# Desk height calculator

> Free desk height calculator for sitting and standing. Get your desk, chair, keyboard and monitor heights from your height, with the source for each one.

Canonical: https://poxture.com/desk-height-calculator

Free tool · no sign-up

Enter your height. Get your chair, desk, keyboard and monitor heights, sitting or standing, with the reason behind each number.

Your height 5 ft 9 in

4 ft 10 in 6 ft 8 in

You work

Sitting Standing

Shoes on

Yes No

Units

ft & in cm

Can you change your desk's height?

Yes, it moves No, it's fixed

### Get a to-do list for your desk (optional)

Measure from the floor to the top of each one. Leave a box empty if you don't know.

Your chair seat now (in)

### How to measure

From the floor to the front edge of the seat, where the backs of your knees rest.

Your desk now (in)

From the floor to the top of the desk.

Top of your screen now (in)

From the floor to the top edge of the screen.

I know my elbow height (in)

Sit relaxed with your arms by your sides and your elbows bent to 90°. Measure from the floor to the underside of your elbow.

## Your numbers, sitting

- Chair seat

16.5–19 in

Feet flat, thighs level.[4]

- Desk and keyboard

24.5–28 in

Level with your elbows, bent at about 90°.[1]

- Top of monitor

47–49.5 in

At or just below your eyes.[3]

- Screen distance

20–30 in

About an arm's length away.[3]

## Your numbers, standing

- Desk and keyboard

41–43.5 in

Just below your elbows while you stand.[2]

- Top of monitor

63.5–65 in

At or just below your eyes.[3]

- Screen distance

20–30 in

About an arm's length away.[3]

- Desk, when you sit

24.5–28 in

Lower the desk to this when you sit down.[1]

Your desk is fixed, so set your chair to the desk instead. Raise the chair until your elbows are level with the desk. If your feet no longer rest flat, put a box or a step stool under them.

## What to change

✓ Your desk is already set right. Nothing to change.

Change one thing, sit for a few minutes, then check again.

Copy my numbers

These are starting points from your height, worked out from the measurements of about 6,000 adults. For about 9 in 10 people, the right height falls inside these ranges. Bodies differ, so trust your elbows over the number: if your shoulders lift or your wrists bend, adjust. Know your elbow height? Enter it above for a closer number.[4]

## What's the right desk height?

The short answer: your desk is the right height when your forearms rest level and your elbows bend at about 90°, with your shoulders relaxed. For most adults sitting down, that's between 23 and 28 inches (58 to 72 cm). Fixed office desks are usually built at least 29.5 inches (75 cm) tall, which is why so many people sit at a desk that's too high.[3,4]

Elbows level with the desk.

Eyes level with the top of the screen.

Feet flat on the floor.

## Standing desk height

Set the desk so your keyboard sits at your elbows while you stand. That puts the desk top about 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the bend. Switch between sitting and standing through the day. The switch above gives you both heights.[2]

## How high should your monitor be?

The top line of the screen sits at or just below your eyes, and the screen is about an arm's length away. If you catch yourself looking down, read [the Looking down guide](https://poxture.com/guides/head-down).[3]

## Chair height

Feet flat, thighs level, knees about level with your hips. If the desk can't move, raise the chair and rest your feet on a box or a step stool.[4]

## Desk height chart

Find your height. Shoes on. All heights are measured from the floor, in inches.

| Your height | Chair seat | Desk, sitting | Desk, standing | Monitor top, sitting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 4′10″ | 14.5 | 22.5 | 35 | 41 |
| 4′11″ | 15 | 22.5 | 36 | 41.5 |
| 5′0″ | 15 | 23 | 36.5 | 42.5 |
| 5′1″ | 15.5 | 23.5 | 37 | 43 |
| 5′2″ | 15.5 | 24 | 38 | 43.5 |
| 5′3″ | 16 | 24 | 38.5 | 44.5 |
| 5′4″ | 16.5 | 24.5 | 39 | 45 |
| 5′5″ | 16.5 | 25 | 40 | 45.5 |
| 5′6″ | 17 | 25 | 40.5 | 46 |
| 5′7″ | 17 | 25.5 | 41 | 47 |
| 5′8″ | 17.5 | 26 | 42 | 47.5 |
| 5′9″ | 18 | 26.5 | 42.5 | 48 |
| 5′10″ | 18 | 26.5 | 43 | 49 |
| 5′11″ | 18.5 | 27 | 44 | 49.5 |
| 6′0″ | 18.5 | 27.5 | 44.5 | 50 |
| 6′1″ | 19 | 27.5 | 45 | 51 |
| 6′2″ | 19.5 | 28 | 46 | 51.5 |
| 6′3″ | 19.5 | 28.5 | 46.5 | 52 |
| 6′4″ | 20 | 29 | 47 | 53 |
| 6′5″ | 20 | 29 | 48 | 53.5 |
| 6′6″ | 20.5 | 29.5 | 48.5 | 54 |
| 6′7″ | 21 | 30 | 49 | 54.5 |
| 6′8″ | 21 | 30 | 50 | 55.5 |
| Your height | Chair seat | Desk, sitting | Desk, standing | Monitor top, sitting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 147 cm | 37 | 57 | 89 | 104 |
| 149 cm | 37 | 57 | 90 | 105 |
| 151 cm | 38 | 58 | 92 | 107 |
| 153 cm | 39 | 59 | 93 | 108 |
| 155 cm | 39 | 60 | 94 | 109 |
| 157 cm | 40 | 60 | 96 | 110 |
| 159 cm | 40 | 61 | 97 | 112 |
| 161 cm | 41 | 62 | 98 | 113 |
| 163 cm | 42 | 62 | 100 | 114 |
| 165 cm | 42 | 63 | 101 | 116 |
| 167 cm | 43 | 64 | 102 | 117 |
| 169 cm | 43 | 65 | 104 | 118 |
| 171 cm | 44 | 65 | 105 | 120 |
| 173 cm | 44 | 66 | 106 | 121 |
| 175 cm | 45 | 67 | 108 | 122 |
| 177 cm | 46 | 67 | 109 | 124 |
| 179 cm | 46 | 68 | 110 | 125 |
| 181 cm | 47 | 69 | 112 | 126 |
| 183 cm | 47 | 70 | 113 | 127 |
| 185 cm | 48 | 70 | 114 | 129 |
| 187 cm | 49 | 71 | 116 | 130 |
| 189 cm | 49 | 72 | 117 | 131 |
| 191 cm | 50 | 72 | 118 | 133 |
| 193 cm | 50 | 73 | 120 | 134 |
| 195 cm | 51 | 74 | 121 | 135 |
| 197 cm | 52 | 75 | 122 | 137 |
| 199 cm | 52 | 75 | 124 | 138 |
| 201 cm | 53 | 76 | 125 | 139 |
| 203 cm | 53 | 77 | 126 | 141 |

