Desk Height Calculator

Enter your height for a starting estimate, or — better — enter your measured elbow height for an answer that is actually yours. Free, nothing saved, no signup.

How do you want to work it out?

Estimated from average body proportions. Good enough to start; measure to be sure.

cm
Get the setup checklist

Your numbers

Side view of a desk setup showing the calculated heights Seated
Drawn to your numbers. Not to scale with the room.
Seated desk height
73.5cm
Standing desk height
108.5cm
Chair seat height
43.0cm
Top of monitor — seated
123.5cm
Top of monitor — standing
163.8cm
Monitor distance
77.0cm

How these numbers are worked out

In “from my height” mode the calculator uses standard body-segment proportions — the ratios used in ergonomics and biomechanics to estimate limb dimensions from total stature. Your desk height comes out at roughly 42% of your height seated and 62% standing, with seat height near 25%.

Those proportions are an average, and you are not an average. Two people of identical height can have meaningfully different leg and torso lengths, which moves elbow height by several centimetres. That is why the second mode exists and why we would rather you used it.

The measurement that beats any calculator

  • Stand with your shoulders relaxed and your upper arms hanging straight down.
  • Bend your elbows to 90°, forearms parallel to the floor.
  • Measure from the floor to the underside of your forearm. That is your standing desk height.
  • Sit properly in your chair, feet flat, and repeat. That is your seated desk height.

Using the numbers

Set the chair first, then the desk, then the monitor — in that order. Setting the desk before the chair is the single most common reason a setup never feels right. The full sequence, with the checks that go with each step, is on our free one-page checklist, and the reasoning behind it is in the setup guides.

If the numbers here fall outside what your current desk can do, that is useful information rather than a problem with the calculator. A fixed-height desk is typically 73–75 cm, which suits people around 175 cm and is wrong for everyone else — the usual fix is a chair adjustment plus a footrest, or a height-adjustable frame. Our 2026 standing desk roundup lists the real height ranges we measured, including the minimum heights, which matter if you are shorter than average and which manufacturers rarely advertise.

Common questions

What height should my desk be?

At your seated elbow height — forearms parallel to the floor, shoulders relaxed. For most adults that lands between 71 and 76 cm (28–30 inches). Your own measurement beats that range.

How high should a standing desk be?

At your standing elbow height, usually 100–120 cm (39–47 inches). Check the figure sits comfortably inside your desk's range rather than at the very top of it, because frames are least stable at maximum extension.

Is a desk height calculator accurate?

As a starting point, yes. As a final answer, no — limb proportions vary too much between people of the same height. Use the estimate to get close, then adjust by feel over a few days.

References

Positioning guidance follows the sources below. All links checked 23 August 2026.

  1. Computer Workstation Ergonomics Guidelines — Cornell University Ergonomics Web
  2. Office ergonomics: Your how-to guide — Mayo Clinic

General guidance only, not medical advice. If you have persistent pain, see a clinician rather than adjusting furniture.