Desk Height Calculator

With this desk height calculator, you'll find the proper range your seat, desk, and monitor should be at. Choose between two working positions — sitting or standing — and in an instance, we'll give you a hint on how to prepare your workstation. Ergonomic desk height is a really important thing that shouldn't be neglected — unfortunately, standard desk height is adequate for rather tall people — around 6 ft. Luckily, you can use height-adjustable desks or non-standard chair height, footrests, and other tricks to overcome that problem.

If you're particularly interested in stand-up desks, check out our standing desk height calculator, where you can set up your office ergonomics as well as calculate calories burned by standing.

So, how to get the most out of your office ergonomics? Just give the desk height calculator a try!

1. Begin by choosing your height. Don't forget to take into account the heels or soles of your shoes. Our exemplary person is 5 ft 7 in.
2. Next, pick your working position. Let's choose a standard sitting desk for this example.

3. And there you are! The desk height calculator just gave you some tips on how to adjust your workstation for maximum comfort:

   • Chair height: 16.5-18 in

     Make sure to follow the recommendations: your thighs and feet should be parallel to the floor (thighs and lower legs forming a 90-110° angle). In many cases, you don't need to worry about standard chair height, as they are adjustable, and their position is easily changed.

   • Desk height: 25-27.5 in

     It's also important that your elbows and forearms lie straight on the table and armrests. Try to have a 90-110° angle at the elbow.

   • Monitor height: 46.5-48 in

     Looking straight, you should be looking at the top third part of the screen. Your monitor should be tilted a bit, like 10-20°.

Don't forget about proper lighting!

If you're buying a desk only for yourself, there's usually no need to buy a height-adjustable desk — if you plan and measure everything properly in advance, that is. However, if you're:

• preparing shared workstations, for people of different heights, you should definitely consider height adjustable tables:

  • Sitting: optimally in 22-33" range, but a 5" range is a minimum (25-30")

  • Standing: optimally in 35-47" range, but a 4" range is a minimum (38-42")

• buying a desk for a kid — as a child's height changes very quickly, a height-adjustable table that grows with your kid is a good idea.

In these instances, you might want to buy an adjustable desk. If you can't afford or don't want to buy a height-adjustable table, you can compensate for the differences with a footrest or an adjustable chair.

Are you redoing your office or home? Our bathroom mirror size calculator is just what you need to help you get that space right.

Well, if you have the opportunity, just try it to see what works best for you! Recently, there's been an increase in interest regarding standing desks, as many reports praise their health benefits, improvement of worker productivity, and even an increase in life expectancy. On the other hand, others claim that stand-up desks are overrated, and there's no scientific evidence that they improve health. What's more, they claim that people succumb to the illusion that they are exercising. Let's make one thing crystal clear — standing is not an exercise, and it won't replace daily activities, like, for example, walking, biking, or running.

You should also remember that a dramatic change can lead to side effects. When changing from your sedentary desk to a standing desk, you may encounter back, leg, or foot pain. Also, people who stand a lot may develop problems with varicose veins. If you want to try a standing desk, make sure to introduce changes gradually — e.g., start from 30-60 min a day. Also, don't forget about walking and stretching every half an hour — our bodies are not meant to stand or sit still in one position for extended periods of time.

The average desk height is 29 inches tall (approx. 73.5 cm). Unfortunately, that height is suitable for only a small part of the population — people around 6 feet tall. There's no standard desk height for stand-up tables, but you can expect them to be around 38”-42” (97-107 cm) in height.

When it comes to standard chair heights — there isn't one. Your chair height will probably fall into the 16-20" range, but fortunately, most office chairs are adjustable, so you can improve your office ergonomics without any extra money.