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Setting up a home office? Consumer Reports experts are ready to help!

Setting up a home office? Consumer Reports experts are ready to help!

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) – You know, it wasn’t that long ago that many of us were working from home. The pandemic has led to many people turning that extra bedroom into a home office.

While many people have returned to the office full-time or even part-time, many people still work from home.

Even if you don’t work from home every day, you can still do it from time to time. Of course, you want to make sure you’re comfortable, and you know that a few simple upgrades can improve your office — and maybe even your productivity.

“I’ve tried at least six chairs in the last three years,” Rachel Kent, who works from home.

Until she finds the right one, Rachel Kent works on an old wooden chair in her home office.

“The wooden chair isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t give me back pain like the fancy chairs I’ve tried to buy,” Kent said.

To help people like Rachel find comfort while working from home, the ergonomics experts at Consumer Reports recently ranked budget office chairs.

“When I’m looking for an ergonomic chair, the one thing I tell people to focus on is adjustability, because that will allow you to adjust the chair to your body,” said Consumer Reports ergonomics expert Paul Ritchie.

Consumer Reports says that with the Staples Dexley chair, you can adjust the height, armrests, lumbar and headrest.

If you’re working on a laptop, the stand can raise the top of the screen to eye level so you don’t strain your neck while looking down.

The ergonomic Insignia laptop stand requires no assembly or tools to adjust the height.

When using the mouse, the wrist rest can keep the wrist in a neutral position to reduce hand or wrist discomfort. Consider this small and reliable one from Belkin.

And if your feet can’t rest on the floor, try a footrest like this one from Mount-It! give you a word.

“Using a footrest will help support your feet and reduce the pressure on your lower thighs that you’d see if your feet were just dangling,” Ritchie said.

No matter how long it takes, upgrading your space to suit your needs is worth the “work”.

It’s a good idea to try chairs on in a store before you buy them… or if you’re buying online, buy from a site that has an easy return policy if they don’t fit.

Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at [email protected].

A road trip to see some of our neighbors’ best Halloween decorations

Halloween is only a few days away. Americans are expected to spend about $12 billion on candy, costumes and decorations this year. Over the past few years, it seems like a lot more people are going to great lengths to decorate their homes. Forrest Sanders had a chance to visit several midstate communities to check out some of those Halloween decorations.

-Lelan Statom