How to Set Up a Standing Desk Correctly
Most people buy a standing desk, set it to whatever height looks right, and end up with sore shoulders. The problem is almost never the desk. It is that the desk went up but the keyboard and monitor stayed where they were.
Set the desk height from your elbows, not the manual
Stand up straight, let your arms hang, then bend your elbows to 90 degrees. That is your desk height. For most people it lands near 44% of their height — about 74 cm for someone 170 cm tall, 78 cm for someone 180 cm tall.
If your elbows drift above 90 degrees, your trapezius muscles never switch off. Below 90 and you are shrugging every time you reach for the mouse.
The keyboard and mouse problem
At standing height, the keyboard should sit at the same elbow height as the desk. If your desk has a keyboard tray, remove it — trays are almost always too low and too shallow for standing use.
Two rules that catch most mistakes:
- Wrist straight, not bent up. If you have to cock your wrists to type, the desk is too high or the keyboard is too far away.
- Mouse within one forearm. Reaching outward rotates the shoulder forward and loads the neck.
Move the monitor up too
A monitor that was correct at sitting height is roughly 30 cm too low for standing. The top of the screen should be at or just below eye level in both positions.
If you alternate, a monitor arm is the cheapest fix. Manually raising a stand every time you change position is the reason most people stop alternating after two weeks.
How much standing is actually useful
The research does not support standing all day. What it does support is changing position: roughly 30 minutes of standing for every hour of sitting, with a short walk somewhere in there.
If you stand until your lower back aches, that is the signal to sit down — not a sign you need a better mat.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Desk at sitting height "plus a bit" | Measure from your elbows at 90° |
| Screen left at sitting height | Raise it, or use a monitor arm |
| Standing for two-hour blocks | Alternate every 30–45 minutes |
| No foot movement | Shift weight, or use a footrest bar |
A standing desk is a tool for changing posture, not a way to burn calories. If you never switch positions, you bought an expensive table.
Next step
Run your height through the desk and monitor height calculator to get your starting numbers, then adjust by feel from there.