Comfort Desk HubDesk Advice
How to Set Up a Standing Desk Correctly
Owning a standing desk and using it correctly are two different things — here's the setup most people skip.
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Simply raising the desk isn't enough — your monitor, keyboard, and posture all need to reset for standing height, or you'll end up hunching forward and undoing whatever benefit standing was supposed to provide.
Get the Height Right First
Stand naturally with your arms relaxed at your sides, then raise the desk until your elbows sit at roughly 90 degrees with your hands where the keyboard will be. This is a different number than your seated elbow height — measure it separately rather than assuming a fixed offset.
Move Your Monitor Too
Your eye level changes when you stand, so the monitor height that worked while sitting is now too low — this is the single most common standing desk mistake. A monitor arm makes this a five-second adjustment; without one, you're stuck compromising on either your sitting or standing eye level.
Mind Your Feet
Standing on a hard floor for extended periods is harder on your feet and lower back than most people expect. An anti-fatigue mat and supportive shoes (or bare feet, for some people) make a real difference in how long you can comfortably stand.
Related
Not sure how long to actually stand for once it's set up? We cover that separately.
How often should you stand? →If the desk still leaves your elbows too high at its lowest setting — which happens on some frames for shorter users — a keyboard tray gives you a lower typing surface without replacing the desk. Standing desks are the awkward case here, because the frame’s crossbar blocks a conventional tray track; only some designs work.
Keyboard trays that fit a standing desk →Ready to Shop?
Still choosing a frame? Our current picks are compared on stability at full extension, height range, and warranty.