Standing desk height calculator
Enter your height to get the standing desk surface height that puts your keyboard at elbow level, the matching sitting height, and the height range a sit-stand desk needs to cover for you. Measure your standing elbow height for a more personal number.
Your numbers
Enter your height to see your numbers.
How to measure your standing elbow height
Stand in the shoes you wear at your desk, with your shoulders relaxed and your upper arm hanging at your side. Bend your elbow to 90 degrees with your forearm level. Have someone measure from the floor to the underside of your elbow, or stand next to a wall and mark it. Shoes change this number by a couple of centimetres, so measure in the shoes you will use. The calculator accepts 90 to 130 cm.
How the numbers are worked out
- Standing elbow height is 0.63 × your height, plus 2.5 cm if you wear shoes, or your own measurement.
- Keyboard height equals elbow height. CCOHS says the platform height should be about your standing elbow position, with your arms placed as they are when you sit. OSHA gives the same elbow-height rule for keyboards. [1][3]
- Desk surface height is keyboard height minus 2.5 cm for the keyboard’s thickness.
- Eye height standing is 0.93 × your height, plus shoes. The top of the screen goes at or slightly below eye level, so the range runs from eye level to 8 cm below it. [2][3]
- The sitting figures use the same method as the desk height calculator. The range your desk must cover runs from the sitting surface height up to the standing surface height.
Standing desk height by body height
| Your height | Standing desk surface | Sitting desk surface | Top of screen, standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm59.1 in | 95 cm37.2 in | 59 cm23.0 in | 134–142 cm52.8–55.9 in |
| 155 cm61.0 in | 98 cm38.4 in | 60 cm23.8 in | 139–147 cm54.6–57.7 in |
| 160 cm63.0 in | 101 cm39.7 in | 62 cm24.6 in | 143–151 cm56.4–59.6 in |
| 165 cm65.0 in | 104 cm40.9 in | 64 cm25.3 in | 148–156 cm58.2–61.4 in |
| 170 cm66.9 in | 107 cm42.2 in | 66 cm26.1 in | 153–161 cm60.1–63.2 in |
| 175 cm68.9 in | 110 cm43.4 in | 68 cm26.9 in | 157–165 cm61.9–65.1 in |
| 180 cm70.9 in | 113 cm44.6 in | 70 cm27.6 in | 162–170 cm63.7–66.9 in |
| 185 cm72.8 in | 117 cm45.9 in | 72 cm28.4 in | 167–175 cm65.6–68.7 in |
| 190 cm74.8 in | 120 cm47.1 in | 74 cm29.2 in | 171–179 cm67.4–70.6 in |
| 195 cm76.8 in | 123 cm48.4 in | 76 cm29.9 in | 176–184 cm69.2–72.4 in |
Values assume shoes and average elbow height. A desk that covers both columns for your height fits you sitting and standing.
Using a sit-stand desk
A sit-stand desk lets you change position through the day, which is the reason to own one. Cornell’s ergonomics group notes that standing all day is tiring and has problems of its own. It has long recommended breaking up sitting with 1 to 2 minutes of standing and moving every 20 to 30 minutes. [4] Bring your screen with you when you change height, because eye level moves by about 39 cm between the two positions for a person 175 cm tall. A monitor arm does this well. A stack of books does not.
Limits
These are estimates from average body proportions: rounded ratios of your height, checked against the average sitting and leg measurements in the ANSUR II survey of US Army personnel (a sample that is younger and more male than the general public) and against standard body-segment tables for the standing values. Two people with the same height can differ by several centimetres in leg length, torso length and arm length, so treat the result as a starting point and adjust from there. What matters is how you sit or stand at the desk: shoulders relaxed, elbows near your sides, wrists straight, feet supported, head over your shoulders. If a number and your body disagree, go with your body.
This page is general information. If you have numbness, tingling, weakness or pain that keeps coming back, see a clinician.
Frequently asked questions
What height should a standing desk be for my height?
Enter your height above. As a guide, standing elbow height is about 63% of body height, so a 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) person in shoes lands at a desk surface of about 110 cm (43 in). The right number is the one that lets your elbows hang near your sides with straight wrists.
Should the keyboard be at elbow height when standing?
Yes. The keyboard and mouse should be arranged the same way as when you sit, with your elbows bent about 90 degrees and your shoulders relaxed. The desk surface sits a little lower than elbow height because the keyboard is thick.
How high should my monitor be when I stand?
The top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, the same rule as sitting. Because standing eye level is higher, the screen must move up with the desk. A monitor arm or a riser you can adjust covers this.
Do shoes matter?
They add height to your elbow and your eye level, roughly 2 to 3 cm for typical shoes. Measure or calculate in the footwear you use at the desk.
How long should I stand at a time?
Cornell's ergonomics group recommends breaking up sitting with 1 to 2 minutes of standing and moving every 20 to 30 minutes, and says standing all day is not a fix. Change position often, and walk when you can.
What range should a sit-stand desk cover?
The result above shows it for your height. For a person 175 cm tall the desk needs to run from about 68 cm up to about 110 cm (27 to 43 in). Check the listed range before you buy, and remember thick desktops and keyboard trays change it.
Sources
- OSHA. Computer Workstations eTool: Keyboards.
- OSHA. Computer Workstations eTool: Monitors.
- CCOHS. Office Ergonomics: Sit/Stand Desk (OSH Answers).
- Cornell University Ergonomics Web. Sitting and Standing.
- OSHA. Computer Workstations eTool: Desks.
- ANSI/HFES 100-2007. Human Factors Engineering of Computer Workstations. Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (standards catalogue).
- Gordon CC et al. (2012). 2012 Anthropometric Survey of U.S. Army Personnel (ANSUR II). Average body sizes from this survey were used to check the body proportions here.
- ANSI/BIFMA G1-2013. Ergonomics Guideline for Furniture Used in Office Work Spaces Designed for Computer Use. BIFMA.