The comfortable reading position is lying on your back on your bed (or long sofa) with a pillow under your head. You're looking upwards at the ceiling while holding the book upright on your belly.
There's even a clip-on version you can attach to existing prescription glasses.
So simple. Zero strain. You look absolutely dumb, of course, but it lets you read until your brain gets tired, not your neck or lower back or whatever.
If you want to go for truly infinite comfort, use an e-reader held upright by a stand sitting on a breakfast tray with legs placed over and around your belly, with a Bluetooth clicker for page turning. At that point, you basically might as well not even have a body...
> So simple. Zero strain. You look absolutely dumb, of course, but it lets you read until your brain gets tired, not your neck or lower back or whatever.
Having had a CPAP machine for nearly a decade, I'm used to looking absolutely dumb in bed. Thanks for the link!
Doesn't that feel weird? I am not into books much but I know that I can't watch TV or phone while lying flat if the screen was right above my eyes. It will feel wrong. I sometimes use phone while on my side such that phone is also sideways. I use it but it doesn't feel normal. I don't know how to explain it, its similar to not standing straight.
Doesn't feel weird to me. The book still looks like it's the normal distance away, similar to arm's-length. This doesn't make it feel like the book is right up against your face or anything.
I find that, when I lie down, my glasses slip back closer to my eyes just enough to make things go out of focus at reading distance. The weight of the prisms could make it worse. Have you figured out some solution for this? If you have, it could be a game changer for me!
I haven't tried it, but maybe some larger nose bridge pads with a bit of friction, that would maintain the distance?
Might require you to use a dedicated pair of glasses just with this, if you need some kind of spacing/padding element affixed that you don't need otherwise.
Kindle makes this easier. I read lying in bed, on my side, same as if I was sleeping, and prop the kindle against a second pillow.
This doesn't work with a paper book as you would have to flip between sides and keep holding it open.
The only thing I would like to improve is to have some small remote to flip pages, so my hands could be in more comfortable position and not have to touch the kindle.
I bought a goose neck kindle/phone holder (that clips to my night stand) and a remote page flipper so that I can read my kindle in bed while lying on my side up until the moment I fall asleep, arms at my side.
It looks funny but works well.
The only thing I would tweak is switching to an ereader with an amber backlight that has a dimmer setting. My gen1 paperwhite, like the iphone, is still too bright at its lowest setting.
I occasionally read or watch videos on my laptop by "lying in bed, on my side, same as if I was sleeping, and" propping the laptop on its side. The L shape ensures it remains stable even without a pillow.
I used to read comics on my laptop that way until there was an app they used to have on the iPhone that would enlarge the comic text blobs when you clicked on them. Can’t remember what it was called but it was fantastic.
Google "brancaster accent with swivel egg chair" and note the enclosing high-backed versions with wide winged tops.
With a matching footstool (search "brancaster egg chair footstool"), you can put your feet up, tilt back. The best reading experience I have ever found, by far. You can rest you hands and book on your thighs and read without any neck strain or posture effort.
The tilting and swiveling also enables continuous posture adjustment, which helps when reading as for sleeping.
Comfortable enough even for studying with highlighters. (Amazon, "Wood pen holder desk round walnut" square bottom, round top + "Mr. Pen- Aesthetic Highlighters". Such a great combo I have them in several rooms.)
I am sure I sound like an ad, but when you find combinations of basic things that each work "better", it is great.
I bought the chairs and respectively matching stools for their style (I have light leather and velvet Jack versions), and was surprised at how much of a practical upgrade they were.
I've heard stuff like this is much cheaper to come by used, auctioned by liquidated companies. Not necessarily the exact above mentioned models, but 'trendy' stuff like Herman Miller chairs, and similar. Let's say 500 bucks.
I found the velvet flag version on Amazon for $1150, which is still quite a bit.
It’s something to keep a look out for. They are iconic enough to pop up randomly in unusual places or furniture stores that you wouldn’t think would sell something like this.
I read books on my phone while lying flat on my back in bed. I have a stand that holds the phone directly over my face, and a bluetooth page turner so I don't have to tap the screen. It looks ridiculous but I can read for hours like that.
I'm reading books on my TV by mirroring my mobile device, I found no position more confortable than sitting on the couch and reading instead of mindlessly watching shows. It gives a new meaning to watching TV.
