Desk height calculator

Enter your height to find the right desk, chair and screen heights for sitting and standing work. For the most accurate result, measure yourself.

This tool gives general guidance only. It is not a substitute for an assessment by a qualified professional, or for consulting your workers as required under work health and safety law.

The calculator runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

From your height alone, it estimates your body measurements using average proportions: popliteal height (floor to the back of the knee) as 25% of height, seated elbow height as 14%, seated eye height as 45% and standing elbow height as 63%. Bodies vary, so two people of the same height can need settings a few centimetres apart. For a better fit, use your own measurements.

Set up in this order: chair, desk, screen, then keyboard and mouse

Each part of a workstation depends on the one before it, so the order matters.

1. Chair. Set the seat so your thighs are about horizontal and your feet are flat on the floor. Adjust the backrest to support the curve of your lower back.
2. Desk. With your shoulders relaxed and elbows at about 90°, your forearms should rest level with the desk. If the desk is fixed and too high, raise the chair and use a footrest.
3. Screen. Put it directly in front of you, about an arm's length away, with the top at or slightly below eye level.
4. Keyboard and mouse. Keep them close together and centred, so your wrists stay straight and you don't reach.

How to measure yourself

You need a tape measure, a firm chair and someone to help. Measure without shoes, sitting upright with your feet flat and your thighs horizontal.

• Popliteal height: from the floor to the crease at the back of your knee.
• Seated elbow height: from the top of the seat to the underside of your elbow, with your upper arm hanging by your side and your elbow bent at 90°.
• Seated eye height: from the top of the seat to the outer corner of your eye, looking straight ahead.
• Standing elbow height: standing upright, from the floor to the underside of your elbow, bent at 90°.

The calculator adds your footwear allowance to the seat and standing heights, because shoes lift your knees and elbows.

Sitting vs standing

Neither sitting nor standing all day is good for you. What matters most is changing position often.

A sit-stand desk makes that easy. A common guide is 20-8-2: sit for 20 minutes, stand for 8 and move for 2 in every half hour. Treat it as a guide, not a rule. If you're new to standing, build up slowly.

When you stand, set the desk at standing elbow height with your shoulders relaxed. Keep the screen at the same eye-level position as when you sit.

Laptops

A laptop forces a choice between a screen that's too low and a keyboard that's too high. For anything longer than an hour, use a separate keyboard and mouse, and raise the laptop on a stand so the top of the screen is near eye level.

Glasses

If you wear bifocals or progressive lenses, you read through the lower part of the lens. Most people who wear them need the screen lower than the calculator suggests, and sometimes tilted back slightly, so they don't tip their head back to see it.

For employers

Work health and safety (WHS) duties cover workstations wherever the work is done, including at home. A five-minute set-up check catches most problems before they become strains and sprains. Send staff the workstation self-assessment to find the quick fixes, and follow up on anyone who reports discomfort. For workers with an injury, a specific condition or a set-up the checklist can't fix, book an ergonomic assessment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the correct desk height for typing?

About your seated elbow height, with your shoulders relaxed and elbows at about 90°. For most adults that's between 64 and 76 cm from the floor. Use the calculator to find yours.

What is the standard desk height in Australia?

Many fixed desks are about 72 cm high. That suits an average-height adult, but shorter people often need a higher chair and a footrest to bring their elbows level with the desk. Taller people may find a 72 cm desk too low, and are better off with a height-adjustable desk.

How high should my monitor be?

The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level, so you look slightly down at the middle of the screen. Put it directly in front of you, about an arm's length away. If you wear bifocals or progressive lenses, set it lower.

What height should a standing desk be?

At your standing elbow height, so your forearms are level with the desk and your shoulders are relaxed. For most adults that's somewhere between 95 and 120 cm, including shoes.

Do I need a footrest?

You need one if your feet don't rest flat on the floor once your chair is at the right height for your desk. This is common for shorter people at fixed desks. The calculator tells you how high the footrest should be when you enter your desk height.