What Is The Standard Height Of A Desktop: Does It Matter?

Maintaining the proper desk height could be the key to improved energy level, a focused mindset toward the job, and getting the best productivity at work.

Determining the right desktop height is also important because it prevents you from facing medical issues such as back, shoulder, and neck pain as well as head and eye strain.

Hence if you prefer to work for long hours sitting on a desk in front of your computer, knowing the standard height of a desktop is crucial for you to maintain ergonomic posture.

So, What is the Standard Height of a Desktop?

The standard height of a computer desk is around 28-inches to 30-inches tall from the ground to the tabletop. This is a typical desk height for average people of a height between 5’ 8” to 5’ 10”.

At this height, the desk allows ample underneath room to put the chair and stretch your legs freely without interfering with the frame.

Also, the desk allows you a healthy posture by resting your elbows and shoulders at an optimal height to the tabletop and keeping your back straight.

Of course, this is the average height of a desk which is suitable for average people with heights between 5’8” to 5’10”. 

But if you’re not a person between this height scale, this desk height may not be correct for you and you’ll need a little modification in table height to make that suitable for you.

With that said, the correct desk height of another person may not be the ideal desk height for you otherwise you’ll end up putting yourself in an ergonomic injury.

• Must Check out: What is the Ideal Desktop Height for a Standing Desk

How Tall Should a Desk be for Ergonomic Posture?

For comfortable posture and healthy work-life, both desk and chair heights are equally important, they go hand in hand, they work together.

The Correct Office Chair Height

A correct chair height is where your feet are flat on the floor, your hips and knees are at a 90-degree angle, and there is less stress on your joints when you are seated. 

But regardless of what the computer desk and chair height are, it is even more important whether you’re finding comfort in your working posture.

If you’re working freely without compromising comfort or feeling any pain or stress in joints and muscles, that means the height of the desk is suitable for you.

But how to get the right ergonomic table height that is suitable for healthy posture and ensure that you’ll not face any medical issues. 

The best and easiest way to figure out that the table height is proper for you is:

“When you are seated, the height of the chair should be somewhat where your feet touch the floor, your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, shoulders are in line with your torso, arms are parallel to the tabletop, the edge of the chair seat should not touch the back of your knees, and your back should be straight.“

If you find it sitting in your chair at your computer desk, it means that the height of your computer desk is suitable for ergonomic posture.

If you find that the desk height is not working for you, consider purchasing an office chair with adjustable seat height. 

Fortunately, nowadays, most office chairs come with seat height adjustable features, so you can have proper ergonomics at your workstation.

So once you’ve got your new office chair, adjust its seat height and try noticing that posture again. 

You will see that a few inches of variance in chair seat height can make a big difference to your posture and provide long-term comfort. 

Standard Desk Height for a 6-foot Person or Above Height

The standard computer desk height for an average tall person of 6-foot (182.8 cm) or above is somewhere around 30 inches (76.2 cm).

Remember that the correct desk height of an individual will vary (increment) a few inches for another person as the person’s height also increases.

Whether you’re a tall or short person, to give you a general idea of what desk height will be ideal for you, below I’m providing a desk height chart.

This chart represents average desk height in sitting and standing positions as well as the chair height in relation to the desk for individuals at different heights.

See what scale your height falls under and that row will indicate what height office desk would be suitable for you.

Your Height	Chair Seat Height	Desk Height (Sitting Position)	Monitor Height (Sitting Position)	Desk Height (Standing Position)	Monitor height (Standing Position)
5’ 0”	16”	23”	43”	39”	57”
5” 1”	16”	23”	44”	39”	58”
5” 2”	16”	24”	44”	40”	59”
5’ 3”	16”	24”	45”	40”	60”
5’ 4”	16”	25”	46”	41”	61”
5’. 5”	17”	25”	47”	42”	62”
5’ 6”	17”	26”	47”	43”	63”
5’ 7”.	17”	26”	48”	43”	64”
5’. 8”	18”	26”	49”	44”	65”
5’ 9”	18”	27”	50”	45”	66”
5’ 10”	18”	27”	50”	45”	67”
5’ 11”	18”	28”	51”	46”	68”
6’ 0”	18”	28”	52”	47”	69”
6’ 1”	18”	29”	73”	47”	69”
6’ 2”	19”	29”	53”	48”	70”
6’ 3”	20”	29”	54”	49”	71”
6’ 4”	20”	30”	55”	50”	72”

With that given data, 

It’s clear that the typical seated desk height for short people (height under 5’ to 5’ 3”) is between 23-inches to 24-inches and standing desk height is 39-inches to 40-inches.