Weirdly true. A year ago, I bought perhaps the most comfortable chair I've ever sat in specifically for the purpose of reading. And it really is incredibly comfortable to sit in. Yet ... it doesn't solve either of the two central problems of actually reading: having to hold the book/ereader and the head/neck/shoulder angle. The only solution I can imagine is an "overhead" mounted ereader with voice control, and I don't actually want that.
My Apple Vision Pro is perfect for this, especially with the dual knit band. It really helps me just focus on reading as well, unlike a laptop or something where alt-tabbing is super easy and the (enlarged) book isn't taking up most of my FOV. It's an expensive solution, though, and not for everyone (for example my wife's neck is way slimmer than mine and it would injure her over time).
(And the pinch the page to turn it like a real page is the most fun thing in the Apple Books app).
Tablet/kindle on an arm mount (the kind with springs like a microphone or architecture lamp stand works best, goosenecks fail pretty quick), and the wearmouse app on an android watch to turn pages works pretty well.
My previous house had hammock hooks installed by a previous owner. I'm sure you've got somewhere that could work. Or enough floorspace somewhere for a metal hammock stand.
I found a very comfortable position, but it depends on a reading app that supports continuous scroll (fortunately, both the Kindle app and the Apple Books app have this setting).
I lie down with my head slightly propped up on a pillow and the tablet on my lower chest (or upper abdomen) and keep my eyes focused on the top of the reading view area. Instead of moving my eyes or my head to progress through the book, I scroll up in chunks of 2 or 4 lines, as needed.
I have to hold the tablet steady and also scroll the content, but somehow there's no strain to my arms or hands in that position.
I am a slow reader, but I can make tons of enjoyable progress through a book using this method.
I've struggled with this mightily, and the best I've found is reading uncomfortably more often, in shorter increments, in coffee shops. It's an effort, but it's one I can stick with because there's a secondary upside. Mixing coffee benefits, a bit of people watching, and my book/kindle is a routine I've kept up with.
Also, library books.. I don't end up reading all of them, but I do skim and read sections of more books when I bring a couple of library books along.
As a kid, I would lie on my left side on a bed, and lie the left side of the book flat and the right up at 90 degrees. Then, only minimal effort is required to keep the right half balanced. As you can imagine, without further innovation this only allows reading the right pages- the trick then is to, twice per page turn, rotate the book 180 degrees- and read the left pages upside down
I’ve wondered if there is some similar solution that will allow you to rotate your viewing angle, so that you can browse library stacks without bending your neck at a completely awkward angle. The idea of just crouching to a certain height and reading titles horizontally… what a dream
Although I usually happen to read in all circumstances and positions, I've cracked the most comfortable reading position for me - on my desk, in my chair, e-reader propped in front of me, all other screens black.
I spend a great deal of time reading on an e-ink tablet, and solved this problem years ago by buying a Levo tablet floor stand on wheels (5-axis, adjustable height). It’s heavy enough to be very stable, and I just roll it over to the couch or bed whenever I want to settle in for a long reading session. Works perfectly.
I built an acrylic shelf that could swing out over my head in bed. I would only have to slide the book out to turn pages. Acrylic was probably 12mm thick. Worked great.
My perfect reading chair: the "Skye" model designed by Tord Bjorklund for Ikea in the 1970s. Its shape is essentially like an Adirondack chair connected to an ottoman, but padded and leather covered. Insanely comfy and perfect for reading.
Similar but more famous is the LC4 Chaise Longue designed by Le Corbusier.
I've never understood the common media trope of a teen on their bed reading a magazine on their stomach prompted up by their elbows. Never in my life has that been a comfortable position.
Kids dont get fatigue or aches. I remember 12 year old me joining Karate after a sedentary year, exercising till my heartbeat hurt my eardrums and the instructor remind me to not skip classes when I ache.
I usually read on my back, with a pillow on my stomach as a makeshift stand for the cheap Android tablet I use. Sometimes I like to spice it up and read while doing some yoga positions on the floor. All of them very comfortable.
You can get prism glasses, which let you see at an angle (head forward = looking at your feet), which avoids neck strain in sitting or lying positions.
I kind of solved it with epubs and sending it to my TV screen.. lean back like watching TV and set the font size to a comfortable size and tap arrow right on a wireless kb.
it does when the goal is not reading per se but consuming books that are available in audio format as well as printed. and increasingly with better TTS tools any text can be converted into audio.
