Standing Desk Height: How to Set It, and How Long to Stand

What is the right standing desk height?

The right standing desk height puts the keyboard surface at about your standing elbow height. CCOHS puts it this way: in the standing position the platform height should be approximately at your standing elbow position, so your arms are in the same position they would be in when sitting.

That means shoulders relaxed, upper arms hanging at your sides, elbows bent at about 90 degrees and wrists straight. There is no single number that works for everyone, because elbow height depends on your height, your proportions and your shoes.

To get a starting point for both your sitting and standing heights, use the free desk height calculator. Then confirm it at the desk with the steps below.

How do you measure your standing desk height?

You need a tape measure and a second person, or a mirror.

1. Put on the shoes you usually wear at work. Sole thickness changes elbow height.
2. Stand upright with your weight on both feet, feet slightly apart.
3. Let your upper arms hang at your sides with shoulders relaxed, not shrugged.
4. Bend your elbows to about 90 degrees, forearms roughly parallel to the floor.
5. Measure from the floor to the underside of your forearm near the elbow. That is the height the top of the keys should sit at, not the desk surface.
6. Subtract the keyboard height if you are setting the desk surface rather than a keyboard tray. A thick keyboard can add a noticeable amount.

Save the result as your standing desk height preset if your desk has memory buttons. Then type for a few minutes and check: are your wrists straight, and are your shoulders down? If your wrists bend up, the desk is too low. If your shoulders rise, it is too high.

OSHA's keyboard guidance applies in either posture: elbows about the same height as the keyboard, hanging comfortably at the sides, and wrists that do not bend up, down or to the side.

Can a regular office desk work as a standing desk?

No. Fixed office desks are commonly built at about 29 to 30 inches, which can only ever match a seated elbow height, never a standing one. For typical heights by desk type, the elbow test and fixes for a fixed desk that is too high or too low, see our full guide to standard desk heights.

What does a good standing posture look like?

OSHA's standing reference posture has the legs, torso, neck and head approximately in line and vertical, with feet slightly apart. OSHA notes you may also rest one foot on a footrest in this posture.

CCOHS lists the same neutral positions for sitting and standing at a sit/stand desk:

• Hands, wrists and forearms straight, in line and roughly parallel to the floor.
• Head level, forward facing and balanced, generally in line with the torso.
• Upright spine with no twisting of the upper torso.
• Shoulders relaxed, upper arms hanging normally at the sides.
• Elbows close to the body and bent at about 90 degrees.
• Line of sight between horizontal and 30 degrees below.

Where should the monitor go when you stand?

CCOHS says that when standing, the monitor should still be between horizontal and 35 degrees below your eye level. In practice, that means the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, the same rule as sitting.

The catch is that your eyes rise much more than your elbows when you stand. If your screen sits on the desktop and moves with it, check the screen height at both presets. Many people find the screen too low when standing. A monitor arm or a riser you can adjust separately solves this. Our guide to where your screen should sit has the details.

How long should you stand at a standing desk?

There is no agreed ratio. CCOHS reports that recommendations vary from sitting for 1 hour and standing for 5 minutes, to switching between sitting and standing every 20, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. It says the key factor is to alternate your position as needed and to allow time for your body to adjust to the new routine.

Two practical points from the same guidance:

• Early studies indicated some users drift back to sitting most of the time after the initial trial period. Keep switching deliberately.
• Standing is not a substitute for breaks. You still need time away from the screen to rest your eyes (the 20-20-20 eye break habit is an easy pattern) and vary the position of your head, upper body, arms and hands.

A timer helps. The eye break timer can double as a reminder to change position when it prompts you to look away from the screen.

Is standing all day better than sitting all day?

No. CCOHS's standing work guidance says standing is a natural posture that poses no particular hazard by itself. Regular standing work, though, can cause sore feet, swelling of the legs, varicose veins, general muscular fatigue, low back pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulders.

CCOHS explains why: keeping the body upright takes considerable muscular effort, standing reduces blood supply to the loaded muscles, and prolonged standing without walking lets blood pool in the legs and feet. The CCOHS sit/stand page also lists standing too long as a disadvantage of these desks, potentially leading to foot, knee, hip and back issues.

The aim of a sit-stand desk is variety, not standing. Getting the standing desk height right makes the standing periods comfortable, but it does not make long ones a good idea.

What does the research say about sit-stand desks?

The best summary is the 2018 Cochrane review by Shrestha and colleagues, which pooled 34 studies with 3,397 participants. Its main findings on sit-stand desks:

Outcome	Result	Evidence quality
Sitting at work, short term (up to 3 months)	About 100 fewer minutes per workday vs. sit desks (95% CI 84 to 116 fewer)	Low
Sitting at work, medium term (3 to 12 months)	About 57 fewer minutes per day (2 studies)	Not stated in the abstract
Long term (over 12 months)	No evidence	n/a
Standing desks vs. sit-stand desks	No significant difference in reducing sitting	n/a

The review also found that short breaks of one to two minutes every half hour reduced sitting by about 40 minutes per day compared with two 15-minute breaks, based on one low-quality study.

The authors concluded that there is low-quality evidence that sit-stand desks reduce workplace sitting in the short and medium term, and that larger, longer trials are needed. The review measured sitting time, not pain or injury outcomes, so it does not by itself show that standing desks prevent musculoskeletal problems.

How do you make standing more comfortable?

From the CCOHS sit/stand and standing guidance:

• Wear supportive footwear.
• Consider an anti-fatigue mat where appropriate.
• Use a footrest or foot rail so you can shift your weight, or shift from leg to leg occasionally.
• Keep cables, storage and layout clear so adjusting the desk is easy. If changing height is a hassle, people stop doing it.
• Keep the keyboard and mouse aligned the same way as when sitting.

If you have existing back, hip, knee or foot problems, ask a clinician about how much standing suits you. This article is general information, not medical advice, and persistent pain should be checked.

What about the sitting height on the same desk?

When you lower the desk, the same elbow rule applies: forearms roughly parallel to the floor, keyboard just below elbow height, as HSE's posture guide describes. Set your chair first, then bring the desk to your elbows. The full sitting sequence is in our ergonomic desk setup and correct sitting posture guides.

Next steps

Work out your sitting and standing desk height with the desk height calculator, save both presets on the desk, and plan short, regular switches between positions. For a full check of your setup, read our workstation ergonomics guide.