The height of your gaming desk is an important factor that you must consider when you’re setting up your gaming station as it ensures how comfortable you’re while gaming.
The desk height needs to be ideal because it impacts your posture which can have a big impact on your performance and overall gaming experience.
So, what height should a gaming desk be?
The ideal gaming desk height is between 28 inches to 30 inches high from the floor to the tabletop for an average person with a height between 5’8 feet to 5’10 feet.
However, this is not a standard height for a gaming desk. This height range can vary differently for a different person based on their height.
This means persons who are shorter or taller than the height range we’ve mentioned will struggle to find a good sitting position.
The perfect gaming desk height is where your feet touch the floor when you’re seated, your eyes are parallel with the monitor screen, your elbows are at 90 degrees with the desk, and your wrists are in a neutral position.
This is the ideal position for a gaming desk for any gamer.
Ideal Gaming Desk Height for People of Different Heights
The below chart shows the ideal gaming desk height for people of different heights for both seated and standing positions.
You can find the right gaming desk height for you by looking out your height.
| Your Height | Chair Height | Sitting Desk Height | Standing Desk Height |
| 5’0“ (152.4cm) | 16” (40.64cm) | 23” (58.42cm) | 39” (99.06cm) |
| 5’1“ (154.94cm) | 16” (40.64cm) | 23” (58.42cm) | 39” (99.06cm) |
| 5’2“ (157.48cm) | 16” (40.64cm) | 24” (60.96cm) | 40” (101.6cm) |
| 5’3“ (160.02cm) | 16” (40.64cm) | 24” (60.96cm) | 40” (101.6cm) |
| 5’4“ (162.56cm) | 17” (43.18cm) | 25” (63.5cm) | 42” (106.68cm) |
| 5’5“ (165.1cm) | 17” (43.18cm) | 25” (63.5cm) | 42” (106.68cm) |
| 5’6“ (167.4cm) | 17” (43.18cm) | 26” (66.04cm) | 43” (109.22cm) |
| 5’7” (170.18cm) | 17” (43.18cm) | 26” (66.04cm) | 43” (109.22cm) |
| 5’8“ (172.72cm) | 18” (45.72cm) | 26” (66.04cm) | 44” (111.76cm) |
| 5’9“ (175.26cm) | 18” (45.72cm) | 27” (68.58cm) | 45” (114.3cm) |
| 5’10“ (177.8cm) | 18” (45.72cm) | 27” (68.58cm) | 45” (114.3cm) |
| 5’11“ (180.34cm) | 18” (45.72cm) | 28” (71.12cm) | 46” (116.84cm) |
| 6’0“ (182.80cm) | 18” (45.72cm) | 28” (71.12cm) | 47” (119.38cm) |
| 6’1“ (185.42cm) | 18” (45.72cm) | 29” (73.66cm) | 47” (119.38cm) |
| 6’2“ (187.96cm) | 19” (48.26cm) | 29” (73.66cm) | 48” (121.92cm) |
| 6’3“ (190.5cm) | 20” (50.8cm) | 29” (73.66cm) | 49” (124.46cm) |
| 6’4“ (193.4cm) | 20” (50.8cm) | 30” (76.2cm) | 50” (127cm) |
Why Does Gaming Desk Height Matter So Much?
In a word, the gaming desk height matters for Ergonomics.
Ergonomics defines posture, and in PC gaming, it defines how your body position should be while you’re playing gaming for long periods.
As a gaming enthusiast, you must have spent endless hours playing your favorite PC games in the same position.
But if you’re desk height is not optimal, your body might feel uncomfortable such as pain in the joints, neck, and shoulder.
And if this happens for a long time, this could lead to serious injury in various parts of your body which you would not want to face.
Here, a right-height gaming desk can enhance your posture, help improves your blood circulation, and minimizes the risk of injuries.
Thus you must consider finding a gaming desk that is suitable for your height.
Keep on reading because there are more reasons why your gaming height matters a lot.
Reasons Your Gaming Desk Should Be Right Height
1. Desk Height Affects Your Posture
When you’re gaming for long periods, you need to be able to move your arms and hands properly and effectively.
But if your desk height is not optimal, you’ve to deal with poor posture and feel discomfort such as the neck, back, and shoulder soreness.
