Correct Standing Desk Height for Your Height (Chart)

The correct standing desk height puts the desk surface at about your elbow height, or an inch or so below it, when you stand relaxed with your arms at your sides and elbows bent to about 90 degrees. As a rough guide, that's around 38 inches for someone 5'0", about 43 inches at 5'8", and around 48 inches at 6'4", with shoes on. Use the chart below as a starting point, then fine-tune with the elbow test, because arm and leg lengths vary a lot between people of the same height.

Standing and sitting desk height chart

These are approximate figures based on typical body proportions, assuming ordinary shoes. The desk height is the top of the desk surface where your keyboard sits.

Your height	Standing desk height	Sitting desk height
5'0"	37 to 39 in	23 to 25 in
5'2"	38 to 40 in	24 to 25.5 in
5'4"	39.5 to 41.5 in	24.5 to 26.5 in
5'6"	40.5 to 42.5 in	25.5 to 27 in
5'8"	42 to 44 in	26.5 to 28 in
5'10"	43 to 45 in	27 to 29 in
6'0"	44.5 to 46.5 in	28 to 29.5 in
6'2"	45.5 to 47.5 in	29 to 30.5 in
6'4"	47 to 49 in	29.5 to 31 in

If you usually stand barefoot or in socks, subtract about an inch. If you stand on a thick mat, add the mat's thickness.

The sitting heights assume your chair is set so your feet are flat and your thighs roughly level. If you use a fixed desk rather than an adjustable one, see the note on footrests below.

The elbow test (more accurate than any chart)

Stand in the shoes you'll actually wear, on the surface you'll actually stand on (including a mat, if you use one).
Let your arms hang, shoulders relaxed, not pulled back or hunched.
Bend your elbows to about 90 degrees, forearms parallel to the floor.
Raise or lower the desk until the keyboard's home row is at or just below your forearms. Your hands should rest on the keys without lifting your shoulders or reaching down.
Check your wrists. They should be roughly straight, not bent up or down.

Some people prefer the desk a little lower than elbow height, with elbows opened slightly past 90 degrees. That's fine, as long as your wrists stay straight and your shoulders stay relaxed. Very few people are comfortable with the desk higher than their elbows.

Once you find it, save the height with the desk's memory preset, or mark it on the frame with tape. Do the same for your sitting height.

Check your keyboard thickness

The chart gives desk surface height, but what matters is where your hands land. A tall keyboard raises your hands by an inch or more compared with a slim one. If your keyboard is thick, lower the desk a little more. If you use a keyboard tray, set the tray, not the desk, to elbow height.

Don't forget the monitor

When you raise the desk, the monitor rises with it, which usually keeps it at about the right height for your eyes, but not always.

The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level.
The screen should be about an arm's length away.
Tilt it back slightly so you look at it straight on.

Because the distance from elbow to eye isn't the same for everyone, some people find the screen too low when standing. A monitor arm or a few books under the stand fixes this. If you use a laptop on a standing desk, the screen will almost certainly be too low. Raise the laptop and use a separate keyboard and mouse.

If you use a converter on top of a fixed desk, make sure it separates the keyboard and monitor platforms, or you'll have to choose between a good keyboard height and a good screen height.

How to pick a desk with the right range

If you haven't bought a standing desk yet, height range is one of the first specs to check.

Shorter people should check the lowest setting. Many desks have a minimum height that is fine for standing but still too high for comfortable sitting. A lower minimum lets you sit without a footrest.
Taller people should check the highest setting. If the maximum is below your standing height from the chart, the desk won't work for you, no matter how good it is otherwise.
Leave some margin above and below your target heights, since thick mats, shoes, and keyboards all shift the numbers.

Look for desks that list both minimum and maximum heights clearly. If you want a full desk rather than a converter, compare standing desks by height range and look for memory presets, which make switching easy.

If you use a fixed desk for sitting

Most fixed desks are around 29 to 30 inches tall. Looking at the chart, that's comfortable for sitting mainly for people over about 6'0". If you're shorter:

Raise your chair until your elbows are level with the desk.
Support your feet with a footrest, box, or books so your thighs stay level.

This isn't a problem with a sit-stand desk, because you can lower it.

Standing comfortably at the right height

Getting the height right is the most important step, but a few extra habits help:

Stand with weight spread evenly, knees soft, not locked.
Shift position often. Rest one foot on a low box or rail, then switch.
Wear supportive shoes or use a cushioned surface. An anti-fatigue mat can make standing on hard floors much more comfortable. A folded yoga mat is a free first try. If you use a mat, recheck your desk height, since it raises you.
Alternate sitting and standing. Standing for long periods isn't the goal. Short, regular stretches of standing throughout the day are easier on your body.

Signs your standing desk is at the wrong height

Too high: - Shoulders creep up toward your ears. - Wrists bend down toward the keyboard, or you feel tension in your upper back. - You find yourself reaching up to the mouse.

Too low: - You lean forward or hunch over. - Your wrists bend upward. - You rest your weight on your forearms on the desk.

If you notice any of these, adjust the desk up or down an inch at a time and retest.

Common mistakes

Setting the height barefoot, then working in shoes (or the reverse).
Using the chart without the elbow test. Two people of the same height can need desk heights a couple of inches apart.
Forgetting to raise the monitor when your eye level goes up more than the desk.
Leaning on the desk. A sign you've been standing long enough, or the desk is too low.
Not saving presets, so every switch involves guessing.

When to get help

A correctly set standing desk can make work more comfortable, but it isn't a treatment for pain. If you have persistent back, neck, shoulder, or foot pain, or numbness or tingling in your arms, hands, or legs, see a doctor or physiotherapist.

Quick checklist

Desk at or just below elbow height, elbows at about 90 degrees.
Measure in your usual shoes, on your usual mat.
Wrists straight, shoulders relaxed.
Top of monitor at or slightly below eye level.
Save both standing and sitting heights.
Alternate positions through the day.