When I moved into my current apartment, the previous tenant had left a desk behind. It was a nice desk, solid wood, good size, attractive in the room. I used it for six months before a physiotherapist looked at my setup and immediately identified the desk as too high for my height. Six months of wrist tension and upper back discomfort, traced back to a desk that was 5 centimetres wrong for my body.
Desk height is one of the most overlooked variables in home office ergonomics. Here’s how to get it right.
Why Desk Height Matters More Than Most People Realise
When your desk is the wrong height, your body compensates, and compensation always has a cost. A desk that’s too high causes your shoulders to rise, creating tension in the neck and upper back. A desk that’s too low causes you to hunch forward, rounding the spine and placing strain on the lower back. Either way, the discomfort is gradual and easy to misattribute to stress, screen time, or just ‘being tired.’
How to Find Your Ideal Desk Height
The starting point is your sitting position, not a standard measurement. Here’s how to find your personal ideal:
- Sit in your work chair with your feet flat on the floor and your back supported
- Let your arms hang naturally at your sides
- Bend your elbows to 90 degrees — your forearms should now be roughly parallel to the floor
- The height of your hands in this position is your ideal desk height
- Measure from the floor to your hands — that’s the number you need
For most people, this falls somewhere between 68 and 76 cm. But ‘most people’ is not you, individual variation is significant enough that measuring specifically for your body is worth the two minutes it takes.
What to Do When Your Desk Is the Wrong Height
If your desk is too high
- Raise your chair — then add a footrest if your feet no longer reach the floor
- Add a keyboard tray — drops the typing surface 8–10 cm below the desk level
- Use a wrist rest — a temporary fix that reduces the angle strain on wrists when desk height can’t be changed
If your desk is too low
- Add desk risers — furniture risers (feet that sit under desk legs) raise a standard desk by 5–15 cm for 10–20 euros
- Replace the desk — if the current desk is significantly too low and fixed height, a new desk may be the most practical solution
- Consider a height-adjustable desk — if you’ll be working from home long-term, the investment in a sit-stand desk pays for itself in comfort and flexibility
The Keyboard and Mouse Position
Once the desk height is right, keyboard and mouse position complete the picture. Your keyboard should be close enough that your upper arms hang naturally at your sides — not reaching forward. Your mouse should be at the same level as the keyboard, not on a surface higher or lower. These small alignments, combined with correct desk height, make sustained work genuinely comfortable.
Standing Desks: Worth It?
Height-adjustable standing desks have become significantly more affordable in recent years. Entry-level options are available from around 200 euros, and the ability to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day is genuinely beneficial, both for posture and for energy levels. If you’re setting up a long-term home office, they’re worth serious consideration.
That said, a standing desk at the wrong height is just as problematic as a sitting desk at the wrong height. The principles are the same, measure for your body, not for a standard.
Get This Right and Everything Else Becomes Easier
Desk height is the foundation that all other ergonomic adjustments build on. Get it right, for your specific body, your specific chair, your specific setup, and the hours you spend at your desk become genuinely sustainable.
Measure today. Adjust this week. Your future self will be grateful.
About Olivia
Olivia is passionate about small-space living, ergonomic home design, sustainable decor, and practical ideas that help people create beautiful and comfortable homes.
