The right standing desk height comes down to one measurement: your elbows. Get that right and your shoulders relax, your wrists stay straight and standing feels natural instead of tiring.
Find your height in two minutes
Stand up in the shoes you usually wear at your desk. Let your shoulders drop and relax, then bend your elbows to roughly 90 degrees, as if your hands were resting on a keyboard. Ask someone to measure from the floor to the underside of your forearm. That number is your ideal standing desk height.
For sitting, do the same thing in your chair. Set the chair so your feet sit flat on the floor and your thighs are roughly level, then measure from the floor to your forearm. That is your ideal sitting desk height.
Your keyboard and mouse should sit at that height with your forearms resting level. If your wrists bend upward to reach the keys, the desk is too high. If your shoulders hunch forward, it is too low.
Standing desk height chart
If you want a quick starting point, this chart gives typical heights based on overall body height. Treat it as a first guess, then fine tune using the elbow method above.
| Your height | Sitting desk height | Standing desk height |
|---|---|---|
| 155 cm | about 64 cm | about 98 cm |
| 160 cm | about 66 cm | about 101 cm |
| 165 cm | about 68 cm | about 104 cm |
| 170 cm | about 70 cm | about 107 cm |
| 175 cm | about 72 cm | about 110 cm |
| 180 cm | about 74 cm | about 113 cm |
| 185 cm | about 76 cm | about 117 cm |
| 190 cm | about 78 cm | about 120 cm |
Heights include shoes and are measured to the top of the desk. Arm length and posture vary, so your own measurement always wins.
Set your screen height too
Desk height looks after your arms and shoulders. Screen height looks after your neck. Aim for the top of your monitor to sit at or slightly below eye level, about an arm's length away. On a laptop that usually means a stand plus a separate keyboard and mouse, because a laptop screen at the right height puts the keyboard far too high.
What if you are shorter or taller than average?
Our desks adjust from 72 to 122 cm, which covers standing heights for most people from about 155 to 190 cm tall. If your ideal sitting height is below 72 cm, raise your chair until your forearms are level with the desk and add a footrest so your feet stay supported. That small change gives you the same posture as a lower desk.
How often should you switch?
Most people start by changing position every 30 to 60 minutes and adjust from there. Build up gradually over the first couple of weeks. Comfortable shoes or an anti fatigue mat make longer standing stretches much easier, and moving between positions matters more than standing all day.