How High Should My Desk Be for Gaming?

So you plan on setting up the perfect gaming desk station, one with all the bells and whistles.

You’ve got a killer tower with tons of processing power, a super high-def monitor, speakers that can blow out your eardrums, and a great video gaming controller.

The only other thing is that you need to get a top gaming desk that will bring your setup together, keep you comfortable, and let you game in style.

If you need extra space, you could also choose to get a l-shaped gaming desk.

However, what’s important to note is that the height of the desk is going to make a big difference for your overall gaming experience, especially when it comes to long-term comfort.

So, how high should your desk be for gaming?

It’s quite a simple thing, but also very important, because you don’t want to end up with back pain.

Desk Height for Gaming

The first thing to note is that the height of your desk for gaming is going to depend on how tall you are.

No, we are not about to make a list of ideal desk heights for different sizes of people, because it all depends on how long your legs, arms, and torso are, and as you might know, not everybody is the same, and certainly not everyone has the same proportions.

Other sources will tell you that an average gaming desk should be between 28 and 30 inches in height, but if you’re shorter than 5’8” or taller than 5’10”, these dimensions are going to change.

Therefore, providing you with a strict desk height in terms of exact inches is rather useless.

However, what we can do is provide you with a guide so you can figure out the proper desk height for gaming for yourself.

So, to get the right desk height for you, here are some tips that you need to follow.

READ ALSO: Gaming Desk vs Regular Desk

Your Chair and Legs

In order to reduce pressure on your thighs, which can impair blood flow and cause some more serious issues, with leg pain being one of them, is that your chair should allow you to sit with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle, with your hips and knees on the same level, and the soles of your feet planted firmly on the ground.

You might be wondering what this has to do with the height of your desk, which you will see soon enough.

Keyboard and Arm Position

The next important aspect to consider when choosing the right height for your gaming desk is the position of your arms.

The reason for this is because people who do not have the right posture and arm position often end up with severe finger and wrist pain, and are at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

So, when you are using your mouse and keyboard, your elbows should be bent at a 90 degree angle, and your knuckles should always be on the same level as your wrists.

You don’t want to be bending your hands up or down at the wrist; you don’t want your hand in a claw shape, which can cause serious pain and even permanent damage.

Arms and Legs – Bringing Them Together

We have so far discussed what the ideal positions are for your arms and legs, which might seem weird if we are talking about desk height, but those two things will work toward determining the ideal desk height for gaming.

Your legs are bent at a 90 degree angle, and so are your elbows.

This means that the ideal height for your desk, when sitting in this proper position, is going to be somewhere in those few inches of vertical space between your knees and elbows, high enough to fit your legs under the desk while also ensuring that your elbows are not bent up or down.

The Monitor

On a side note, when you are properly positioned, the monitor should be no more than 2 feet away from your face, and somewhere around or just below eye level.

You don’t want to strain your eyes and you don’t want to be hunching or bending forward to see the monitor.

This can be an issue when it comes to desk height, because for proper keyboard and arm position, the desk needs to be well under eye level, more or less at elbow level.

This therefore means that the monitor is going to be too low, so you want a monitor that has a very large stand, possibly with a height adjustment feature.

READ ALSO: How Deep Should My Desk Be for Gaming?

You could also invest in a desk which has a raised monitor platform. This is important for maintain proper back posture.

Another solution here would be to get a desk with a low keyboard drawer, as this would help raise the overall height of the desk, and therefore the monitor, without forcing you to raise your arms.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that the ideal height for a gaming desk will allow you to keep your head and back straight, as well as in line with each other, and will also allow you to keep your knees and elbows bent at a 90-degree angle, with straight wrists.

This therefore usually means that the ideal gaming desk height will be somewhere in the space between your forearms and upper legs, which should be perpendicular with one another.