Tool

Standing desk height calculator

There is no correct desk height in inches — there is a correct position for your body, and it gives you two different numbers. Enter your height and this gives you all three: the surface height you need sitting, the height you need standing, and the seat height your chair has to reach.

How this is calculated

From published ergonomic height charts, with interpolation between them. The anchors are the same figures used across this site — a 5'4" user needs 23 to 25 inches when seated and 38 to 40 standing; a 6'4" user needs 28 to 30 and 46 to 48. Heights between anchors are interpolated linearly, and heights outside the anchor range are not guessed at.

The important part is what the tool does with those numbers. It checks them against each desk's actual range — bottom and top — and reports whether that desk can meet both of your positions. A desk that reaches 48 inches but stops at 28 fails a 5'4" user completely, because the seated half is the one that matters most of the day.

That is why the output has a column for seated and a column for standing rather than one "fits" verdict. They fail independently, and the seated failure is the one people live with for years without identifying.

What this tool cannot tell you

It works from your height, not from your body. Elbow height varies with torso length, so two people of the same height can need surfaces an inch apart. If you want the accurate number, measure it: sit upright with your feet flat, bend your elbows to 90 degrees, and measure from the floor to the underside of your forearm. That number beats this calculator, and it beats every chart on the internet, including ours.

It also does not know your desk depth, your monitors, or whether you have a footrest — all of which change what you need. Treat the output as a starting range and a shortlist, not a verdict. How we score explains where the underlying figures come from.

Frequently asked questions

What height should a standing desk be for someone 5'6"?

About 24 to 26 inches when seated and 40 to 42 standing. Run your own height through the calculator above for the exact range, and note that the seated figure is the one that eliminates desks — a lot of frames will not go below 27 inches at any setting.

Why does the calculator give a range instead of one number?

Because the published charts give ranges, and because body proportions vary. A single number would be a false precision: three people the same height can need surfaces an inch apart based on torso length alone.

What if no desk covers both my seated and standing height?

Then you are looking at a desk with too little travel. Three-stage frames reach lower and higher than two-stage ones, which is why we track the bottom of the range as a headline specification. Our guide to standing desks for short users works through what to do if you already own one that will not go low enough.

Does this calculator account for my chair?

It gives you the seat height your chair needs to reach, which is the number most chair listings hide. If your chair cannot go that low, the fix is a footrest under your feet rather than a different desk — we go through that in the chair guide for short users.