Skip to the page

Resources

20 bad postures at a laptop, and where you feel them

At a desk, in bed, on the sofa or standing. Each one drawn from the side, with one thing to try today and, for most, the part of your body that takes the strain.

Updated 2026-11-05

Where it lands

14 of the 20 load your neck.

Most of them move your head forward or down, away from where your body carries it easily. The muscles at the back of your neck and upper back can then work harder to hold it.1

A good posture is one you could hold for a long time with no strain on your muscles, nerves or bones.

  • Neck14 of 20
  • Upper back10 of 20
  • Lower back2 of 20
  • Shoulders2 of 20

Poxture App can nudge you for the 8 marked “Nudges you”. The other 12 are tips to try on your own.

At a desk

Where most people work on a laptop.

  • Nudges you

    Too close to the screen

    Neck · Upper back

    You creep toward the screen while you read or code. Your neck and upper back hold the lean.1,2

    Try: Sit back so the screen is 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 inches) away, and make the text bigger (⌘ +).

    How to stop leaning in ›
  • Nudges you

    Looking down

    Neck · Upper back

    Your head tips down to the laptop and stays there. The back of your neck and the top of your back carry the weight.1,2

    Try: Raise the screen so its top edge sits at or just below eye level.

    The tech-neck guide ›
  • Tip

    Chin sliding forward

    Neck · Upper back

    Your head drifts out ahead of your shoulders while you focus. Your neck and upper back work harder to hold it there.1

    Try: Draw your chin straight back now and then.

  • Nudges you

    Hunched over

    Neck · Upper back

    A hard problem pulls you in until your back rounds and your shoulders curl forward. Your head goes forward with them, and your neck and upper back hold it.1

    Try: Sit back against the chair and let your shoulders drop.

    Hunched over posture: why it happens ›
  • Nudges you

    Slouching

    Lower back

    You sink lower in the chair, a little at a time, and your back leaves the backrest. Your lower back loses its support.3

    Try: Slide your hips to the back of the seat and let the backrest hold the small of your back.

    How to stop slouching ›
  • Tip

    Perched on the edge of the chair

    Lower back

    You sit on the front of the seat and lean toward the screen. Your back has nothing to rest on.3

    Try: Sit all the way back so the chair holds you.

  • Nudges you

    Leaning to one side

    You prop an elbow on one armrest and sink onto one hip, and stay there through a long read.

    Try: Sit evenly on both hips, with both feet on the floor.

    Leaning to one side ›
  • Nudges you

    Hand on face

    Your chin rests on your hand while you think. A 2025 study on jaw trouble lists resting the chin on a hand among the habits it checked.4

    Try: Rest your forearms on the desk instead.

    How to stop resting your chin on your hand ›
  • Nudges you

    Sitting still too long

    Neck · Shoulders

    Deep in work, 40 minutes go by without a change of position. Holding one posture that long tires the muscles of your neck and shoulders.5

    Try: Take short breaks often: stand, stretch or walk for a moment.

    Sitting still too long, what helps ›

Where your screen sits

Where you put the screen decides where your head goes.

  • Tip

    Screen too low

    Neck · Upper back

    A low screen pulls your eyes and head down all day, and your neck and upper back hold your head there.1,2

    Try: Raise it until the top edge is at or just below eye level.

  • Tip

    Screen too high

    Neck

    You tip your head back to see it, and the back of your neck stays tight.2

    Try: Lower it until the top edge is at or just below eye level.

  • Tip

    Screen off to one side

    Neck

    Your head stays turned toward the screen you use most, and one side of your neck does more of the work.2

    Try: Put that screen straight in front of you.

In bed

The screen ends up far below your eyes.

  • Tip

    Laptop on your thighs in bed

    Neck · Upper back

    Propped against the headboard, you look far down into your lap, and your neck and upper back hold your head there.1

    Try: Put a pillow on your lap to bring the screen up.

    Laptop posture in bed ›
  • Tip

    On your stomach

    You lie on your elbows with your head tipped back to see the screen, and your lower back arches.

    Try: Sit up against the headboard with a pillow behind you.

  • Tip

    Laptop on the mattress

    Neck · Upper back

    The screen sits far below your eyes, so your head and back curl down to it.1

    Try: Raise the laptop on a lap desk or a box.

On the sofa

Soft seats and low tables pull you down.

  • Nudges you

    Not working from a proper desk setup

    Neck · Shoulders

    A quick look at the laptop on the sofa turns into an hour in one soft spot. Holding one posture that long tires your neck and shoulders.5

    Try: Get up for a short break often, or move to a table.

  • Tip

    Sunk into the sofa

    Neck · Upper back

    The soft seat lets you sink, and your head bends down to the laptop on your knees.1

    Try: Sit on a firm cushion, or move to a table.

  • Tip

    Hunched over the coffee table

    Neck · Upper back

    A low table pulls your head and shoulders down toward the screen.1

    Try: Move to a higher table, or raise the laptop on a box.

At a standing desk

A standing desk needs the right height for the desk and the screen.

  • Tip

    Standing desk too low

    Neck · Upper back

    The desk sits low, so you stand with your head bent down to the screen.1,7

    Try: Set the desk height by your elbows, and raise the screen so its top edge is at or just below eye level. Our free desk height calculator gives both numbers for your height.

  • Tip

    Leaning on the desk

    You rest your weight on your arms while you read or type, and stay there.7

    Try: Stand on both feet with your arms relaxed, and change position often.

Three fixes that cover most of them

  1. Bring the screen up to your eyesThe top edge at or just below eye level. Use a stand, a box or a pillow, and add a separate keyboard and mouse.2,6
  2. Let something hold your backHips to the back of the chair, so the backrest fits the small of your back.3
  3. Take short breaks oftenStand, stretch or walk for a moment, then settle back in.5,7

Sources

  1. Persistent cervicothoracic muscle mechanical stiffness and postural loading: a narrative review. Cureus, 2026
  2. OSHA, Computer Workstations eTool: Monitors
  3. OSHA, Computer Workstations eTool: Chairs
  4. Parafunctional habits and temporomandibular disorders in students, a cross-sectional study. 2025
  5. OSHA, Computer Workstations eTool: Work process and recognition
  6. Cornell University Ergonomics Web, 5 tips for using a laptop computer
  7. CCOHS, Working in a standing position: basic information

You won't notice most of these while they happen.

Try it on your own workday: an hour a day is free for good, and every feature works all day for your first 14 days.

Download for Mac

Needs an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) with a built-in camera or an external webcam, and macOS 15 or later.