For average people of a height between 5’ 4” to 5’ 11”, the typical seated desk height is between 25-inches to 28-inches, and standing desk height is 41-inches to 46-inches.

While for taller people of 6 feet or above, the seated computer desk heights fall between 28-inches to 30-inches and standing desk height between 47-inches to 50-inches.

Although, the above data is a rough estimation, not exact desk height because it is generated with the help of a desk height calculator tool.

And since every person has different physical proportions (different torsos, legs, and arms sizes), this data is not applicable to all.

So, you don’t have to be so accurate about this data, as a few inches of variation in heights may be seen when this data is generated through another tool.

But as a rule of thumb, this measurement can be considered as a normal computer desk height.

Still, if you face difficulty in finding a suitable desk for your height, the best and easiest way to get around this complication is to purchase a height-adjustable desk.

Use Height Adjustable Desk to Improve Your Posture

A height-adjustable desk generally known as a standing desk or sit-stand desk is a type of computer desk that is designed to facilitate ergonomic benefits.

These computer desks are usually powered by an electric motor (single or dual) that lowers and raises the desktop height to various inches. 

They are so popular because of their sit-stand usability as they allow altering the tabletop height from a seated position to a standing position.

Usually standing desks support height adjustability from an optimal range between 22.6” to 48.7” but it will depend upon the height and needs of the individual using the desk. 

Due to this height adjustability, standing desks allow you to set the desk height to your elbow height and vary your working posture throughout the day.

That means you can work at a standing desk in a seated position as well as in a standing position as per your preference and according to office ergonomics.

This certainly reduces the amount of strain and pressure you put on your joints and muscles due to being inactive in a fixed position for long hours.

And since working in a single position (sedentary position) could have a bad impact and cause later medical expenses, they help you avoid facing medical issues.

This makes a standing desk perfectly suitable for a person of any size and body shape.

That is why standing desks are a good choice for gaming as well as they are being used today in most offices to serve ergonomic benefits.

What is the Average Desk Height for Gaming

If you’re a PC gamer and looking to buy a gaming desk, then for a good gaming posture, it is very crucial for you to know the ideal gaming desk height.

When it comes to desk height for gaming, the same guidelines apply to the gaming desk that applies to the office computer desk.

Although most specialized gaming desks have a bit different dimensions and are designed keeping ergonomics in mind because gaming involves excitement and movements. 

But, the gaming desk height would be the same just as the office desk height. 

In short, if we consider the only parameters like chair height and person’s physical height in respect to the desk design, then…

The standard gaming desk height is between 28-inches to 30-inches from the floor to the tabletop for an average gamer of height between 5’8 feet to 5’10 feet. 

Tips to Correct Ergonomic to Make Posture Comfortable

Here are a few more ergonomic tips which if you implement with your computer desk, you’ll certainly be able to make your workstation ergonomically better.

1. A chair with adjustable seat height can certainly reach you to the right desktop height whether you’re in the office workplace, home office environment, or gaming. 
2. A computer desk with a keyboard tray can make you comfortable while typing by reaching your hands at a neutral position (15-45 degrees) with your elbows.
3. A computer desk with a deep desktop can improve your posture because a wide desktop fits the monitor, keyboard, and mouse at the right distance that 
4. A monitor arm can place the monitor at a neutral position to your eyes so that you’re not stretching your head and can reduce neck and eye strain. 
5. An l-shaped computer desk can provide a large surface area to work and set up the accessories as well as sufficient underneath legroom to sit comfortably. 
6. A height-adjustable desk can allow alteration in posture from sitting to standing position which is beneficial to maintain the energy level.
7. An ergonomic desk with round edges and a curved front can take you even closer to the desk and make you comfortable at work.
8. An anti-fatigue standing mat can improve your working experience by a significant reduction of spinal compression when you’re in a standing position.
9. If the desk is short and not adjustable, place a wooden block under the desk legs so that the desk height reaches the optimal height needed for correct posture.

Conclusion

Finding the proper desk height is very important to ensure that you’re in a comfortable posture whether you’re at an office desk or a gaming desk.

When trying to figure out the desk has ergonomic height, ensure your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, hands are parallel to the desktop, the upper body is straight, and the monitor is your eye level. 

The standing desks are a great option to create a comfortable workplace as they can be tailored exactly to your posture whether you prefer working in a seated or standing position. 

And depending on how much ergonomics you want from your desk, you should consider investing in a monitor arm, keyboard tray, mousepad, anti-fatigue mat, etc.

Articles You May Also Find Useful:

• Know-How Big Should a Gaming Desk Be
• Know-How Deep Should a Computer Desk be

Reference: Control Physical Therapy