Standing Desk Height Calculator: Exact Settings for Your Height

Most desks are wrong for most people. The standard 29-inch desk height was designed for the "average" person decades ago, but the average person doesn't exist. If you're shorter than 5'10" and your desk isn't adjustable, you're probably typing with elevated shoulders right now. That tension compounds into neck pain, wrist strain, and the afternoon fatigue you've learned to accept as normal.

The fix is precise positioning. Your desk height should place your elbows at roughly 90 degrees when typing, with your forearms parallel to the floor. Too high, and you shrug your shoulders all day. Too low, and you hunch forward. Both lead to the same place: discomfort that builds until it demands attention.

The Height Chart: Sitting vs. Standing

The table below gives you target desk heights based on your body height. These assume you're wearing typical indoor footwear (add 1 inch for shoes with thicker soles). For sitting heights, the measurements assume your chair is adjusted so your feet rest flat and thighs are parallel to the floor.

Notes: These are starting points. Your arm length relative to your torso matters. Some tall people have short arms, some shorter people have long ones. Use the elbow test below to verify. Monitor height is a separate calculation; see our guide on ideal viewing distance for monitors.

The 90-Degree Elbow Test

Charts give you a baseline, but your arms are the final judge. Here's how to verify your setup in 30 seconds:

1. Stand or sit in your working position with shoulders relaxed (not pulled back artificially).
2. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees, forearms floating parallel to the floor.
3. Note where your fingertips land. That's your ideal keyboard height.
4. Adjust your desk so the home row of your keyboard sits at that height.

If your desk can't go that low (common with standard 29" desks), you have three options: raise your chair and add a footrest, use a keyboard tray that mounts below the desk surface, or accept that your current furniture doesn't fit your body. Most people who struggle with wrist pain discover their desk is simply too high for their frame.

Why Standard Desks Fail Most People

The 29-inch standard emerged from mid-20th century office furniture designed for writing by hand, not typing. Handwriting requires a higher surface because your arm approaches the paper from above. Typing requires a lower surface because your fingers approach the keyboard from the front.

OSHA's computer workstation guidelines note that keyboard height should allow wrists to remain neutral, not bent up or down. For most people under 5'10", a standard desk forces wrist extension (bending upward), which compresses the carpal tunnel and strains forearm muscles. The result: that tight, achy feeling from wrist to elbow that gets worse by Friday.

If you're working from home with non-adjustable furniture, check our work from home ergonomics checklist for creative solutions using common household items.

Standing Desk Height: The 60% Rule

A quick estimate for standing desk height: multiply your height in inches by 0.60. For someone 5'8" (68 inches), that's approximately 41 inches. This gets you close, but the elbow test still wins for precision.

Standing introduces additional variables:

• Footwear matters. Measure in whatever shoes (or no shoes) you'll actually wear while working. A 1-inch heel changes everything.
• Anti-fatigue mats compress. If you use a cushioned mat, stand on it during setup. Dense mats may lower your effective height by 0.5-1 inch.
• Fatigue changes posture. Your "fresh" standing posture at 9 AM differs from your 3 PM slump. Set your desk for good posture, and when you catch yourself hunching, that's the signal to sit.

Standing all day isn't the goal. The benefit comes from alternating positions: sitting for 45-60 minutes, standing for 15-30 minutes, then switching again. This prevents the static loading that causes both sitting and standing to become uncomfortable over time. For more on building sustainable work habits, see why top performers take breaks every 75 minutes.

Monitor Height When Standing

Your monitor needs to move with your desk. When transitioning from sitting to standing, your eye level rises roughly 18-24 inches (depending on your height and chair). If your monitor stays fixed, you'll crane your neck downward, defeating the purpose of standing.

Solutions:

• Monitor arms that allow vertical adjustment are ideal. They pay for themselves in neck strain prevented.
• Stack your setup with a laptop stand and external keyboard, adjusting the stand height as you transition.
• Separate displays for sitting and standing (expensive, but some workflows justify it).

The top of your screen should remain at or slightly below eye level in both positions. Your gaze angle should be 15-20 degrees downward to the screen center. This protects against tech neck, the forward head posture that adds up to 60 pounds of stress on your cervical spine.

Keyboard Tray vs. Desk Surface

If your desk is too high and you can't (or won't) replace it, a keyboard tray is the most effective single upgrade. Good trays:

• Mount below the desk surface, lowering effective keyboard height by 2-4 inches
• Tilt slightly negative (front edge higher than back), keeping wrists neutral
• Slide out of the way when you need desk space for non-computer tasks

Cheap trays wobble. The vibration is subtle but fatiguing. Your forearms work to stabilize against it without you noticing. Spend slightly more for solid mounting hardware. The Mayo Clinic's ergonomics guide specifically recommends keyboard placement that allows relaxed shoulders and bent elbows, which trays make possible for people with standard-height furniture.

Common Setup Mistakes

Desk too high, chair raised to compensate, feet dangling. This trades wrist strain for leg circulation problems and lower back pain. If raising your chair leaves feet off the floor, add a footrest. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor with feet firmly supported.

Standing desk too low. Less common but equally problematic. If you hunch to reach your keyboard while standing, the desk is too low. This strains the lower back and eliminates the posture benefits of standing.

Keyboard and mouse at different heights. Using a keyboard tray while your mouse sits on the desk surface creates asymmetric strain. Both input devices should share the same surface at the same height.

Ignoring arm length. Two people of identical height may need different desk settings if their arm lengths differ. Trust the elbow test over the height chart.

A Setup Checklist

Use this before your next work session:

• [ ] Elbows bent at 90° when hands rest on keyboard
• [ ] Wrists neutral (not bent up or down) during typing
• [ ] Shoulders relaxed, not elevated or hunched
• [ ] Feet flat on floor or footrest
• [ ] Top of monitor at or below eye level
• [ ] Screen approximately arm's length away
• [ ] Viewing distance appropriate for screen size

If you check all boxes and still experience discomfort, the issue may be duration rather than position. Even perfect ergonomics can't compensate for hours of immobility. Build micro-breaks into your routine. Nine minutes spread across the day can eliminate the afternoon strain that better furniture alone won't fix.

References

1. OSHA. Computer Workstations eTool - Workstation Environment. (keyboard height, elbow position). https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/components/workstation-environment
2. Mayo Clinic. Office ergonomics: Your how-to guide. (monitor placement, keyboard position). https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/office-ergonomics/art-20046169
3. Cornell University Ergonomics Web. Sitting and Standing at Work. (alternating positions, desk height). https://ergo.human.cornell.edu/CUESitStand.html
4. UPLIFT Desk. Ergonomic Calculator. (height-based desk measurements). https://www.upliftdesk.com/ergonomic-calculator/
5. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Office Ergonomics - Working in a Standing Position. (anti-fatigue mats, footwear). https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/standing/standing_basic.html