The Desk Setup Checklist

Everything that decides whether a desk is comfortable, on one page. Work down it in order — the sequence matters more than any single item, because setting the desk before the chair is the most common reason a setup never feels right.

Work out my heights Read the full guide

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Desk Setup Checklist

Step 0 — Your numbers

Measure these once and everything else follows. Use a tape measure against a wall; do not use a height chart.

  • Elbow to floor, standing = your standing desk height
  • Elbow to floor, seated = your seated desk height
  • Fingertip to screen, arm out = your monitor distance
  • Floor to eye level, seated = top of screen, or just below

Stand with your shoulders relaxed and your upper arms hanging straight down. Bend your elbows to 90°. The height of your elbow off the floor is the number you want.

1 Chair — set this first

  • Feet do not reach? You need a footrest, not a lower chair.

2 Desk height

3 Monitor

  • Varifocals or bifocals? Go lower than eye level, or you will tip your head back all day.

4 Keyboard & mouse

5 Standing

6 Cables

  • Raise the desk to full height and watch. This is where you find the one cable that pulls tight.

7 Lighting

8 Daily habits

  • The benefit comes from changing position, not from standing. A desk you raise four times a day beats one you raise once.

Still not comfortable? Nine times out of ten it is one of three things: the chair was set to the desk instead of the desk to the chair, the monitor is too low, or there is no mat under a standing desk.

Positioning follows the Cornell University Ergonomics Web guidelines and the Mayo Clinic office ergonomics guide. General guidance only — not medical advice. If you have pain, see a clinician.

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What to do once it is set up

If working through this turned up a problem you cannot fix by adjusting what you own — a desk that wobbles at full height, a screen that will not go high enough, no way to route cables — those are the three things worth spending money on, in that order.

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