Desk Dimensions: Standard Sizes, Heights and Clearances

Standard desk dimensions by type

Desk height barely changes between types; width and depth do. These are the sizes manufacturers build to, with the most common size for each type in the second column.

"Overall" for L- and U-shaped desks is the full footprint. On an L-desk the return (the short wing) is usually 20 to 24 in deep, and a U-desk is a main desk, a bridge and a credenza joined together.

Writing desk 42 × 20 inComputer desk 48 × 24 inOffice desk 60 × 30 inExecutive desk 72 × 36 in

Desk sizes in centimeters (European and metric sizes)

Desks sold in metric countries come in round 10 or 20 cm steps rather than inch sizes. The usual height is 72 to 75 cm, and EN 527-1 sets 74 cm for fixed-height office desks.

Standard desk height and the right height for your body

The 29 to 30 in (74 to 76 cm) standard is higher than most people need for typing. For keyboard work, the surface under the keyboard should be at or slightly below your elbow when you sit with relaxed shoulders. ANSI/HFES 100-2007 sets 28.5 in as the minimum for a fixed desk and recommends an adjustable range of 22 to 30 in, and BIFMA G1-2013 puts the seated keyboard height for 90% of adults between 22.6 and 29.4 in.

In practice, a standard desk is right for people about 6 ft 2 in and taller. Everyone shorter either raises the chair and adds a footrest, or lowers the keyboard with a tray.

The table is based on average body proportions with shoes on. Leg and torso length vary by several inches between people of the same height, so measure yourself:

1. Set the chair first. Adjust it until your feet are flat and your thighs are level. Our office chair size guide gives seat heights by user height.
2. Drop your arms. Let your upper arms hang and bend the elbows to 90 degrees.
3. Measure from the floor to the underside of your forearm. That is your ideal keyboard height. Subtract about 1 in for the keyboard itself to get the desk height.

A height-adjustable desk solves the problem, provided its lowest setting is low enough for you. Electric frames typically adjust from 22 to 29 in at the bottom to 46 to 51 in at the top; our standing desk size guide covers height ranges, top sizes and standing heights by user height.

How wide and deep a desk should be

Width is set by what sits on the desk side by side. Depth is set by how far your eyes must be from the screen.

Width for your setup

• Laptop only: 36 to 40 in (91 to 102 cm). A 15-inch laptop is about 14 in wide, which leaves room for a mouse and a notebook.
• One monitor: 46 to 48 in (117 to 122 cm). 46 in is the ANSI/HFES 100-2007 minimum for a computer workstation.
• Two 24 or 27 inch monitors: 55 to 60 in (140 to 152 cm). Two 27-inch screens side by side span about 48 in, and 24-inch screens about 43 in. See the 27-inch monitor dimensions for exact widths.
• Computer plus paperwork: 60 in (152 cm) or more, the HFES recommended width.
• Ultrawide or three monitors: 63 to 72 in (160 to 183 cm). A 49-inch super-ultrawide is about 47 in wide on its own.

Depth for your monitor

BIFMA G1-2013 recommends a viewing distance of 18 to 24 in for 19 to 24 inch monitors, and never less than 15.7 in. The screen also needs a few inches of stand depth and you need about 4 to 6 in of desk in front of the keyboard for your wrists.

A monitor arm clamped to the back edge pushes the screen to the rear and gains back 6 to 8 in, which makes a 24-inch-deep desk usable with a 27-inch screen. For screen sizes across the range, see our monitor size guide.

Legroom: knee and foot clearance under a desk

Drawers, cross bars and thick aprons are what make a desk uncomfortable, not the top. Check the clear space underneath before you buy.

A 30-inch desk with a 1.5-inch top and a 3-inch apron leaves only 25.5 in under the apron, which catches the thighs of anyone who sits high. If you use a chair with armrests, also check that the arms slide under the edge: adjustable arms sit 6.7 to 10.6 in above the seat (the ANSI/HFES range), which puts their tops 23 to 31 in from the floor.

For wheelchair users, the 2010 ADA Standards require work surfaces 28 to 34 in high, knee clearance 27 in high and 30 in wide, and toe clearance extending at least 17 in under the surface (sections 902 and 306).

How much room a desk needs

The floor area a desk takes is its footprint plus chair space. The University of Washington ergonomics guidelines (based on BIFMA G1) call for 36 in (91 cm) behind the desk edge as a minimum to push back and stand up, and 48 in (122 cm) as the recommended clearance. Add another 12 in or so if someone must walk behind the seated user.

An executive desk with guest chairs needs about 30 in in front for the chairs plus 18 in to walk around them, which is why private offices are rarely smaller than 10 × 10 ft. In a spare bedroom, a 48-inch desk against the wall leaves room for a twin bed in a 9 × 10 ft room. Shelving, a filing cabinet or a bookcase beside the desk needs its own drawer or door clearance on top of this.

L-shaped, U-shaped and corner desks

An L-desk puts a full-depth main surface along one wall and a shallower return along the other. Each side is usually 48 to 72 in long. The corner itself is dead space for knees, so a 60 × 60 in L-desk has roughly 100 in of usable edge, not 120.

• Which way the return goes: "left-hand" and "right-hand" mean different things to different brands. Check the drawing, and note that many L-desks are reversible during assembly.
• Monitor in the corner: a corner-facing setup with a 45-degree front edge gives more depth (often 36 in or more) for a large monitor.
• U-desks: plan at least 48 in between the main desk and the credenza if you need to swivel and roll between them.

Children's desk heights

School furniture is sized by the child's height, not age. The European standard EN 1729-1 defines eight size marks, each color-coded on the furniture. Pair the desk with the matching chair size.

A typical 6 to 7 year old (US first or second grade, UK Year 2) is 115 to 125 cm tall and falls in size 2 or 3. For play tables and younger children, see the kids table size guide.

Common desk-buying mistakes

• Measuring the top, not the legroom. A 48-inch desk with a drawer pedestal may have only 24 in of clear knee width.
• Assuming 30 in is ergonomic. It is the standard, but it suits only tall users without a keyboard tray.
• Forgetting the chair's armrests. Arms that hit the apron keep you 6 in or more back from the edge.
• Buying a 20-inch-deep desk for a 27-inch monitor. After a 7 to 9 in monitor stand and the keyboard, the screen sits too close to take in edge to edge. Allow 28 to 30 in of depth or use a monitor arm.
• Ignoring the delivery route. Assembled executive desks are 30 to 36 in deep; check that they turn through a 30-inch interior door.

Frequently asked questions