And this poor gaming position can make you unable to move your arms and hands properly and limit your gaming efficiency.
And as a gamer, you would not want to play your favorite PC games for hours sticking to the desk in this poor gaming posture.
This is why the gaming desk should have the right height so you can maintain a proper gaming posture for long gaming sessions.
2. Desk Height Affects Optimal Viewing Angle
PC gaming is all about the experience you have with visuals where you have to focus on the content on the screen.
But if the desk height is too low or too high, you’ll have to adjust your eyes to have the proper contact with the monitor screen.
In this position, you’ll need to move your neck up or down to view the different content on the screen which can cause strain or stress on your eyes.
And as our eyes control our neck movement, the more we move our eyes, the more our neck also moves to lead to more neck strain or similar issues.
Therefore, it becomes very hard to have a good visual experience as your head is tilted up or down since the desk doesn’t have the same height as your eyes.
The monitors also have a certain resolution but if the monitor is not set to an optimal angle, it can make it hard to see the content clearly.
According to studies, the optimal viewing angle is somewhere between 20-50 degrees. This is how desk height also affects the viewing experience.
3. Desk Height Affects Your Gaming Experience
The right desk height also has a vital impact on your overall gaming experience and that’s quite clear.
The best gaming experience depends on the quality of comfort, gaming efficiency, and convenience you have when you’re gaming.
And you can achieve comfort only when you maintain a healthy posture and optimal viewing experience with the right desk height.
Also, if the desk is not set to an optimal height, it can lead to poor concentration, and this can result in poor aiming in your gameplay.
But, with a proper desk height, you can game in comfort and give your best 100% to enjoy every second of the gaming session.
What Happens if the Desk Height is Too High
If your gaming desk height is too high than the ideal height, you need to push your shoulder up to reach the desk height, your arms are pushed upwards, and your spine will be stretched a bit.
And gaming in this posture for long hours can cause serious issues such as lower blood supply to your arms, and the neck and the muscles around the neck may also become strained.
What Happens if the Desk Height is Too Low
If your gaming desk height is too low than the ideal height, your upper body will be inclined towards the table, your shoulders can stress out, and your elbows and forearms don’t rest entirely on the desktop.
Gaming in this poor posture can result in issues like back, neck, or shoulder pain, and ultimately, it can lead to poor aiming in gameplay due to the added tension.
How to Make the Desk Height Ideal for You
If your gaming desk height is not comfortable for you and you’re struggling with poor posture and interrupted gaming experience, here is a good news.
There are many effective ways that can help you make your desk height comfortable for you. You can go with these ways to have a comfortable gaming position.
1. Get the Right Chair Height
Finding the correct sitting posture when gaming is crucial to avoid any kind of issue and have a comfortable gaming session for long periods.
You can make your setting posture comfortable by making sure your gaming chair and gaming desk are at an optimal height.
When you’re seated, your feet should touch the floor, your angles are at 90 degrees angle with the desk, and your eyes are parallel to the monitor.
In case, if your feet don’t touch the floor, you can place some books, a short stool, or anything underneath your feet for proper floor reach.
The reason to make the chair height perfect is to equalize the weight of your legs that is on the chair and to avoid the chair digging into the bottom of your thighs.
Also, there should be a minimum of 1-2 inches gap between the back of your knees and the edge of the chair you’re seated on.
This is essential because if your knees are touching the seat of the chair, it can possibly block the blood circulation to your feet.
In the opposite case, if your chair height is too low, and you’re seated on the chair for long hours, in this situation, your knees are possibly close to your chest.
And this position can cause discomfort and make your hip flexor muscles extremely tight if you’re seated in this position for too long.
To avoid this, you’ll need to increase the chair height or you can find a taller chair so your ankles, hips, and knees are at approximately 90 degrees.
2. Make Armrest Position Relaxed
The next thing you can focus on to make the desk height comfortable is to make sure the armrest height is close to the desk.
When you’re seated at the desk, your shoulder must be relaxed and your elbows should be at 90 degrees angle to the desk even if your chair lacks armrests.
And you can possibly achieve this sitting position by reaching your desk and armrest at the same height.
