need to bend your neck while viewing. You can lift your laptop to your eye level by putting it on a laptop stand. Alternatively, you can also consider an external monitor.

When using your device, you should have both feet flat on the ground, with legs bent at about 90 degrees. Your arms should be resting on the desk or armrest at around a straight angle as well.

When it comes to a chair, it would be a good idea to get lumbar support and something for your neck. You can also simply buy a special ergonomic office chair or a gaming chair. One such product provided by ASUS is the ROG Destrier Ergo Gaming Chair.

There is plenty of ergonomic equipment out there to choose from. Start with an external keyboard and mouse. Such peripherals increase the comfort of the laptop usage and at the same time may help you type comfortably without slouching if your laptop is at a distance, since you won’t need to reach for the laptop’s keyboard. If you lift your laptop up to your eye level, an external keyboard and a mouse may even prove the only way to operate your computer with comfort.

Invest in accessories made with ergonomics in mind. These include profiled mice and keyboards with wrist rest. You should be able to lift the back of the keyboard a bit, giving you a more comfortable typing angle. Recently, wrist supports for mice are also gaining popularity, especially among gamers.

If you use an external screen with your laptop, buying a monitor arm might also be a good idea, provided your monitor is compatible with such accessories (check for compatibility with a VESA mount). It not only gives you more flexibility when it comes to adjusting the screen position, it can also help save space on the desk.

Selecting a laptop with a screen designed to protect your eyes is a great idea. One technology that emerges as a clear winner among display types is OLED. A good example is the Lumina OLED from ASUS.

OLED screens cut down the blue light emissions by as much as 70%. In addition, they offer better motion clarity, which can help prevent eye strain from screen flicker. Refer to the specifications for information about parameters like refresh rate and response time.

You need to also ensure good lighting while using a laptop. The best light is the natural kind. Artificial light flickers, potentially causing eye strain. Sunlight, however, is constant, and brings additional benefits of stimulating dopamine – a chemical that helps keep the eyes functioning well. It also prompts our skin to produce vitamin D. If you have the possibility of setting up your desk in a room with a window, do that. To battle glare, however, avoid the light source directly reaching the computer screen.

Finally, you can develop a healthy habit we call the "20-20-20 rule". We recommend that every 20 minutes you spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet (approx. 6 M) away before turning your eyes back to the screen.

Laptop surfaces – like most surfaces – have bacteria and viruses. Ensuring laptop hygiene can help you reduce exposure to bacteria, viruses, and other microbes.

Make sure to clean your laptop's most-touched surfaces regularly. For the best effect, you can use a soft cloth dampened with 70% alcohol to softly wipe the key areas. For more tips on cleaning your laptop, you can read this article with tips for keeping your laptop squeaky clean.

Getting a laptop covered with an antimicrobial coating can also help. Fortunately, most new mainstream ASUS laptops feature ASUS Antimicrobial technology, a silver-ion* coating that can help inhibit as much as 99%** of viruses and bacteria.

It is strongly recommended that you take short breaks to stand up and walk around every once in a while. You can use this opportunity to get a cup of water and stay hydrated! Remember to move your body and stretch your arms and neck while you’re at it.

More and more people are opting for standing desks as well. There are many proven health benefits of such setups. They ensure good posture and might even help keep your waistline in check (we burn more calories while standing than while sitting). You can search for ideas for standing desk setups online.

Buying a lightweight machine with strong battery life can help you battle back or neck strain related to carrying heavy weight in a bag or backpack. One good example of a lightweight but impressively powerful laptop is the ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED. Even though it only weighs 1 kg, it packs a strong battery that can last the whole day on a single charge. The excellent battery life also saves on weight, since you can travel for the day without a power cord.

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* The actual composition of ASUS Antimicrobial Guard and ASUS Antimicrobial Guard Plus may vary.

* Clinical testing using the ISO 21702 and ISO 22196 standard protocol proved that viral and bacterial growth were inhibited by 99% over a 24-hour period. A 99% reduction in potentially harmful microorganisms is defined as the number of viruses and bacteria on the surface dropping from 1,000,000 (cfu/pfu) to 100 (cfu/pfu). Antimicrobial treatments are manufactured by Co-Action Corporation.