What is the formula for standing desk height?

Multiply your height (plus shoe heel, roughly 1 inch) by 0.60 to 0.65, which OSHA's Computer Workstations eTool lists as the standing elbow-height ratio band — the desk surface should sit at or just below that number. A 5'8" (68in) person lands around 41.5-45 inches; a 6'2" (74in) person lands around 45-49 inches. Most electric standing desks cover that whole range, so you're picking a height inside the range, not hunting for one exact number.

Should my desk be at elbow height or slightly below it?

Slightly below, per OSHA's guidance — the work surface should sit at or just below standing elbow height, not exactly level with it. Sitting the desk a half-inch to an inch below your elbow lets your forearms rest with a natural, very-slightly-downward angle instead of pushing your shoulders up to clear the surface, which is the posture that causes shoulder and neck fatigue over a full standing session.

Is the standing desk height calculator formula different for men and women?

No — the 0.60-0.65 ratio is based on your actual height, not your sex, so it applies the same way to anyone. Two people of the same height get the same recommended range regardless of gender; what changes the number is your height, your footwear, and whether you're measuring with shoes on or off.

What if my calculated height falls outside my desk's adjustment range?

Check the desk's listed minimum and maximum height before buying, since ranges vary a lot by model — some converters top out around 15.7in of lift while full frames like the Uplift V3 span roughly 22.6in to 48.7in. If you're above 6'4" or under 5', look specifically at desks marketed for tall or short users; see our guides to the best standing desk for tall people and best standing desk for short person for models built around the ends of that range.

Do I need to redo the math for a standing desk converter versus a full electric desk?

No, the target elbow-height number from the formula is the same either way — a converter just adds its own height on top of your existing desk's fixed height, while a full electric desk sets the surface directly. The difference is in checking your existing desk's height first: a converter only works if your desk-plus-converter combination can still reach your target number, which is why very short or very tall users often do better with a full-range electric frame instead.

Standing Desk Height Calculator: The Right Height for Your Height (2026)

Quick Answer: Set a standing desk to 0.60-0.65 times your height (in inches, add about 1 inch for shoes) — that’s the standing elbow-height ratio band from OSHA’s Computer Workstations eTool, and the desk surface should land at or just below that number. A 5’6” person lands around 40-43.5 inches; a 6’0” person lands around 44-47.5 inches. Skip the tape measure and elbow-angle guesswork with the lookup table below, then fine-tune by a half-inch once you’re actually standing at it — the formula gets you in the right zone, your elbows confirm the exact spot.

Most “what height should my standing desk be” advice boils down to a vague “elbows at 90 degrees,” which is true but not actionable without a starting number. OSHA’s Computer Workstations eTool puts a real figure on it: standing elbow height falls in a 0.60 to 0.65 ratio of total stature (height plus shoe heel), and a height-adjustable desk’s work surface should sit at or just below that point so elbows rest near a 90-degree angle without hiking the shoulders up. Separately, the desk itself needs to physically reach that number — ANSI/BIFMA G1-2013 is the industry standard electric frames are built to, and a full-range frame like the Uplift V3 spans roughly 22.6 to 48.7 inches, covering the calculated range for nearly every adult height without maxing out.

Standing desk height by your height (lookup table)

Your height	Recommended desk height range	Good starting point
4'10" (58in)	35.5-38.5in	37in
5'0" (60in)	36.5-39.5in	38in
5'2" (62in)	38-41in	39.5in
5'4" (64in)	39-42in	40.5in
5'6" (66in)	40-43.5in	42in
5'8" (68in)	41.5-45in	43in
5'10" (70in)	42.5-46in	44.5in
6'0" (72in)	44-47.5in	45.5in
6'2" (74in)	45-49in	47in
6'4" (76in)	46-50in	48in
6'6" (78in)	47.5-51.5in	49.5in

These ranges already include roughly an inch for shoes. If you work barefoot or in socks most of the day, subtract about half an inch from the low end of your row.

How to do the math yourself

Measure your height in inches, shoes on (or add 1 inch if you’ll measure barefoot).
Multiply by 0.60 and by 0.65 to get your personal range — for example, a 70in person gets 42in-45.5in.
Set the desk near the middle of that range, then stand at it with your shoulders relaxed and forearms parallel to the floor. Nudge the height up or down until your elbows sit close to 90 degrees without your shoulders shrugging up to reach the desk.
Recheck after switching keyboards or mats — a thick wrist rest or a keyboard tray adds effective height, so the desk itself may need to sit slightly lower than the raw formula number.

Uplift V3 electric standing desk

22.6in-48.7in range covers the calculated height for nearly every adult · ~$450-750

Check the Uplift V3 on Amazon →

Ordering a desk sized to your exact numbers below? Try Prime free for 30 days for free two-day delivery on your pick — useful when you’d rather not wait a week to find out the height you calculated actually feels right.

Sitting height matters too, not just standing

The same logic applies when the desk is down: seated elbow height runs roughly 3-4 inches lower than standing elbow height for the same person, which is why a desk that’s perfect standing often feels a couple inches too high sitting down with a normal chair. If your chair isn’t adjustable enough to close that gap, that’s a chair problem more than a desk problem — see our best ergonomic office chair guide for models with enough seat-height range to match. And if the numbers above put you near either end of the table, our best standing desk for tall person and best standing desk for short person guides cover frames built specifically for those ranges rather than a general-purpose desk stretched to fit.

The bottom line

Skip the guesswork: your standing desk height is roughly 0.60-0.65 times your height in inches, per OSHA’s elbow-height ratio, and the table above already does that math for eleven common heights. Set the desk near the middle of your row, stand at it, and adjust by a half-inch until your elbows sit near 90 degrees without shrugging your shoulders — that’s a two-minute fix once the desk is already in the right neighborhood, which the formula guarantees it will be.