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Desk-height explainer

Desk height starts with your working posture

There is no single desk height that fits everyone. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) guidance uses your elbow position as a reference, with different checks for sitting and standing.

The short answer

Standing desk

Set the work platform approximately at your standing elbow position. Keep shoulders relaxed, elbows near your sides and bent about 90 degrees, with hands, wrists and forearms roughly in line and parallel to the floor.

Fixed seated desk

Adjust the chair first. CCOHS says that if you need to raise your arms to reach the work surface, the desk is too high; adjust the chair so your elbows are about level with the surface. Use a footrest if your feet no longer rest flat.

These are posture checks, not a universal centimetre target. Your chair, task, keyboard and body position affect the setup.

Check a seated workstation

  1. Set the chair for your body and the task. CCOHS describes sitting with feet flat on the floor and arms hanging loosely, with elbows bent at about a right angle.
  2. At a fixed-height desk, check whether your forearms can reach the work surface without lifting your shoulders or raising your arms. If the surface is too high, raise the chair until your elbows are about level with it; use an adjustable footrest if you cannot keep your feet flat.
  3. Check leg room. CCOHS says a workstation that does not leave enough space to fit or move your legs freely is too low for regular use.

Recheck your posture at the keyboard using the alignment checks above. The cited guidance describes fit and position; it does not prescribe one height for every seated worker.

Check a standing workstation

CCOHS places a sit/stand desk platform approximately at standing elbow height. Aim for relaxed shoulders, elbows close to your body and bent about 90 degrees, with the hands, wrists and forearms straight and roughly parallel to the floor. Keep the keyboard and mouse aligned as they are when seated.

Desk height is only one part of a standing setup. CCOHS also addresses monitor position, supportive footwear, and ways to shift weight. Its guidance says recommendations for sitting and standing intervals vary; it does not set a single schedule for everyone.

Use your measurements as a starting reference

For a centimetre-first check, measure from the floor to your elbow in centimetres while seated and again while standing, with your shoulders relaxed. Compare the work surface with the reading for the posture you are setting up. This is a measurement method, not a universal target; use the CCOHS posture checks to assess the fit.

Standing desk height calculator converts seated and standing elbow measurements between centimetres and inches. It can subtract the rise from your desk surface to the top of a keyboard. It performs that arithmetic on the page; its results are not a universal fit recommendation or a complete workstation assessment.

If you use the calculator, check its references against your real setup: chair and foot support while sitting, relaxed shoulders and elbows, room for your legs, and the placement of your keyboard and mouse. Recheck after adjusting the work surface.

This guide summarizes the cited CCOHS workstation setup guidance. It does not assess an individual workstation, diagnose a health concern, or replace advice from a qualified occupational health professional.

Sources (checked 2026-10-28)

Both references are Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) fact sheets, accessed 2026-10-28.

  • Primary source. CCOHS, Office Ergonomics - Sit/Stand Desk. Fact sheet last revised 2022-11-30; page modified 2026-10-20. Covers neutral posture, platform position, keyboard and mouse alignment, monitor position, and changing positions.
  • Primary source. CCOHS, Office Ergonomics - How to Adjust Office Chairs. Fact sheet last revised 2014-03-10, confirmed current 2025-02-04; page modified 2026-10-20. Covers chair adjustment, feet and leg clearance, elbows at a fixed desk, and footrests.

Reviewed against the named sources on 2026-10-28. No product rankings, purchase prices, personal measurements, or performance results are presented.