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Home Office CanadaPractical home-office planning with a room-and-desk footprint planner, a measured desk-height tool, and source-led tax guidance.

01 / Desk-height tool

Standing desk height calculator

Use your own elbow measurements as a starting reference for a sitting and standing work surface. This calculator copies your measurements into centimetres and inches; it does not estimate a height from body stature.

Your elbow measurements
Sit with feet supported, shoulders relaxed, elbows near a right angle.
Measure in the shoes you expect to wear at the desk.
Enter zero or leave blank if the keyboard sits directly on the desktop.

How to use the reference

Measure to the elbow line with your forearm roughly level, shoulders relaxed, and elbows bent near 90 degrees. The CCOHS sit/stand guidance places the standing platform approximately at standing elbow height; its chair-adjustment guidance recommends aligning elbows with a fixed work surface and using a footrest when needed. Your task, keyboard, shoes, and posture affect the setup.

For a seated reading, measure from the floor while using the chair and foot support you expect to use. For standing, include your usual work shoes. If the keyboard sits above the desktop, enter that vertical rise so the tool subtracts it from the elbow measurement.

This simple tool does not calculate chair seat height, monitor position, reach, clearances, accessibility, or medical needs. Adjust the setup to your work and comfort; ask a qualified professional about individual concerns.

Primary sources

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), “Office Ergonomics - Sit/Stand Desk”, fact sheet last revised 2022-11-30; accessed 2026-10-28.

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; accessed 2026-10-28.