## Using a laptop?

A laptop's screen and keyboard are joined, so one of them is always at the wrong height. Raise the laptop on a stand to put the screen at eye level, then type on a separate keyboard and mouse at elbow height. [More laptop posture tips](https://poxture.com/laptop-posture-tips).

## Your desk is set. Staying in it is the hard part.

An hour into work, your face creeps toward the screen, your head drops and your shoulders round. This page checks once. Poxture App checks your posture all day from the menu bar, and a soft glow at the top of the screen tells you what to fix. No pictures, ever.

Needs an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) with a built-in camera or an external webcam, and macOS 15 or later.

Version 0.11.6 · released 9 November 2026

Poxture App is a Mac app. Open poxture.com on your Mac to download.

Share

[What a posture app for Mac can check](https://poxture.com/posture-app-for-mac)

## Questions

### How high should my desk be?

Level with your elbows. Sit with your shoulders relaxed and your arms by your sides, then bend your elbows to about 90°. The desk top, or your keyboard, belongs at that height. For most adults sitting down that's 23 to 28 inches (58 to 72 cm), lower than most office desks. The calculator above gives your own range.

### Is my desk too high?

It is if your shoulders lift while you type, or your wrists bend upward to reach the keys. Raise your chair until your elbows are level with the desk. If your feet then hang, put a box or a step stool under them, so your thighs stay level and your feet rest flat.

### How high should my monitor be?

Put the top line of the screen at or just below your eyes, so you look slightly down at the middle of it. Keep it about an arm's length away, 20 to 30 inches (50 to 75 cm). If you wear bifocals or progressives, set it a little lower so you don't tip your head back.

### How far should my monitor be from my eyes?

About an arm's length, 20 to 30 inches (50 to 75 cm). Sit back and reach out: your fingertips should just touch the screen. A larger screen can sit a little farther. If you lean in to read, make the text bigger instead of moving closer. Our [guide to sitting too close](https://poxture.com/guides/too-close) has more.

### What height should my chair be?

Set it so your feet rest flat on the floor and your thighs are about level, with your knees near hip height. Then check your desk: your elbows should line up with it. If they're below the desk, raise the chair and put a box or step stool under your feet.

### Where should my keyboard be?

At elbow height, close enough that your upper arms hang by your sides. Your wrists should stay straight, not bent up or down. If your desk is too high for that, a keyboard tray under the desk, or a higher chair with something under your feet, brings the keys down to your elbows.

### My desk doesn't adjust. What do I change?

Change everything around it. Raise your chair until your elbows are level with the desk, then put a box or a step stool under your feet. Lift your screen with a monitor stand so its top meets your eyes. Choose "No, it's fixed" in the calculator, and it works this out for you.

### Do I need different heights for a laptop?

Yes, because a laptop's screen and keyboard are joined. If the keyboard is at elbow height, the screen is too low and you look down. Raise the laptop on a stand, or a stack of books, to bring the screen to eye level, then use a separate keyboard and mouse at elbow height.

## Sources

1. [OSHA, Computer Workstations eTool: Desks.](https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/components/desks)
2. [Cornell University Ergonomics Web: sit-stand guidance.](https://ergo.human.cornell.edu/CUESitStand.html)
3. [BIFMA G1-2013, ergonomics guideline for furniture. Monitor height is also cross-checked against Cornell.](https://iise.org/uploadedFiles/Webcasts/AEC_presn_hart_07feb13.pdf)
4. [ANSUR II, US Army anthropometric survey (2012).](https://www.openlab.psu.edu/datasets/ansur2/)

## Related

- [the Looking down guide](https://poxture.com/guides/head-down)
- [More laptop posture tips](https://poxture.com/laptop-posture-tips)
- [What a posture app for Mac can check](https://poxture.com/posture-app-for-mac)
- [guide to sitting too close](https://poxture.com/guides/too-close)