I read hours most every day for decades but audiobooks never worked for me. After ten minutes, I notice my mind has drifted elsewhere and I didn’t listen to anything that was said. Funny how it takes me lots of effort to concentrate on listening but seemingly no effort to read (or watch movies). I hope my eyesight stays with me for a long time.
I solved this for myself when I discovered "prism glasses":
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=prism+glasses
The comfortable reading position is lying on your back on your bed (or long sofa) with a pillow under your head. You're looking upwards at the ceiling while holding the book upright on your belly.
There's even a clip-on version you can attach to existing prescription glasses.
So simple. Zero strain. You look absolutely dumb, of course, but it lets you read until your brain gets tired, not your neck or lower back or whatever.
If you want to go for truly infinite comfort, use an e-reader held upright by a stand sitting on a breakfast tray with legs placed over and around your belly, with a Bluetooth clicker for page turning. At that point, you basically might as well not even have a body...
> So simple. Zero strain. You look absolutely dumb, of course, but it lets you read until your brain gets tired, not your neck or lower back or whatever.
Having had a CPAP machine for nearly a decade, I'm used to looking absolutely dumb in bed. Thanks for the link!
Doesn't that feel weird? I am not into books much but I know that I can't watch TV or phone while lying flat if the screen was right above my eyes. It will feel wrong. I sometimes use phone while on my side such that phone is also sideways. I use it but it doesn't feel normal. I don't know how to explain it, its similar to not standing straight.
Doesn't feel weird to me. The book still looks like it's the normal distance away, similar to arm's-length. This doesn't make it feel like the book is right up against your face or anything.
I find that, when I lie down, my glasses slip back closer to my eyes just enough to make things go out of focus at reading distance. The weight of the prisms could make it worse. Have you figured out some solution for this? If you have, it could be a game changer for me!
I haven't tried it, but maybe some larger nose bridge pads with a bit of friction, that would maintain the distance?
Might require you to use a dedicated pair of glasses just with this, if you need some kind of spacing/padding element affixed that you don't need otherwise.
Let's test Amazon's variable pricing: for me, the "overall pick" is CHANGAR Prism Glasses for $14.99.
Same
It increases visual distance to page which strains the eye.
It doesn't. You hold the book at basically the same distance you would normally.
Kindle makes this easier. I read lying in bed, on my side, same as if I was sleeping, and prop the kindle against a second pillow.
This doesn't work with a paper book as you would have to flip between sides and keep holding it open.
The only thing I would like to improve is to have some small remote to flip pages, so my hands could be in more comfortable position and not have to touch the kindle.
How about someone to feed you grapes as well? :-D
I just wish to enjoy my favorite hobby without making my constant back pain even worse :(
and someone that brings a bottle to pee
Strongly recommend the package that includes removal too
I bought a goose neck kindle/phone holder (that clips to my night stand) and a remote page flipper so that I can read my kindle in bed while lying on my side up until the moment I fall asleep, arms at my side.
It looks funny but works well.
The only thing I would tweak is switching to an ereader with an amber backlight that has a dimmer setting. My gen1 paperwhite, like the iphone, is still too bright at its lowest setting.
there are a bunch of clip on page turners for about $30 on amazon
And for the longest time I don't understand why Amazon never provided something like this first party
I occasionally read or watch videos on my laptop by "lying in bed, on my side, same as if I was sleeping, and" propping the laptop on its side. The L shape ensures it remains stable even without a pillow.
I used to read comics on my laptop that way until there was an app they used to have on the iPhone that would enlarge the comic text blobs when you clicked on them. Can’t remember what it was called but it was fantastic.
I cracked that code.
Google "brancaster accent with swivel egg chair" and note the enclosing high-backed versions with wide winged tops.
With a matching footstool (search "brancaster egg chair footstool"), you can put your feet up, tilt back. The best reading experience I have ever found, by far. You can rest you hands and book on your thighs and read without any neck strain or posture effort.
The tilting and swiveling also enables continuous posture adjustment, which helps when reading as for sleeping.
Comfortable enough even for studying with highlighters. (Amazon, "Wood pen holder desk round walnut" square bottom, round top + "Mr. Pen- Aesthetic Highlighters". Such a great combo I have them in several rooms.)
I am sure I sound like an ad, but when you find combinations of basic things that each work "better", it is great.
I bought the chairs and respectively matching stools for their style (I have light leather and velvet Jack versions), and was surprised at how much of a practical upgrade they were.
