Desk Height Calculator — Ergonomic Desk & Chair Height
Enter your height to get the recommended desk height, chair seat height and approximate monitor position — all based on standard ergonomic proportions for seated or standing workstations.
Height unit
Work posture
±3 cm — adjust to where your elbows rest at 90° while typing
- 1
Chair seat height
170 × 0.252 = 42.8 - 2
Seated desk height
170 × 0.43 = 73.1Grandjean guideline: 43% of body height for ergonomic forearm alignment.
How does this calculator work?
Seated desk height ≈ 0.43 × body height; chair seat ≈ 0.25 × body height; standing desk ≈ 0.57 × body height. Enter your height in cm or inches to get personalised recommendations with a ±3 cm adjustment range. These are population-average estimates — fine-tune with your own elbow height measurement.
Formula
How this is calculated
The recommendations come from anthropometric research into ergonomic furniture sizing. The seated desk height formula (H × 0.43) is derived from Grandjean's 1988 guideline that links desk height to forearm length: the ideal surface keeps elbows at roughly 90° while typing, which corresponds to about 43% of body height for an average adult. Chair seat height (H × 0.252) approximates the popliteal height — the distance from the floor to the back of the knee when seated — so feet rest flat and thighs are roughly horizontal. Standing desk height (H × 0.57) targets elbow height at 90° when standing.
These ratios are population averages and carry ±3 cm of personal variation. Individual factors — footwear, chair cushion compression, preferred elbow angle, wrist posture and arm length — all affect the ideal setting. Use this calculator as a starting point, then fine-tune your setup while seated: forearms should be roughly horizontal, wrists neutral, and the top of the monitor screen at or just below eye level.
The monitor height shown (desk surface + 45 cm) is an estimate for a typical monitor on a standard arm or stand. If you use a laptop stand, multiple monitors or a tilted screen, adjust accordingly. The OSHA and ISO 9241 ergonomic standards recommend regular posture changes throughout the day, particularly for standing-desk users.
Frequently asked questions
A common ergonomic guideline is desk height ≈ 0.43 × body height (in cm). For a 170 cm person that is about 73 cm — close to the standard 75 cm office desk. Individual adjustment of ±3 cm is recommended based on your actual elbow height when seated.
A standing desk should be at approximately elbow height when you are standing with shoulders relaxed and elbows at 90°. This is roughly 0.57 × body height — about 97 cm for a 170 cm person. For precision, measure your elbow height directly.
Sit in your work chair with feet flat on the floor. Your elbows should rest on the desk surface with arms at roughly 90° and wrists neutral. If your shoulders shrug up or arms hang down, the desk is too high or too low respectively.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Desk Height Calculator — Ergonomic Desk & Chair Height [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/desk-height-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Desk Height Calculator — Ergonomic Desk & Chair Height." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/desk-height-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Desk Height Calculator — Ergonomic Desk & Chair Height," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/desk-height-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_desk_height_calculator, title = {Desk Height Calculator — Ergonomic Desk & Chair Height}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/desk-height-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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