Desk Height Chart: Ergonomic Desk & Chair Height by Size

Is 27.9 inches the right desk height for 5 feet 8 inches?

On the defaults — 68 inches (5 feet 8 inches) — the desk height is 27.9 in / 70.8 cm and the chair seat height is 17.0 in / 43.2 cm. A desk is the right height when your elbows rest at about 90 degrees with your shoulders relaxed — that is your seated elbow height, and it runs about 41% of your standing height. Chair seat height runs about 25% of standing height (your lower-leg length). Standard fixed desks are 29–30 inches high, which suits roughly 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet — shorter people sit too high at a fixed desk and should raise the chair and use a footrest. Adjustable and standing desks typically range from about 24 to 50 inches, so they cover nearly every height. If your desk is fixed too high, raising the chair and adding a footrest beats hunching your shoulders.

Three things about the model are worth stating plainly. First, the desk height is 0.41 times your height — 0.41 × 68 = 27.88, rounded to 27.9 in. Second, the chair seat height is 0.25 times your height — 0.25 × 68 = 17.0 in. And third, the centimetres are computed from the UNROUNDED inch value — 27.88 × 2.54 = 70.8 cm, and 17.0 × 2.54 = 43.2 cm; all listed in Accuracy & limitations.

The desk height chart

The worked example, line by line

Setup: 68 inches (5 feet 8 inches).

Line 1 — the desk height. The desk height is 0.41 × 68 = 27.88, rounded to the nearest tenth: 27.9 in.

Line 2 — the desk height in cm. The desk height in cm is 27.88 × 2.54 = 70.8152, rounded to the nearest tenth: 70.8 cm. Note the centimetres come from the unrounded 27.88 inches, not the rounded 27.9 — at 62 inches the same rule gives 25.42 × 2.54 = 64.6 cm, not 64.5.

Line 3 — the chair seat height. The chair seat height is 0.25 × 68 = 17.0 in.

Line 4 — the seat height in cm. The seat height in cm is 17.0 × 2.54 = 43.2 cm.

Line 5 — the height in cm. Your height in cm is 68 × 2.54 = 172.7 cm.

Line 6 — the check. A standard fixed desk at 29–30 inches suits roughly 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet — at 69 inches the desk is 28.3 in and at 72 inches it is 29.5 in — so at 5 feet 8 inches you sit just below the standard range.

Every branch, checked

Height 60 in (5'0"): Desk height 24.6 in / 62.5 cm; chair seat height 15.0 in / 38.1 cm — At 5 feet the desk should be 24.6 inches high — a standard 29-inch desk is 4.4 inches too high, so raise the chair and add a footrest.

Height 72 in (6'0"): Desk height 29.5 in / 75.0 cm; chair seat height 18.0 in / 45.7 cm — At 6 feet the desk should be 29.5 inches high — right in the standard 29–30-inch range, so a fixed desk fits.

Height 76 in (6'4"): Desk height 31.2 in / 79.1 cm; chair seat height 19.0 in / 48.3 cm — At 6 feet 4 the desk should be 31.2 inches high — above the standard range, so an adjustable desk is the answer.

Height 66 in (5'6"): Desk height 27.1 in / 68.7 cm; chair seat height 16.5 in / 41.9 cm — At 5 feet 6 the desk should be 27.1 inches high — just below the standard range.

Height 63 in (5'3"): Desk height 25.8 in / 65.6 cm; chair seat height 15.8 in / 40.0 cm — At 5 feet 3 the desk should be 25.8 inches high and the seat 15.8 inches — a fixed desk sits more than 3 inches too high.

Height 70 in (5'10"): Desk height 28.7 in / 72.9 cm; chair seat height 17.5 in / 44.5 cm — At 5 feet 10 the desk should be 28.7 inches high — just under a standard 29-inch desk.

Height 74 in (6'2"): Desk height 30.3 in / 77.1 cm; chair seat height 18.5 in / 47.0 cm — At 6 feet 2 the desk should be 30.3 inches high — just above the standard range.

The reverses, worked backwards

Smallest whole-inch height for a desk at least 28.0 in high: At the displayed 69 in the figures are Desk height 28.3 in / 71.9 cm; chair seat height 17.3 in / 43.8 cm. At the displayed 69 in the desk is 28.3 in high. At 68 in the desk is 27.9 in / 70.8 cm — below 28 — so 69 in (5 feet 9 inches) is the smallest whole-inch height for a desk at least 28.0 in high.

Smallest whole-inch height for a desk at least 30.0 in high: At the displayed 74 in the figures are Desk height 30.3 in / 77.1 cm; chair seat height 18.5 in / 47.0 cm. At the displayed 74 in the desk is 30.3 in high. At 73 in the desk is 29.9 in / 76.0 cm — below 30 — so 74 in (6 feet 2 inches) is the smallest whole-inch height for a desk at least 30.0 in high.

Largest whole-inch height for a desk at most 26.0 in high: At the displayed 63 in the figures are Desk height 25.8 in / 65.6 cm; chair seat height 15.8 in / 40.0 cm. At the displayed 63 in the desk is 25.8 in high. At 64 in the desk is 26.2 in / 66.6 cm — above 26 — so 63 in (5 feet 3 inches) is the largest whole-inch height for a desk at most 26.0 in high.

