Office Chair Height: How High Should Your Chair Be?

Your chair is at the right height when your feet rest flat on the floor, your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor or angled slightly down, and your knees sit level with or a little below your hips. For most adults, that puts the top of the seat somewhere around 15 to 21 inches off the floor, depending mainly on the length of your lower legs and your shoes. There's a catch: the right height for your legs and the right height for your desk often don't match. When that happens, set the chair for your arms and bring the floor up to your feet with a footrest.

The two-minute test

You don't need a tape measure to get close.

Stand in front of your chair. Adjust the seat until its highest point is just below your kneecap.
Sit all the way back. Place both feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart.
Check your thighs. They should be roughly level, or angled slightly downward toward your knees.
Slide your hand under your thigh just behind the front edge of the seat. It should fit without being squeezed. If it's jammed, the seat is too high.
Check your knees. If they're noticeably higher than your hips, the seat is too low.

That's it for leg fit. Next, check it against your desk.

Approximate seat height by body height

Seat height depends more on the length of your lower leg (floor to the back of the knee) than on your total height, and shoes add roughly an inch. The table below gives rough starting points based on typical body proportions. Your legs may be longer or shorter than average, so always finish with the two-minute test.

Your height	Approximate seat height (with shoes)
5'0"	15.5 to 16.5 in
5'4"	16.5 to 17.5 in
5'8"	17.5 to 18.5 in
6'0"	18.5 to 19.5 in
6'4"	19.5 to 20.5 in

Seat height is usually measured from the floor to the top of the seat cushion at the front, while you're sitting on it. Cushions compress, so measure with your weight on the chair.

Check your chair's range. Many standard office chairs adjust within roughly 16 to 21 inches. If you're shorter or taller than average, confirm the chair's listed range before buying, and look for a different gas cylinder option if one is offered.

Why seat height matters

Seat height sets up the rest of your posture.

Too high: - The front edge of the seat presses into the underside of your thighs. - Your feet dangle or you perch on your toes. - You may slide forward and lose contact with the backrest.

Too low: - Your knees rise above your hips. - More of your weight shifts to your tailbone and less onto your thighs. - Your lower back tends to round. - The desk ends up too high relative to your elbows, so your shoulders hunch.

Matching chair height to your desk

This is where most people run into trouble. Once your legs are set, check your arms:

Sit with your shoulders relaxed and your upper arms hanging by your sides.
Bend your elbows to about 90 degrees.
Your forearms should be roughly level with the desk surface or keyboard, or the desk should be slightly lower.

Three possible outcomes:

The desk matches your elbows

You're done. Adjust your armrests to just touch your forearms and set your monitor.

The desk is too high (the most common case)

Many standard desks are around 29 to 30 inches tall, which is a comfortable typing height mainly for taller people. If you're of average height or shorter, your elbows will likely sit below the desk.

The fix:

Raise the chair until your elbows are level with the desk.
Your feet will now be off the floor or on tiptoe. Put something under them: a sturdy box, a stack of books, a step stool, or a footrest. Adjust until your thighs are level again.
Check your knees still fit comfortably under the desk.

A keyboard tray that sits below the desktop is another option. It lets you keep the chair at leg height.

The desk is too low

This is more common for taller people. Options:

Raise the desk with sturdy risers under the legs, if it stays stable.
Use a keyboard platform on top of the desk to raise the typing surface slightly.
Replace it with an adjustable desk if the gap is large.

Don't lower the chair below leg height to match a low desk. You'll end up with your knees above your hips for hours.

Approximate sitting desk height

If you're choosing a desk or setting up a height-adjustable one, the table below gives rough typing-surface heights to go with the seat heights above. These are estimates for an average build, not exact figures.

Your height	Approximate seated desk height
5'0"	23 to 25 in
5'4"	24.5 to 26.5 in
5'8"	26.5 to 28 in
6'0"	28 to 29.5 in
6'4"	29.5 to 31 in

Notice that only the tallest rows get close to a typical fixed desk height. That's why so many people need a footrest.

Special situations

Shared chairs

If more than one person uses the chair, put a small piece of tape on the gas cylinder at each person's height, or write down the setting. Resetting takes seconds.

Short legs, deep seat

If the seat is the right height but too deep, your back won't reach the backrest without the seat edge pressing behind your knees. Use a firm cushion behind your back, or look for a chair with adjustable seat depth.

Tall users

If your chair at maximum height still leaves your knees above your hips, the gas cylinder may be too short for you. Taller cylinders exist for some chairs; otherwise, a chair with a larger height range is the answer.

Standing desks

With a sit-stand desk, set your chair for your legs first, then adjust the desk to your elbows. You shouldn't need a footrest.

Armrests and monitor come next

After setting the chair and desk:

Armrests: Lower them so they just touch your forearms with your shoulders relaxed. If they bump the desk and stop you from pulling in, lower them further or remove them.
Monitor: Set the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. Changing your chair height changes your eye level, so recheck the screen every time you move the chair. Books make a fine free riser.

Common mistakes

Setting the chair only to the desk, then leaving your feet dangling.
Sitting on the front edge because the seat is too high or too deep.
Assuming the lowest setting is "safe." Too low causes its own problems.
Forgetting shoes. Switching from shoes to bare feet changes your ideal seat height by about an inch.
Buying a chair without checking its height range, especially if you're shorter or taller than average.

If it still hurts

Getting chair height right helps many people feel more comfortable, but it isn't a cure. If you have persistent back, hip, or knee pain, or numbness or tingling in your legs, have it checked by a doctor or physiotherapist.

Quick checklist

Feet flat on the floor or a footrest.
Thighs roughly level, knees at or slightly below hips.
A hand fits under the front of your thigh.
Elbows at about 90 degrees, level with the desk.
Footrest if the desk forced you to raise the chair.
Monitor rechecked after any chair change.