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How high should your desk be.

0.404 × your height / measured at the seated elbow

Your desk should sit level with your elbow when you are seated with your feet flat. That works out to about 0.404 of your height: 72cm (28in) for someone 178cm (5ft 10in), 65cm (26in) for someone 160cm (5ft 3in). Enter your height below and the rest of the numbers follow.

your numbers

how tall are you, in cmWithout shoes. This sets every number.your desk height now, in cmFloor to desk top. Most desks ship at 74cm (29in).your main screenSets the viewing distance, not the heights.

measured for 178cm (70in)

desk height, seated: 72cm (28in)
seat height, feet flat: 44.5cm (18in)
eye line above floor: 119.5cm (47in)
monitor top edge: 119.5cm (47in) — at the eye line
screen distance, 27in: 70cm (28in)
desk height, standing: 107cm (42in)

your desk is 2cm too high

Lower it to 72cm (28in) if the legs adjust. If they do not, raise your chair by 2cm and put a footrest of the same 2cm under your feet — the elbow is what matters, not the floor.

These are proportions of stature, the same arithmetic a remote ergonomic assessment starts from. They are a starting point for a body, not a verdict on your room — the room needs a photo.

What each number is doing

set the seat first / then the desk / then the screen

desk height: Set at your seated elbow, so the forearm is level and the wrist floats over the keys instead of resting on the edge.
seat height: Set so both feet are flat and the knee sits a little below the hip. Above that, the thigh takes the weight the seat should.
monitor top edge: At the eye line, which puts the middle of the screen 10cm to 15cm below it. Looking slightly down is what the neck prefers for hours.
screen distance: From the panel, not from your body. A larger panel needs to sit further back or the eyes refocus across it all evening.

Answers

Is 74cm too high for a desk?

For most people, yes. 74cm suits someone about 183cm (6ft). Under that height the desk is above your elbow, and the usual fix is a higher chair with a footrest.

Does my chair change the desk number?

No. The desk follows your elbow, and your elbow follows the seat height. Set the seat first, then the desk, then the screen.

What about a standing desk?

The standing number is above, and it is roughly 0.6 of your height. Standing all day is not the goal — swapping every hour or so is.

Desk height is one Fault of four.

The number above is for your body. Your monitor, your light and your cables are about your room, and one photo of it is enough to name what is wrong. The Diagnosis is free.

free / one photo / three questions / no account