• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Ergonomic Trends

Ergonomics and Office Health Blog, Product Reviews, and Consultation

  • Ergonomics ▼
    • Office Ergonomics
    • Mouse Ergonomics
    • Typing Ergonomics
    • Sitting Ergonomics
    • Standing Ergonomics
    • Laptop Ergonomics
    • Children Ergonomics
  • Research & Statistics
  • Buyer Guides ▼
    • Ergonomic Chairs
    • Gaming Chairs
    • Ergonomic Mouse
    • Ergonomic Keyboards
    • Ergonomic Desks
    • Ergonomic Accessories
    • Products Setup and Tips
  • Office Exercises
  • More ▼
    • Office Trends
    • Save your Eyes Tool
  • About Us ▼
    • Consulting
Ergonomic Trends » Office Ergonomics » Sitting Ergonomics » Here

July 18, 2019 By George C 1 Comment

Standard and Ideal Office Chair Heights (See List)

Sharing is caring!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • LinkedIn

Shopping for a new office chair? Trying to adjust your current chair to improve comfort? Whatever the case may be, an office chair’s height forms the basis of an ergonomic workstation, with its importance hard to overstate. So just what is the standard office chair height, and more importantly, is there an ideal height?

Contents

  • Standard Office Chair Height
  • The Ideal Office Chair Height- Does it Exist?
  • Two Parts to Calculating the Ideal Chair Height
  • Ideal Office Chair Height Chart

Standard Office Chair Height

This one’s simple- unlike desks that in North America have a standard height of 29”, there is no standard office chair height. Different office chairs have different ranges, though measured from floor to the seat, the typical range is from 16” to 22” (41cm to 56cm).

We took a look at 7 popular office chair models; here are the height ranges each manufacturer has chosen to go with:

Chair ModelSupported Height
Herman Miller Embody‎16 – 20.5″
Steelcase Leap15.5 – 20.5″
Steelcase Gesture16 – 21″
ErgoHuman Eurotech17- 21”
Haworth Zody Chair14 – 21”
Duramont Office Chair17 – 20”
Sihoo Office Chair16.5 – 20”

Note that all of the above are standard ergonomic office chairs. Some office chairs for tall people can be adjusted beyond 21″ in height. Other types of chairs such as drafting chairs obviously have an even higher range of heights.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are office chairs for petite users that can go as low as 14.5″.

The Ideal Office Chair Height- Does it Exist?

So just what is the ideal office chair height? Does it even exist?

Turns out, there is in fact a perfect height where you will magically start to levitate, and the meaning of life will be revealed to you.

Ok, maybe not quite like that, but from an ergonomic standpoint, there is an optimized office chair height where the negative effects on your thighs, shoulders, neck and even arms are minimized as you work.

To explain that ideal seat height, let me work my way backwards, and first describe what it should look like when you’re seated:

  • Your two feet are effortlessly touching the floor and knees bent 90 degrees.
  • If you’re working on the computer, your forearms are at the same height and parallel to the desk, with your elbows assuming an open 90 – 110 degrees open angle.

The two parts of the equation above do not always coexist in harmony, which makes set up a little tricky (but not impossible).

Two Parts to Calculating the Ideal Chair Height

Now that you know the two outcomes you should look for to achieve the perfect office chair height, here is how to calculate each part.

Two Feet Firmly touching the Floor

This is easy if you’re already sitting in the target chair. Simply adjust the height lever until your two feet touch the floor completely and your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Do not over lower  the chair, which has a reverse negative effect of exerting pressure on your ischial tuberosities, or sit bones:

Calculate Ideal Office Chair Height
Ideal Chair Height is Where Two Feet are Touching the Floor Completely

Another way to calculate the best seat height where your two feet are touching the floor can be done sitting up. This lets you assess a chair even faster, or when you’re browsing in a store.

To do so, simply stand in front of the chair and adjust its height so the top of the seat is just below your knee cap:

Calculate Ideal Office Chair Height While Standing- Illustration Credits: OSHA

Calculate Ideal Office Chair Height While Standing- Illustration Credits: OSHA

Forearms Parallel to the Desk

The second part of the perfect seat height equation for any one that works in front of a desk (especially if you do a lot of computing) is to make sure your forearms are at the right height.

