Did you know that while the average height of people is increasing, the standard height for desks hasn’t changed in over 30 years?

Our friends at Posture People frequently encounter individuals over 6'5”—including their tallest customer, a freelance graphic designer who is 6'10"!

We asked co-founder Jo Blood to share how workplaces can be made more comfortable for taller people. The reality is that standard office furniture is too small for those at this height. Common issues include desk heights being too low, chairs lacking proper leg support, and monitor screens positioned too low.

Our tips for fixing workstation issues for taller people

Finding the right desk height for comfort and safety

The correct position to be sitting at is to have your feet firmly on the floor, raise the chair up as high as possible, bend your arms at a comfortable right angle, and then this is the perfect desk-height for you.

There are several options for resolving desk height issues:

‍Desk raisers: These can be a simple as blocks of wood under desk legs, the only problem is that these aren’t always that sturdy and if the desk moves off the raisers, then the desk can drop in height very suddenly (which isn’t great for health and safety).

The next option is set up a height adjustable desk. The height of the desk can be altered at the time of installation allowing the ideal height to be selected. This is the sturdiest cost-effective solution.

The Rolls Royce solution is to set up an electric height adjustable desk, the electric mechanism allows the user to alter the desk height without any difficulty. So you can actually use the desk to sit and stand at, so giving you the maximum versatility when it comes to your working posture.

Choosing the right chair for comfort and support

There are lots of chairs on the market, but when you are selecting a chair – go and sit in it! And sit in it for a prolonged period so that you can really assess if it provides support. When you are tall, one of the most important aspects is the height of the chair. If you get your desk to the right height – will your chair also come up to the right height? A quick test is to sit on the chair increase it to full height – are your hips above your knees? If not, then the chair doesn’t come up high enough for you.

The importance of monitor height for comfortable typing

And finally, make sure the monitor is at the right height. If you are a touch typist, then the top of the screen needs to be at your eye height level. If you need to look at the keyboard to type, then set your monitor at a slightly lower height. The result you are trying to achieve is to minimise any nodding movement on your neck, looking at the keyboard and the monitor.

The final advice as always is don’t get stuck at your desk, I know deadlines creep up but taking regular breaks (whether you are tall or not) is essential. A mini-break will make you feel better when you sit back down, and therefore you can work harder in between the breaks and may even make that deadline quicker.

‍Jo Blood is an expert in workstation ergonomics and co-founder of Posture People.