Smallest whole-inch height for a seat at least 18.0 in high: At the displayed 72 in the figures are Desk height 29.5 in / 75.0 cm; chair seat height 18.0 in / 45.7 cm. At the displayed 72 in the seat is 18.0 in high. At 71 in the seat is 17.8 in / 45.1 cm — below 18 — so 72 in (6 feet) is the smallest whole-inch height for a seat at least 18.0 in high.

Smallest whole-inch height for a desk at least 29.0 in high: At the displayed 71 in the figures are Desk height 29.1 in / 73.9 cm; chair seat height 17.8 in / 45.1 cm. At the displayed 71 in the desk is 29.1 in high. At 70 in the desk is 28.7 in / 72.9 cm — below 29 — so 71 in (5 feet 11 inches) is the smallest whole-inch height for a desk at least 29.0 in high.

Largest whole-inch height for a seat at most 16.0 in high: At the displayed 64 in the figures are Desk height 26.2 in / 66.6 cm; chair seat height 16.0 in / 40.6 cm. At the displayed 64 in the seat is 16.0 in high. At 65 in the seat is 16.3 in / 41.3 cm — above 16 — so 64 in (5 feet 4 inches) is the largest whole-inch height for a seat at most 16.0 in high. Note the rounding: at 65 in the seat is 16.25 in unrounded, which rounds half-up to 16.3, not down to 16.2.

What the defaults assume

The defaults are a height of 68 inches (5 feet 8 inches) — Desk height 27.9 in / 70.8 cm; chair seat height 17.0 in / 43.2 cm. With Height 60 in (5'0"), Desk height 24.6 in / 62.5 cm; chair seat height 15.0 in / 38.1 cm. With Height 72 in (6'0"), Desk height 29.5 in / 75.0 cm; chair seat height 18.0 in / 45.7 cm. With Height 76 in (6'4"), Desk height 31.2 in / 79.1 cm; chair seat height 19.0 in / 48.3 cm. With Height 66 in (5'6"), Desk height 27.1 in / 68.7 cm; chair seat height 16.5 in / 41.9 cm. With Height 63 in (5'3"), Desk height 25.8 in / 65.6 cm; chair seat height 15.8 in / 40.0 cm. With Height 70 in (5'10"), Desk height 28.7 in / 72.9 cm; chair seat height 17.5 in / 44.5 cm. With Height 74 in (6'2"), Desk height 30.3 in / 77.1 cm; chair seat height 18.5 in / 47.0 cm. With Height 48 in (4'0"), Desk height 19.7 in / 50.0 cm; chair seat height 12.0 in / 30.5 cm. With Height 84 in (7'0"), Desk height 34.4 in / 87.5 cm; chair seat height 21.0 in / 53.3 cm. With Height 65 in (5'5"), Desk height 26.7 in / 67.7 cm; chair seat height 16.3 in / 41.3 cm. With Height 67 in (5'7"), Desk height 27.5 in / 69.8 cm; chair seat height 16.8 in / 42.5 cm. With Height 69 in (5'9"), Desk height 28.3 in / 71.9 cm; chair seat height 17.3 in / 43.8 cm. With Height 71 in (5'11"), Desk height 29.1 in / 73.9 cm; chair seat height 17.8 in / 45.1 cm. With Height 73 in (6'1"), Desk height 29.9 in / 76.0 cm; chair seat height 18.3 in / 46.4 cm.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The 5-foot-8 home-office worker buying a desk: they learn the desk should be 27.9 in high and the seat 17.0 in — and they check the 69-in reverse to see the smallest height for a 28-in desk.
• The 5-foot worker at a fixed 29-inch desk: they learn the desk should be 24.6 in high — so they raise the chair and add a footrest — and they check the 63-in reverse to see the largest height for a 26-in desk.
• The 6-foot-4 worker: they learn the desk should be 31.2 in high and the seat 19.0 in — and they check the 74-in reverse to see the smallest height for a 30-in desk.
• The standing-desk shopper: they learn adjustable desks from about 24 to 50 inches cover every height — and they check the 71-in reverse to see the smallest height for a 29-in desk.

Accuracy & limitations

The math is first-principles: the desk height is 0.41 times your height, the chair seat height is 0.25 times your height, and the centimetres are computed from the UNROUNDED inch value times 2.54 — all rounded to the nearest tenth, half-up. At 62 inches the desk is 25.42 inches unrounded, so the cm figure is 25.42 × 2.54 = 64.6 cm, not 25.4 × 2.54 = 64.5 cm. The reverses are step reverses on whole inches: the displayed answer is the smallest (or largest) whole-inch height that reaches the target, and the neighbour one inch away is printed in full so you can see the crossing. What the model cannot do is measure your body: 41% and 25% are population averages — arm length, torso length and shoe height vary — so measure your seated elbow height for the exact number; and a fixed desk at 29–30 inches suits roughly 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet, so anyone outside that range should adjust the chair, add a footrest, or buy an adjustable desk. Use it to find the height that keeps your elbows at 90 degrees — then sit in it before you buy.

Frequently asked questions