Short answer: set the desk surface so the keyboard is at about elbow height, with forearms roughly parallel to the floor. That means desk surface height = elbow height minus keyboard thickness, once for sitting and once for standing. Enter your two elbow heights below. The calculator does the subtraction, compares the result with the BIFMA G1 reference ranges, and checks it against any of the 33 desks in our height-range table .
Sit-stand desk height calculator
Measure your elbow height from the floor with your shoes on, elbow bent about 90 degrees and forearm level, once sitting and once standing. Enter the numbers below.
Formula: desk surface height = elbow height minus keyboard thickness, once for sitting and once for standing. This is arithmetic from the OSHA rule that elbows sit about level with the keyboard; it is not a fit guarantee. A range a maker lists "without top" is a frame range, so the calculator adds your top thickness before comparing. Unit conversion: 1 in = 2.54 cm.
How to measure
- Wear the shoes you normally work in.
- Sit with your feet flat and your upper arm relaxed. Bend your elbow to about 90 degrees, forearm level. Measure from the floor to the underside of your elbow. That is your seated elbow height.
- Stand upright and bend your elbow the same way. Measure from the floor to the underside of the elbow. That is your standing elbow height.
- Measure the thickness of your keyboard, plus a wrist rest if you use one.
A second person with a tape measure gets a better number than a selfie angle. Measure twice and use the average.
Why the calculator asks for elbow height, not your height
Stature is a poor stand-in for elbow height, and we found no government or standards source that gives a reliable conversion, so we do not guess one. The CDC’s body-size survey measures standing height, not elbow height. For context, its 2015 to 2018 adult figures are below.
| US adults, 2015-2018 | 5th percentile | Median | 95th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women (stature) | 59.0 in | 63.5 in | 67.9 in |
| Men (stature) | 64.1 in | 69.1 in | 73.8 in |
A person who is 5 feet tall (60 in) is at about the 10th percentile for adult women in that survey (60.0 in). Measure your own elbows; a tape takes two minutes.
What heights do the standards cover?
The standards behind most office desks are paywalled, so we cite a university guideline that quotes them. The University of Washington’s environmental health and safety office lists these figures:
| Item | Range | Standard it cites |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-stand worksurface adjustability | 22 to 50 in | ANSI/BIFMA G1-2013 |
| Seated keyboard surface | 22.6 to 29.4 in | ANSI/BIFMA G1-2013, p. 75 |
| Standing keyboard surface | 38.3 to 48.7 in | ANSI/BIFMA G1-2013, p. 78 |
| Seated worksurface where height is adjustable (bracket, crank or keyboard tray) | 22 to 30 in | ANSI/HFES 100-2007, p. 79 |
The calculator tells you whether your sitting and standing heights fall inside the two keyboard-surface ranges. These are reference ranges for a general adult population, not a promise that your numbers are right: your own elbow height decides.
Worked examples
These rows use a keyboard thickness of 1.0 inch. They are arithmetic, not typical values.
| Elbow height | Desk surface height |
|---|---|
| 24 in | 23.0 in |
| 26 in | 25.0 in |
| 28 in | 27.0 in |
| 40 in | 39.0 in |
| 42 in | 41.0 in |
| 44 in | 43.0 in |
| 46 in | 45.0 in |
Check the result against a desk
Compare your sitting height with the desk’s lowest height and your standing height with its highest. Watch two things:
- Frame-only ranges. Some makers list a height range without the desktop. FlexiSpot’s E7 page, for example, lists 22.8 to 48.4 inches “without top”, so add the thickness of your top. The calculator does this for the desks marked as frame-only in the table.
- Both ends matter. A tall person may reach the standing height easily but need a lower sitting height than the desk offers; a shorter person has the opposite problem. UPLIFT’s V3 frame sheet lists 21.6 to 47.7 inches and its V2 frame sheet 24.3 to 49.9 inches; those two figures are on different bases, so compare like with like.
If the sitting height is below the desk’s minimum, a keyboard tray can bring the keyboard lower than the desktop. If the standing height is above the maximum, look for a desk with a taller range. The height-range table lists 33 sit/stand desks and frames with the maker’s page for each, and the IKEA comparison covers IKEA’s line. See also our FlexiSpot E7 vs UPLIFT V2 comparison for two desks with published ranges.
What this does not do
It does not account for chair height, footrests, monitor height or a medical condition. Adjust the chair so your feet are supported, then set the desk. If you have pain or a condition that affects posture, ask a clinician.
Sources
- OSHA, Computer Workstations eTool: Keyboards , checked October 22, 2026: “Elbows should be about the same height as the keyboard,” forearms approximately parallel with the floor, adjust work surface height to keep a neutral posture.
- University of Washington Environmental Health and Safety, Office and administrative ergonomic furniture and equipment design guidelines , checked November 8, 2026: Table 1 and Table 3, quoting ANSI/BIFMA G1-2013 and ANSI/HFES 100-2007. We have not read the standards themselves.
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States, 2015-2018 , Vital and Health Statistics Series 3, No. 46, January 2021: Tables 10 and 12 (standing height, adults 20 and over), checked November 8, 2026.
- Desk heights and loads: the maker pages and manuals linked in the height-range table , each checked November 8, 2026.
The formula is simple arithmetic written for this page. We did not test it on people.