Enter your height to get the right desk height for sitting and standing, plus your chair and monitor heights. It takes five seconds and remembers your height on this device.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability change, so check Amazon for the latest. Learn more
Desk height calculator
Enter your height for a starting point. Fine-tune from there so your elbows sit at about 90 degrees.
Sitting desk height-
Standing desk height-
Chair seat height-
Top of monitor (seated)-
Estimates based on average body proportions, measured from the floor to the top of the desk. Shoes, chair padding and keyboard trays change the numbers by an inch or so.
Standing desks that reach your heights
From our best standing desks guide, checked against your sitting and standing numbers above.
Height ranges are the makers' figures. Some include the desktop and some measure the frame only, which can add about an inch, so desks within an inch of your numbers are marked "close".
Keeping your desk? Converters that lift high enough
A converter sits on top of the desk you already have. Tell us how tall that desk is and we'll work out how much lift you need, then check the converters from our standing desk converter guide.
Lift ranges are the makers' figures for the top surface. These converters hold the keyboard on a lower tray, and most makers don't publish how far below the top it sits (Vari gives 4 in for its electric model), so we only mark a converter as a clear fit when it has a few inches to spare. When lowered, the keyboard tray still sits a little above your desk, so you may want your chair slightly higher for sitting.
Standing desk or converter?
Get a converter if
You rent, or want to keep the desk you have
You want to spend less to try standing
Your desk has built-in drawers you rely on (and no hutch overhead)
A converter takes up some of your desk's depth and brings the screen closer, so check the maker's minimum desk depth before buying.
Desk height chart by height
Measured from the floor to the top of the desk, in shoes with a normal sole. Use it as a starting point, then adjust so your elbows sit at about 90 degrees and your shoulders stay relaxed.
Your height
Sitting desk
Standing desk
Chair seat
Monitor top
5'0"
24 in
38 in
16 in
40 in
5'2"
25 in
39 in
16.5 in
41.5 in
5'4"
25.5 in
40.5 in
17 in
43 in
5'6"
26.5 in
41.5 in
17.5 in
44 in
5'8"
27 in
43 in
18 in
45.5 in
5'10"
28 in
44 in
18.5 in
47 in
6'0"
29 in
45.5 in
19 in
48 in
6'2"
29.5 in
46.5 in
19.5 in
49.5 in
6'4"
30.5 in
48 in
20 in
51 in
6'6"
31 in
49 in
20.5 in
52.5 in
How the calculator works
Body proportions are fairly consistent from person to person, so your height is a good predictor of your elbow and eye heights. The calculator uses common ergonomic ratios: a sitting desk at about 40% of your height, a standing desk at about 63%, a chair seat at about 25% plus an inch for shoes, and a seated eye line at about 67%.
Long legs or a long torso can move your numbers by an inch or two, so treat the results as where to start. If your feet don't rest flat when the desk is right, add a foot rest. If your desk is a fixed height and too tall, raise your chair and do the same.
Most fixed desks are 28 to 30 inches tall, with 29 to 30 the most common. Using the calculator's ratio, that suits people roughly 5'10" to 6'3". Shorter people usually need a lower desk, or a higher chair with a foot rest. Taller people often need a desk above 30 inches.
How high should a standing desk be?
Set it so your forearms are level and your elbows bend at about 90 degrees with your shoulders relaxed. For most adults that is roughly 0.63 times your height, measured from the floor to the top of the desk.
How do I measure my desk height?
Measure from the floor to the top of the work surface where your keyboard sits. If you use a keyboard tray, measure to the tray instead.
How high should my monitor be?
The top line of text on the screen should sit at or slightly below eye level, about an arm's length away. The calculator gives the height of your seated eye line from the floor.
