Your ideal ergonomic setup, from your height

How the calculator works

Every number comes from one input: your standing height. Ergonomics research has long documented that the major body segments — leg, forearm, elbow height, eye height — fall into fairly stable proportions of overall stature. The calculator uses those established body-proportion ratios to estimate the joint heights that matter at a desk, then layers standard ergonomic positioning guidance on top.

• Keyboard / desk surface — placed at your elbow heightso your elbows bend roughly 90–100° with relaxed shoulders. Seated, that’s your seat height plus your seated elbow-rest height; standing, it’s your standing elbow height.
• Chair seat — set near your popliteal (behind-the-knee) height so your knees rest around 90° and your feet sit flat. If setting the desk to your elbows then lifts your feet off the floor, add a footrest rather than dropping the desk.
• Monitor top-of-screen — at or just below eye level, so your gaze drops slightly to the center of the screen and your neck stays neutral.
• Viewing distance — about an arm’s length (20–30 in), further for larger or higher-resolution displays.
• Armrest / elbow height — armrests set to just meet your elbows at your seated elbow height so your shoulders drop and your forearms stay supported.

Why a tailored setup matters

“One-size” desks are typically built around 29 inches — a height that suits a fairly tall person and leaves shorter people reaching up and hunching their shoulders all day. The fix isn’t buying more gear; it’s dialing the gear you have to your proportions. A height-adjustable desk or a keyboard tray, an office chair with real seat and armrest adjustment, and a monitor arm or riser are the levers that let you hit these numbers. Get the elbows, feet, and eye-line right and most of the common home-office aches — sore wrists, tight shoulders, an achy neck — have a lot less to work with.

What this doesn’t cover

This is a starting geometry, not a clinical ergonomic assessment. It uses population-average proportions, so if your torso, legs, or arms are unusually long or short relative to your height, trust your comfort over the exact figure. It also doesn’t account for existing injuries, pregnancy, bifocal or progressive lenses (lower the monitor further), keyboard tilt and mouse position in fine detail, or lighting and glare. Treat the results as targets and fine-tune by feel — and if you have persistent pain, talk to a physical therapist or occupational health professional.

Put it into practice

Once you know your numbers, the tools that make them easy to hit: height-adjustable standing desks, office chairs with proper seat and armrest adjustment, monitor arms and risers, ergonomic accessories like footrests and keyboard trays, and desk lamps to cut glare on the screen. Not sure which to buy? The Gear Finder matches you to a pick in each category, and the Setup Builder totals up a full desk.

Sources

• OSHA — Computer Workstations eTool. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance on neutral working postures, monitor placement (top at or below eye level), and elbow/wrist position (osha.gov).
• Cornell University Ergonomics Web (CUergo). Cornell University Human Factors and Ergonomics research on seated and standing workstation setup, monitor height, and viewing distance (ergo.human.cornell.edu).
• Anthropometric body-segment proportions(Drillis & Contini proportions, as summarized in standard ergonomics and human-factors references) — used to estimate seat, elbow, and eye heights from stature.

WFH Lounge recommendations are research-based and analyzed from published ergonomics guidance and owner feedback — not hands-on clinical testing. These figures are educational starting points, not medical advice.