Desk Height Calculator: Sitting and Standing Desk, Chair and Monitor Height for Your Height
Find the ergonomic sitting or standing desk height, chair seat height and monitor height from your body height, plus the chair and footrest settings for a fixed desk.
How it works
Chair seat = popliteal height (24.5% of height for men, 23.8% for women) + shoes · Seated elbow height = seat + elbow rest height (14.0% / 14.3%) · Sitting desk = seated elbow height − 1 in · Standing desk = standing elbow height (61.7% / 61.6%) + shoes − 1 in · Monitor top = eye height (seated 45.8% / 46.0% above the seat; standing 93.5% / 93.3% + shoes), up to 2 in lower
Ergonomic guidance such as OSHA’s computer workstation advice puts the keyboard at elbow height with relaxed shoulders, the chair at a height where your feet rest flat and thighs are level, and the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. Those body heights scale with how tall you are, so this calculator uses the proportions of the 2012 U.S. Army anthropometric survey (ANSUR II), as tabulated by the Ergonomics Center of North Carolina. The chair seat matches your popliteal height (floor to the back of the knee). The desk surface sits 1 in (2.5 cm) below your elbow so that a low-profile keyboard’s home row ends up at elbow level. Shoes add to every floor-measured height. Choose sitting or standing; the other posture is shown too, which is handy for a sit-stand desk. Under More options you can enter the height of a fixed desk to get the chair height and footrest you need. Results are for a typical body of your height: people with long legs or a long torso for their height should fine-tune by feel. The Ergonomic Monitor Height Calculator focuses on screen placement and distance; this tool sets the desk and chair first.
Worked example
A person 69 in (5 ft 9 in) tall, average proportions, in 1 in shoes, sitting. Popliteal height is 24.2% of height: 0.2416 × 69 = 16.7 in, plus 1 in of shoe = 17.7 in chair seat. Elbow rest height is 14.2% of height, 9.8 in, so the seated elbow is at 27.4 in and the desk surface should be 27.4 − 1 = 26.4 in (comfortable range 25.4–27.4 in). Seated eye height is 17.7 + 0.459 × 69 = 49.3 in, so the top of the monitor goes at 47.3–49.3 in. Standing, the elbow is at 0.6167 × 69 + 1 = 43.6 in, so a standing desk should be set to 42.6 in (108 cm).
Sources: Ergonomics Center of North Carolina (NCSU): Anthropometric summary data tables, ANSUR II 2012 · Omni Calculator: Desk height (5 ft 7 in sitting example) · Omni Calculator: Standing desk height (5 ft 9 in example) · Best-Calculators: Desk height calculator (ratio method)
Frequently asked questions
What is the right desk height for my height?
Set the desk so your forearms are level with your elbows bent about 90°: roughly 1 in below your seated elbow height. For a 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) person that is about 24.5 in (62 cm), for 5 ft 9 in about 26.4 in (67 cm), and for 6 ft 2 in about 28.4 in (72 cm). Standard desks are 28–30 in, which is too high for most people under 6 ft unless the chair is raised and a footrest is used.
How high should a standing desk be?
At or just below your standing elbow height, so your forearms are level and your shoulders relaxed. That works out to about 61–62% of your height plus your shoes, minus 1 in: about 42.5 in (108 cm) for someone 5 ft 9 in tall, and about 39.5 in (100 cm) at 5 ft 4 in.
How high should my chair be?
Your seat should be at about the height of the back of your knee, so your feet are flat and your thighs are level or slope slightly down. That is about 24% of your height plus shoes: around 17–18 in (43–45 cm) for an average adult. If your desk forces the chair higher, add a footrest.
How high should my monitor be?
The top edge of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level, about an arm’s length away, so you look slightly down at the middle of the screen. Seated, that is usually 47–50 in (120–127 cm) from the floor for someone about 5 ft 9 in. Bifocal wearers should lower it further.
What if my desk is not adjustable?
Enter its height under More options. The calculator raises the chair until your elbows are just above the desk and tells you how tall a footrest you need. If the desk is too low, raise it on risers or use a keyboard tray.
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General ergonomic estimate for a typical body of your height, not medical advice. If you have pain, numbness or an injury, ask a physiotherapist or occupational health professional to assess your workstation.