Ah yes, I too have $2,000 to spend on a chair for reading in. /s
But you do have thousands to ~spend~ waste on chiropractors, medical insurance, doctors visits, don't you?
I've heard stuff like this is much cheaper to come by used, auctioned by liquidated companies. Not necessarily the exact above mentioned models, but 'trendy' stuff like Herman Miller chairs, and similar. Let's say 500 bucks.
This. I didn’t spend anything like $2k.
I found the velvet flag version on Amazon for $1150, which is still quite a bit.
It’s something to keep a look out for. They are iconic enough to pop up randomly in unusual places or furniture stores that you wouldn’t think would sell something like this.
I read books on my phone while lying flat on my back in bed. I have a stand that holds the phone directly over my face, and a bluetooth page turner so I don't have to tap the screen. It looks ridiculous but I can read for hours like that.
My "dream" is to get one of those microphone boom arms with the ability to attach a phone to it with a remote page turner.
One of the ring style page turners?
Honestly it's a brilliant idea
I'm reading books on my TV by mirroring my mobile device, I found no position more confortable than sitting on the couch and reading instead of mindlessly watching shows. It gives a new meaning to watching TV.
I would be much too afraid to have burn-ins!
Weirdly true. A year ago, I bought perhaps the most comfortable chair I've ever sat in specifically for the purpose of reading. And it really is incredibly comfortable to sit in. Yet ... it doesn't solve either of the two central problems of actually reading: having to hold the book/ereader and the head/neck/shoulder angle. The only solution I can imagine is an "overhead" mounted ereader with voice control, and I don't actually want that.
My wife uses this stand with her Kindle (there are more flexible/adjustable ones available): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXPJWMNY?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_...
and a page-turner for the Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVWZWX56?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_...
The Screen of Damocles: could be a market for it.
It would really stress me out so much that I wouldn’t enjoy the reading though lol.
Maybe good to pair with a thriller or horror book for the extra jolt of adrenaline if it shifts slightly.
My Apple Vision Pro is perfect for this, especially with the dual knit band. It really helps me just focus on reading as well, unlike a laptop or something where alt-tabbing is super easy and the (enlarged) book isn't taking up most of my FOV. It's an expensive solution, though, and not for everyone (for example my wife's neck is way slimmer than mine and it would injure her over time).
(And the pinch the page to turn it like a real page is the most fun thing in the Apple Books app).
this is all because people dont want to use a desk because It feels like study, books are meant to be read sitting with a desk and a lamp
you’re right, i just had a visceral reaction at the idea of reading a novel at a desk.
Please share, I've been looking for such a chair for so long!
These things are incredibly subjective/personal, but for me the chair was a Stressless View (large size). It was not cheap.
Varier Gravity might be up your alley
I tried reading on my OLED TV and it worked great.
Tablet/kindle on an arm mount (the kind with springs like a microphone or architecture lamp stand works best, goosenecks fail pretty quick), and the wearmouse app on an android watch to turn pages works pretty well.
I could read all day on a hammock.
Unfortunately that just moves the goalposts to "there's no place to install a hammock in my house".
My previous house had hammock hooks installed by a previous owner. I'm sure you've got somewhere that could work. Or enough floorspace somewhere for a metal hammock stand.
You should try the Hammock District, they may have some ideas.
I've seen standing desks that let you hang a hammock from the frame, but I have a feeling it makes for the worst hammock experience ever.
Not sure if it‘s meant to be, but your comment is a great joke.
Stud finder and some screw eyes
You can totally install a hammock on goalposts /s
Jokes apart there are free-standing hammocks. They take up slightly more space so that may not work.
I found a very comfortable position, but it depends on a reading app that supports continuous scroll (fortunately, both the Kindle app and the Apple Books app have this setting).
I lie down with my head slightly propped up on a pillow and the tablet on my lower chest (or upper abdomen) and keep my eyes focused on the top of the reading view area. Instead of moving my eyes or my head to progress through the book, I scroll up in chunks of 2 or 4 lines, as needed.
I have to hold the tablet steady and also scroll the content, but somehow there's no strain to my arms or hands in that position.
I am a slow reader, but I can make tons of enjoyable progress through a book using this method.
I've struggled with this mightily, and the best I've found is reading uncomfortably more often, in shorter increments, in coffee shops. It's an effort, but it's one I can stick with because there's a secondary upside. Mixing coffee benefits, a bit of people watching, and my book/kindle is a routine I've kept up with.
