Notes, guides, and small tools
Straightforward guides and small free tools on setting things up properly — written plainly, with the math shown.
The numbers come from our own analysis of 6,068 measured bodies, not a rule of thumb — and the method is published.
- Free, no signup
- The math is shown, not guessed
- No 2,000-word preamble
Quick referencefrom the floor
| Height | Desk | Chair | Screen top |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160 cm | 64 | 40 | 112 |
| 170 cm | 68 | 43 | 119 |
| 180 cm | 72 | 45 | 126 |
| 190 cm | 76 | 48 | 133 |
All in centimetres, from the floor. Screen top = the top edge of the panel, level with your eyes. Your exact numbers →
Latest
New guides
Short answers to the questions the guides get asked most.
Which of the Five Numbers Is Wrong? A Symptom-to-Cause Chart
Neck, shoulder, wrist, or lower back pain at a desk each points to a different number. Use this reverse lookup — symptom, the 60-second test, and the fix — instead of adjusting everything at once.
My Desk Is Too High and I Can't Adjust It
A fixed-height desk cannot be lowered, but you have four real options. Measure the gap first, then pick by how many centimetres you are off — most cases are solved for under $60.
My Chair Won't Go Low Enough
When the seat bottoms out above your popliteal height, a footrest is not the fix. Here is how to tell whether you have a chair problem or a desk problem, and the four fixes ranked by what they actually correct.
What Height Should Your Chair Be?
Your chair seat should sit at about 25% of your height — roughly 44 cm for a 175 cm person. Here is how to set it from your desk instead of from the chair, and why the usual advice fails short and tall people.
How to Use a Laptop Without Neck Pain
A laptop screen and its keyboard can never both be at the right height. Here is the cheapest way out of that trade-off, and what to do when you truly cannot carry extra gear.
Tools
Work out your own numbers
Three tools, nothing to install — each one runs in the page.
Desk & monitor height calculator
Enter your height, get the desk, chair, and monitor heights that keep your neck and shoulders neutral.
Workspace checkup
Measure the desk, chair and screen you already use and get a 0–100 score, how many centimetres each one is off, and what to fix first.
Sitting posture type test
Eight questions about how you actually sit, an animated diagram of what your spine is doing, and the three fixes that match your pattern.
Start here
Three pages worth reading first
If you only read three, read these — they cover the setup, the measurement, and the troubleshooting.
Ergonomic desk setup: the complete guide
The five numbers in the order you should set them, and the cascade that connects them.
What 6,068 measured bodies say about desk height
Our own analysis of the ANSUR II dataset — and why 0.40 × height overshoots by 29 mm.
Which of the five numbers is wrong?
A symptom-to-cause chart: start from what aches, work back to the number to change.
Not sure where to start?
Measure your desk first — it takes 30 seconds and everything else follows from it.