LaptopNeck

Desk height calculator

Updated · 8 sources

Enter your height to get a starting point for chair height, keyboard height, desk height and where the top of your monitor should sit when you work seated. Add your measured seated elbow height if you have it. The formulas and their limits are on this page.

How to measure your seated elbow height

This is optional, and it makes the desk height more personal. Sit on a firm chair with your feet flat and your upper arm hanging at your side. Bend your elbow to about 90 degrees with your forearm level. Measure from the seat surface to the underside of your elbow. Adult body-size surveys put the average near 24 cm (9.5 in), and the calculator accepts 15 to 35 cm. [6]

How the numbers are worked out

  • Chair seat height is 0.247 × your height, which approximates the distance from the floor to the back of your knee, plus 2.5 cm if you wear shoes. The range shown is 2 cm either side, because you adjust a chair by feel.
  • Elbow height above the seat is 0.143 × your height, or your own measurement.
  • Keyboard height is seat height plus elbow height. OSHA describes the goal as elbows at about the same height as the keyboard, hanging comfortably at your sides. [2]
  • Desk surface height is keyboard height minus 2.5 cm for the thickness of a typical keyboard, so the keys land at your elbow. If your keyboard is on a tray, use the keyboard height instead.
  • Eye height is seat height plus 0.458 × your height. OSHA and CCOHS both place the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, so the range shown runs from eye level down to 8 cm below it. For a particular screen, use the monitor height calculator. [1][4]

Desk height by body height

The same formulas without JavaScript, for people wearing shoes and using the average elbow height.

Your heightChair seatKeyboardDesk surfaceTop of screen
150 cm59.1 in38–42 cm14.8–16.4 in61 cm24.0 in59 cm23.0 in100–108 cm39.5–42.6 in
155 cm61.0 in39–43 cm15.3–16.8 in63 cm24.8 in60 cm23.8 in104–112 cm40.9–44.0 in
160 cm63.0 in40–44 cm15.8–17.3 in65 cm25.6 in62 cm24.6 in107–115 cm42.2–45.4 in
165 cm65.0 in41–45 cm16.2–17.8 in67 cm26.3 in64 cm25.3 in111–119 cm43.6–46.8 in
170 cm66.9 in42–46 cm16.7–18.3 in69 cm27.1 in66 cm26.1 in114–122 cm45.0–48.2 in
175 cm68.9 in44–48 cm17.2–18.8 in71 cm27.9 in68 cm26.9 in118–126 cm46.4–49.6 in
180 cm70.9 in45–49 cm17.7–19.3 in73 cm28.6 in70 cm27.6 in121–129 cm47.8–50.9 in
185 cm72.8 in46–50 cm18.2–19.8 in75 cm29.4 in72 cm28.4 in125–133 cm49.2–52.3 in
190 cm74.8 in47–51 cm18.7–20.2 in77 cm30.2 in74 cm29.2 in128–136 cm50.6–53.7 in
195 cm76.8 in49–53 cm19.2–20.7 in79 cm30.9 in76 cm29.9 in132–140 cm52.0–55.1 in

Limits

These are estimates from average body proportions: rounded ratios of your height, checked against the average sitting and leg measurements in the ANSUR II survey of US Army personnel (a sample that is younger and more male than the general public) and against standard body-segment tables for the standing values. Two people with the same height can differ by several centimetres in leg length, torso length and arm length, so treat the result as a starting point and adjust from there. What matters is how you sit or stand at the desk: shoulders relaxed, elbows near your sides, wrists straight, feet supported, head over your shoulders. If a number and your body disagree, go with your body.

This page is general information. If you have numbness, tingling, weakness or pain that keeps coming back, see a clinician.

Many fixed desks are 29 to 30 inches (about 73 to 76 cm) tall. If yours is taller than the desk surface height above, raise the chair until your elbows are level with the keyboard, then use a footrest so your feet stay supported. Lowering the desk is only an option if it adjusts.

Frequently asked questions

What height should my desk be?

It depends on your height. By these formulas a person 160 cm tall lands near 62 cm (24.5 in), 175 cm near 68 cm (27 in) and 190 cm near 74 cm (29 in). The test is whether your elbows sit near your sides at roughly 90 degrees with your wrists straight, which is what OSHA describes for keyboard height.

What is a standard desk height?

Many fixed office desks are about 29 to 30 inches (73 to 76 cm). Shorter people often need a higher chair and a footrest at that height, and taller people may find it low. An adjustable desk removes the compromise.

Should the desk be at elbow height?

The keyboard should be. OSHA advises elbows about the same height as the keyboard. Because a keyboard is a couple of centimetres thick, the desk surface ends up slightly below elbow height.

Does this work for a laptop on a desk?

The desk and chair numbers do, because the laptop keyboard sits on the desk. The screen is the problem, since it ends up too low. See the laptop stand height calculator for how far to raise it.

How accurate is the estimate?

It uses average body proportions, so it is a starting point. Measuring your seated elbow height makes the keyboard and desk figures more personal. Adjust from there for comfort.

Does the calculator save my height?

Your units and measurements are stored in your own browser so you do not retype them. Nothing is sent to LaptopNeck or anyone else, and clearing your browser data removes them.

Sources

  1. OSHA. Computer Workstations eTool: Monitors.
  2. OSHA. Computer Workstations eTool: Keyboards.
  3. OSHA. Computer Workstations eTool: Chairs.
  4. CCOHS. Office Ergonomics: Positioning the Monitor (OSH Answers).
  5. ANSI/HFES 100-2007. Human Factors Engineering of Computer Workstations. Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (standards catalogue).
  6. Gordon CC et al. (2012). 2012 Anthropometric Survey of U.S. Army Personnel (ANSUR II). Average body sizes from this survey were used to check the body proportions here.
  7. ANSI/BIFMA G1-2013. Ergonomics Guideline for Furniture Used in Office Work Spaces Designed for Computer Use. BIFMA.
  8. Cornell University Ergonomics Web. Computer Workstation Ergonomics Guidelines.