Also, library books.. I don't end up reading all of them, but I do skim and read sections of more books when I bring a couple of library books along.
Using an ebook and a bluetooh page turner solved it for me
What page turner do you use?
As a kid, I would lie on my left side on a bed, and lie the left side of the book flat and the right up at 90 degrees. Then, only minimal effort is required to keep the right half balanced. As you can imagine, without further innovation this only allows reading the right pages- the trick then is to, twice per page turn, rotate the book 180 degrees- and read the left pages upside down
I’ve wondered if there is some similar solution that will allow you to rotate your viewing angle, so that you can browse library stacks without bending your neck at a completely awkward angle. The idea of just crouching to a certain height and reading titles horizontally… what a dream
Two positions that work for me:
1. On my side; the matching arm is completely supported by the bed, so only the opposite arm gets tired, at which point I switch sides.
2. Book on floor, lie crosswise to bed on my stomach. Doesn't work if bed is too high, but if your arms are longer than the bed hight it's perfect.
See lazyreader: https://youtu.be/H89lKq__sjQ
Although I usually happen to read in all circumstances and positions, I've cracked the most comfortable reading position for me - on my desk, in my chair, e-reader propped in front of me, all other screens black.
I spend a great deal of time reading on an e-ink tablet, and solved this problem years ago by buying a Levo tablet floor stand on wheels (5-axis, adjustable height). It’s heavy enough to be very stable, and I just roll it over to the couch or bed whenever I want to settle in for a long reading session. Works perfectly.
I built an acrylic shelf that could swing out over my head in bed. I would only have to slide the book out to turn pages. Acrylic was probably 12mm thick. Worked great.
I put a 5 dollar phone-holder-ring on the back of my kindle, problem solved.
As a kid i used to read lying on my stomach on a beanbag.
This is completely true. I've spent decades, ie my whole adulthood, looking unsuccessfully for a properly comfortable reading chair.
My perfect reading chair: the "Skye" model designed by Tord Bjorklund for Ikea in the 1970s. Its shape is essentially like an Adirondack chair connected to an ottoman, but padded and leather covered. Insanely comfy and perfect for reading.
Similar but more famous is the LC4 Chaise Longue designed by Le Corbusier.
Looks nice to lounge in but to read a book one needs arm rests, surely?
I've never understood the common media trope of a teen on their bed reading a magazine on their stomach prompted up by their elbows. Never in my life has that been a comfortable position.
I took all manner of outlandish reading positions when I was young; including that one. Now my body can only handle "lying flat, book on the chest".
That literally how I read every day. Pillow under my chest helps too.
Kids dont get fatigue or aches. I remember 12 year old me joining Karate after a sedentary year, exercising till my heartbeat hurt my eardrums and the instructor remind me to not skip classes when I ache.
My kid usually sits perched on the floor and holds the book open with his foot. It looks so uncomfortable but he seems fine with it.
i use Storyteller to sync an audiobook and ebook, then prop up my phone/ereader and have it navigate automatically while reading/listening. very comfy
I usually read on my back, with a pillow on my stomach as a makeshift stand for the cheap Android tablet I use. Sometimes I like to spice it up and read while doing some yoga positions on the floor. All of them very comfortable.
O RLY? Did they ever hear about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergonomics ?
You can get prism glasses, which let you see at an angle (head forward = looking at your feet), which avoids neck strain in sitting or lying positions.
I kind of solved it with epubs and sending it to my TV screen.. lean back like watching TV and set the font size to a comfortable size and tap arrow right on a wireless kb.
Some people ask me why I prefer audiobooks. It’s the question that some people ask.
But that's different from reading, so it doesn't solve the issue
Adding audiobooks when you're not reading books at all (for all the reasons) is still better than not having audiobooks and not having books.
They didn't say listening to audiobooks was bad (unless they edited their comment), just that it's a different activity than reading.
it does when the goal is not reading per se but consuming books that are available in audio format as well as printed. and increasingly with better TTS tools any text can be converted into audio.
I read hours most every day for decades but audiobooks never worked for me. After ten minutes, I notice my mind has drifted elsewhere and I didn’t listen to anything that was said. Funny how it takes me lots of effort to concentrate on listening but seemingly no effort to read (or watch movies). I hope my eyesight stays with me for a long time.
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