But if your armrest is reaching up this means, the desk height is too high and if your armrest is reading down, this means the desk height is too low.
And if your game in this position, you’ll have to scrunch up or down your shoulder, which can lead to severe wrist and shoulder pain.
3. Place the Monitors in the Right Position
As long as there isn’t an optimal viewing angle between your eyes and the monitors, your sitting position isn’t comfortable for long gaming sessions.
You can make the viewing angle optimal by keeping the monitor distance about arm’s length and the height parallel to your eyes.
In this position, your neck is in the neutral position and you don’t need to move your head too much to view the different content on the screen.
If this isn’t possible, you’ll need to put a book or anything that is flat and solid under the monitor to raise the monitor in your eyesight.
Make sure, there are no more than 2 inches between your eyes and the edge of the monitor, or you may face neck or eye strain.
Monitor arms are the go-to option that facilitates hassle-free monitor adjustments in height and distance and helps maintain an optimal viewing angle.
4. Make the Mouse and Keyboard Position Ideal
To make your gaming position comfortable, you’ll also have to make sure your keyboard and mouse are in a neutral position.
Your arms and wrist should not be tense when you’re gaming. If this isn’t possible, you may experience chronic pain in your wrists and hands.
To avoid this, place your keyboard and mouse on the desk between 4 to 6 inches away in front of you.
This placement will ensure your arms and wrist are relaxed and have your hands and fingers on the keys at the same time.
5. Invest in a Standing Desk
To make the desk position ideal and avoid facing any kind of issues, you can go more practical by opting for a Standing desk.
Standing desks have an adjustable facility to raise, lower, and stop the desk height as per your preference and can help create a healthy posture.
The best thing is that, due to their height adjustability, standing desks can be used both as a sit-desk or a standing desk.
This means you can play PC games in the seated position, and when you feel uncomfortable, you can raise its height and switch your position to standing and vice-versa.
Changing the desktop height throughout your gaming sessions can help keep you active, healthy, and stay focused on your gameplay.
Today, standing desks come with manual adjustments and electrical adjustments. You can choose the one that suits your needs best.
However, they can be more expensive than regular desks, but they are worth investing in for healthy gaming sessions.
We recommend the SHW Standing Desk and the Flexispot Standing Desk. There are more feature-filled options, you can check that out more for yourself.
6. Take Frequent Breaks, Move Around
There’s still a great way to ensure you don’t feel uncomfortable and painful while gaming for long hours and that is taking frequent breaks.
A gaming session is supposed to be fun, but if you’re gaming for a while, it starts to get boring and make you less active.
Here, you need to take a break, go for a walk, or move around at your desk for a couple of minutes as it will allow your brain and body to recover and recharge.
It gives your brain time to think and it refreshes your memory. This is essential, especially, when you’re gaming for hours on end.
Video Tutorial: The Gamer’s Guide to Ergonomic Setup
FAQ: What Height Should a Gaming Desk Be
1. Is a higher or lower desk better for gaming?
If the desk height is low or high than the standard height, it can cause poor gaming posture and lead to poor concentration and aiming in gameplay.
2. Does chair height matter in gaming?
If the chair height is too high, you may feel fatigued and you’ll have to shift your weight to keep from falling over. If the chair height is too low, you may feel insecure and you’ll have to shift your weight more to maintain your balance.
3. Does a sitting position affect gaming?
A poor sitting posture may potentially create stress in the back, shoulder, and pain in the neck and the muscle surrounding the neck area which can lead to poor concentration and aiming in gameplay.
4. What is a good height for a gaming desk?
The right gaming desk height is where your feet touch the floor, your upper body is straight, your elbows are at 90 degrees angle with the desk, and your wrists are neutral or slightly extended.
Conclusion
Besides the width and depth of the gaming desk, you need to consider the height of the desk to improve the ergonomics of your gaming position.
And as we’ve gone through in our entire article how ergonomics is important for gaming, its very essential to choose the right height gaming desk.
The ideal gaming desk height is when the desk is at the same level as your elbows, your shoulders are stress-free, and the monitor is parallel to your eyes.
Although, frequent breaks and movement are still necessary and a great way to avoid facing discomfort or pain for long gaming periods.
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