Raise your seat height so your elbows form a 90 -100 degree open angle. Further adjust the height so your forearms rise just above the desk, parallel with or sloping slightly towards the desk:

With the proper seat height, your shoulders are relaxed and your wrists are in their neutral position. This greatly reduces arm fatigue and helps prevent a host of RSI such as carpal tunnel syndrome over time.

By adjusting your chair for your arms, you may find that your feet are now off the floor. The solution? Just use a footrest or even a stack of paper to prop them up. It’s always easier to accommodate your feet position than your arms’, which without an adjustable-height desk or keyboard tray is hard to do.

Ideal Office Chair Height Chart

To quickly look up the best office chair height based on your height, refer to the following office chair height table we’ve prepared. It uses recommendations from BFIMA and other data sets to come up with a general working guideline:

Your Height (feet)Ideal Chair Height (inches)Your Height (cm)Ideal Chair Height (cm)
4’11”15.9 inches149 cm40.2 cm
5’0″16.2 inches151.5 cm40.9 cm
5’1″16.4 inches154 cm41.5 cm
5’2″16.7 inches156.5 cm42.2 cm
5’3″17 inches159 cm42.9 cm
5’4″17.2 inches161.5 cm43.6 cm
5’5″17.5 inches164 cm44.2 cm
5’6″17.8 inches166.5 cm44.9 cm
5’7″18 inches169 cm45.6 cm
5’8″18.3 inches171.5 cm46.3 cm
5’9″18.6 inches174 cm46.9 cm
5’10”18.9 inches176.5 cm47.6 cm
5’11”19.1 inches179 cm48.3 cm
6’0″19.4 inches181.5 cm49 cm
6’1″19.7 inches184 cm49.6 cm
6’2″19.9 inches186.5 cm50.3 cm
6’3″20.2 inches189 cm51 cm
6’4″20.5 inches191.5 cm51.7 cm
6’5″20.7 inches194 cm52.3 cm
6’6″21 inches196.5 cm53 cm
6’7″21.3 inches199 cm53.7 cm
6’8″21.6 inches201.5 cm54.4 cm
6’9″21.8 inches204 cm55 cm
6’10”22.1 inches206.5 cm55.7 cm
6’11”22.4 inches209 cm56.4 cm
7’0″22.6 inches211.5 cm57.1 cm
7’1″22.9 inches214 cm57.7 cm
7’2″23.2 inches216.5 cm58.4 cm

Don’t overly rely on it however, as at the end of the day, each person’s body ratio is slightly different, and what works for one person may not for the next.

If your current office chair is too low or is sinking, there are a few ways to make it higher.

Filed Under: Office Ergonomics, Sitting Ergonomics

George C

George is an ergonomist and chief editor of Ergonomic Trends. He brings with him over 15 years advising companies on best office practices, and has been quoted on many publications such as US News.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases on this page.

Related

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Eileen says

    October 7, 2022 at 11:20 pm

    Thank you VERY MUCH!
    I’ve realized my posture is really compromised and used this article to fiure out that my chair is TOO HIGH!
    I am 80 and have using a too-high chair for 19 years!!!!!!!!!!

    Hoping that your info and getting a correct height chair will help alleviate my pain.

    Thank you! Thank you!!!!!

    Eileen

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases on this page.

  • Where Should You Position the Lumbar Support on an Office Chair? (from an Ergonomist)
  • How to Sit With Spondylolisthesis
  • How to Properly Hold a Mouse (Reduce your Risk of Injuries)
  • Examples of Ergonomics at the Office (Problems & Solutions)
  • 11 Shocking Statistics on the Great Resignation
  • 25 New Statistics on Work-Life Balance (2021)

Must Read


Best Desk Exercises for Back Pain

QUICK JUMP

Related Posts to Check Out

  • Joe Rogan Chair: What Office Chair Does He Use? (My…
  • 10 Office Chair Alternatives (from an Ergonomist)

Footer

About Us

Learn all about the people behind Ergonomic Trends, why we started the site, and our promise to you, the reader.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Recent Reviews

  • The 12 Best Gaming Chair Brands on the Market (2022 Edition)
  • Are SecretLab Chairs Worth It? Here’s my Honest Opinion
  • 5 Gaming Chairs with the Most Adjustable Armrests on the Market
  • Mesh vs Leather Gaming Chairs – Which Should I Choose?
  • How to Add a Headrest to any Office Chair

Site Info

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • FTC and Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Contact Page

Copyright © 2023 · Digital Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in