Habits & desk health
Desk height calculator
Enter your height and choose sitting or standing to get an ergonomic desk height, chair height and monitor height.
Values assume ordinary shoes and average body proportions; adjust by a centimetre or two until your forearms rest level.
How desk height is calculated from body height
Body segments scale fairly consistently with stature, so ergonomists can estimate working heights as fixed fractions of total height. The calculator uses these ratios, which include a typical shoe sole: chair seat = 0.26 × height (roughly the height of the back of the knee), sitting desk surface = 0.39 × height (seated elbow height), standing desk surface = 0.62 × height (standing elbow height), and the top of the screen = 0.71 × height when seated or 0.94 × height when standing, which is about eye level.
Worked example for a person 175 cm tall: chair seat 0.26 × 175 = 45.5, about 46 cm; sitting desk 0.39 × 175 = 68.25, about 68 cm (26.9 in); standing desk 0.62 × 175 = 108.5, about 109 cm; monitor top when seated 0.71 × 175 = 124 cm above the floor.
| Body height | Chair seat | Desk, sitting | Desk, standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 155 cm | 40 cm | 60 cm | 96 cm |
| 165 cm | 43 cm | 64 cm | 102 cm |
| 175 cm | 46 cm | 68 cm | 109 cm |
| 185 cm | 48 cm | 72 cm | 115 cm |
| 195 cm | 51 cm | 76 cm | 121 cm |
Fine-tuning and common mistakes
The ratios describe an average body, and leg and torso lengths vary from person to person, so treat the number as a starting point. The check that matters: with your shoulders relaxed and upper arms hanging by your sides, your elbows should be bent at about 90 degrees and your forearms should be level with, or slightly above, the keyboard. When seated, your feet should rest flat with your thighs roughly horizontal.
Most fixed office desks are around 72 to 76 cm high, which suits taller people. If yours is too high for you and cannot be adjusted, raise the chair until your forearms are level and put a footrest under your feet, rather than reaching up to the keyboard with raised shoulders. On a standing desk the most frequent error is setting the surface too high, which pushes the shoulders up; lower it until the elbows open slightly. Laptops are a special case: the screen cannot sit at eye level while the keyboard sits at elbow height, so pair a laptop stand with a separate keyboard. If you have ongoing neck, shoulder or wrist pain, ask a doctor or physiotherapist to check your setup.
Frequently asked questions
What desk height do I need for my height?
Multiply your height by about 0.39 for a sitting desk and 0.62 for a standing desk. At 170 cm that gives about 66 cm sitting and 105 cm standing.
How high should a standing desk be?
At or just below your elbow height with your arms relaxed, so the forearms are level while typing. For most adults that is between 95 and 120 cm.
How high should my monitor be?
The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level, so you look slightly downward at the centre. Seated, that is roughly 0.71 times your height above the floor.