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This desk height chart by your height uses the approximate sitting ranges published by Penn EHRS and keeps standing height separate because the official sources reviewed here tell you to fit standing work to your elbow. In other words, a chart can give you a starting point, but your elbow position still decides whether the desk actually fits.
Desk Height Chart by Your Height: Quick Reference
The desk height chart by your height below comes from Penn EHRS guidance last revised July 29, 2025. Penn explicitly calls these work-surface heights approximate. Therefore, use the range as a first setting rather than as a medical or engineering prescription. A related ergonomics guide covers reach zone.
| Your height | Approximate sitting desk | Standing desk |
|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 0 in–5 ft 3 in (152–160 cm) | 25–26 inches (64–66 cm) | Measure standing elbow height |
| 5 ft 4 in–5 ft 6 in (163–168 cm) | 26–27 inches (66–69 cm) | Measure standing elbow height |
| 5 ft 7 in–6 ft 0 in (170–183 cm) | 27–30 inches (69–76 cm) | Measure standing elbow height |
| 6 ft 1 in–6 ft 5 in (185–196 cm) | 30–32 inches (76–81 cm) | Measure standing elbow height |
| OSHA equipment range | 22–30 inches (56–76 cm) seated keyboard adjustment | 36–46.5 inches (91–118 cm) standing keyboard adjustment |
How to Read a Desk Height Chart by Your Height
First, find your height band and use the sitting range as a starting position. Then adjust the chair so the feet and back are supported. Finally, check whether the keyboard sits around your relaxed elbow height without shoulder lift or wrist bend. If that is the adjustment you are working on, see sitting desk.
HSE’s 2025 DSE guidance says the keyboard should be just below elbow height. OSHA says about elbow height. CCOHS’s keyboard guidance adds an elbow angle of about 90 to 110 degrees. Those checks are more important than hitting the middle of a height band. A related ergonomics guide covers office chair armrests.
Why the Chart Does Not Give a Standing Number for Each Height
CCOHS says a sit/stand platform should be approximately at your standing elbow position. Penn EHRS also says the keyboard should be at elbow height while standing. Therefore, a standing number based only on stature would add precision that these sources do not provide. For that related claim, see the evidence on anti-fatigue standing mats.
OSHA does publish a useful design range: adjustable standing keyboard height of 36–46.5 inches (91–118 cm). However, that range tells you what furniture should accommodate. It does not tell a person of a given overall height to choose one exact value.
The Desk Height Chart by Your Height Is a Starting Point
A height chart cannot see your proportions. People with equal stature can have different seated elbow heights because leg length, torso length and upper-arm length vary. A thick seat cushion can also move the elbows upward relative to a fixed desktop. That is why a desk height chart by your height should narrow the search rather than end it. For that workstation detail, see ergonomic setup for tall users.
Likewise, the number may refer to different surfaces. Penn’s chart describes table height. OSHA’s purchasing range describes keyboard height. If the keyboard sits on a tray below the desktop, those two numbers are no longer the same thing.
Check the Number With Your Body
- Start inside the chart range. Use Penn’s approximate sitting band if your height falls between 60 and 77 inches (152–196 cm) tall.
- Fit the chair. Support your feet and lower back before changing the desk to chase the hands.
- Find the elbows. Relax the shoulders, keep upper arms close to the body and bring forearms toward level.
- Check the keyboard. It should meet the hands around elbow height without making the wrists bend.
- Recheck the monitor. Any chair or desk move can change your eye level, so reset the screen afterward.
What a 29- or 30-Inch Desk Really Means
Penn EHRS says a typical office desk is 29–30 inches (74–76 cm) high and can put the keyboard and mouse too high for many office workers. That statement is useful because it separates “common furniture size” from “good fit for a specific person.”
If a fixed desk is too high, CCOHS says to raise the chair until the elbows are about work-surface height and add a footrest if the feet lose floor support. If a desk is too low, OSHA’s desk guidance favors changing the work surface rather than accepting an awkward arm position. A related ergonomics guide covers ergonomic setup for short users.
Use the Chart With the Whole Workstation
Desk height is only one part of the system. Our correct sitting posture guide covers feet, chair, elbows and screen together. Our office ergonomics guidelines also compare the different monitor numbers used by OSHA, HSE and CCOHS.
Therefore, do not treat the chart as a purchasing shortcut. A desk can have the right nominal height but still fail if it lacks leg clearance, places the mouse too far away, or leaves the monitor off to the side.
How We Research
HubWin uses a research model, not product testing. For this page, the HubWin Team read Penn EHRS furniture guidance, last revised July 29, 2025; OSHA’s purchasing guide, checked October 7, 2026; CCOHS’s sit/stand guidance, last revised November 30, 2022; and HSE’s March 20, 2025 DSE posture page. See About HubWin for our method. We did not invent a stature-to-standing-desk formula because the official sources reviewed here use standing elbow height instead.
FAQ
No. Penn EHRS explicitly labels its sitting heights as approximate. Use the chart to get close, then check your elbows, shoulders, wrists and feet.
That height falls in Penn’s 5 ft 4 in–5 ft 6 in band, which lists about 26–27 inches (66–69 cm).
Six feet falls in Penn’s 5 ft 7 in–6 ft 0 in band, which lists about 27–30 inches (69–76 cm).
The sources reviewed here tell users to set standing keyboard or platform height around their own standing elbows. OSHA’s 36–46.5-inch (91–118-cm) figure is an equipment adjustment range.
No. Penn EHRS says typical 29–30-inch desks can place the keyboard and mouse too high for many workers.
Bottom Line
Use the desk height chart by your height to choose a sensible sitting starting point, not to lock in a final number. Penn’s four sitting bands are approximate. For standing, measure your elbow instead of guessing from stature. In both positions, the final test is the same: relaxed shoulders, supported feet when sitting, and a keyboard that meets straight wrists around elbow height.