Most desks are built around 29 to 30 inches tall. That's a reasonable average, but it's too tall for many people and too short for others. The good news is that finding your ideal height doesn't require a calculator. Your own elbows tell you.
The elbow rule
Sit or stand the way you normally work. Let your shoulders relax and your upper arms hang at your sides. Bend your elbows to about 90 degrees, with your forearms roughly parallel to the floor. The height of the underside of your forearms is where your keyboard should be. Your wrists should stay straight, not bent up or down.
Measure from the floor to that point. If you type directly on the desk, that's your desk height. If you use a keyboard tray, the tray should sit at that height instead.
Approximate heights by body height
These are rough starting points. Proportions vary, shoes change your standing height, and chair height affects your sitting height, so always fine-tune with the elbow rule.
| Your height | Sitting desk height | Standing desk height |
|---|---|---|
| 5'0" | About 23" to 24" | About 37" to 38" |
| 5'4" | About 25" | About 39" to 40" |
| 5'8" | About 26" to 27" | About 42" to 43" |
| 6'0" | About 28" to 29" | About 44" to 45" |
| 6'4" | About 30" | About 47" to 48" |
Notice how many sitting heights fall below the standard 29 to 30 inches. If you're on the shorter side and your desk can't go lower, raise your chair to get your elbows level with the desk, then use a footrest so your feet stay supported.
Set your chair first
When sitting, adjust your chair before the desk. Your feet should rest flat on the floor or a footrest, with your knees roughly level with or slightly below your hips. Sit back so the backrest supports your lower back. Then bring the desk or keyboard to your elbow height.
Then set your monitor
- Height: The top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. Bifocal wearers often prefer it a little lower.
- Distance: About an arm's length away. Increase text size rather than leaning in.
- Angle: Tilt the screen back slightly and position it to avoid glare from windows.
Laptop users have a built-in problem here: when the keyboard is at the right height, the screen is too low. See our guide to working comfortably on a laptop for fixes.
Standing height tips
The same elbow rule applies when standing. Measure in the shoes you usually wear at home, since even slippers change the number. Remember to raise your monitor along with the desk; most standing desks do this automatically, but converters with a separate monitor platform may need adjusting.
Once you have your numbers, save them as presets if your desk supports it. That makes switching positions effortless, which makes you more likely to do it. Shopping for a desk that reaches your heights? Check the height ranges in our small-space standing desk guide.
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