desk height?

[Wade Lippman]

I am building a computer workstation for myself.
Most desks are 30" high, with a pull out keyboard support.


Is there some fundamental flaw that I am missing about why I can't just make it 27" high and put the keyboard on the desktop?
I have it on sawhorses now and it seems fine, but I don't want to find out in a month "oh, that's why they make them 30" high".

[scott vroom]

I am building a computer workstation for myself.
Most desks are 30" high, with a pull out keyboard support.


Is there some fundamental flaw that I am missing about why I can't just make it 27" high and put the keyboard on the desktop?
I have it on sawhorses now and it seems fine, but I don't want to find out in a month "oh, that's why they make them 30" high".

Mark, 30" is just a rule of thumb. The right height is the height that suits your physique. There is a ton of office ergonomic info available on the web. Below is just one example.

[Keith Bohn]

30" is the norm that comes from a time when keyboards only made music. It's a good height for writing and "general desk work".

Over the years I've never had a keyboard tray and used the desk height with the keyboard on top. It's never been a problem.

If all you'll be using the desk for is computer work and you find 27" to work I'd say go for it.

Having said that, can you design in some 3" ball feet that can/could be added should you or a later user want the higher desktop?

Also, you might also want to fool around with your monitor height.

[Jamie Buxton]

Yeah, I find a desktop height of 27" or so is good. You can put a keyboard or a notebook computer on top of it, and type comfortably.

I find keyboard trays very irritating. A keyboard tray pushes you away from the desktop, where you might have other stuff -- books, papers, coffee cup, whatever. The tray just cuts down on the amount of the desktop that's in easy reach. Another irksome thing about the tray is that it gives you no option about where to put the keyboard. A third irksome thing is that it often doesn't have space for the mouse or trackball, so the pointing device goes on the table top. That means you have a long reach from keyboard to pointing device. So I'm all for making the desk height what you want -- 27" in this case -- and then you get to spread out anywhere and everywhere on the desk top.

[John T Barker]

Let me jump in and disagree with everyone. 27" may turn out to be uncomfortable for you when you sit in a chair and actually use it long term. I've been working in the furniture industry in one way or another for 20+ years and I'm guessing 30" is the standard for a reason, especially since you will rarely find a deviation from it (give or take a bit.) One thing I tell people all the time is that there are seating standard heights: 18", 24" and 30" and they correspond to the common eating/work surface heights: 30", 36" and 42". Notice the 12" difference. Once you try using a 30" stool at a 36" island you understand why the industry standards are what they are and what happens when you do. While a quick bite to eat at an island may not cause much in the way of back pain a few hours at a desk might do just that.

27" is pretty close to the height of a keyboard tray depending on your height and the height of your chair. Desk chairs are, depending on the type, often adjustable in height and you can put it at a level that will compensate for the "shortness" of your desk. I will call it short because if you ever buy something from a furniture store to go in the same room, file cabinet or printer stand, it will more than likely be 30" high. If you ever get plans to build something to go with it that piece will probably 30". The end result is an office set up that looks a little off and if the pieces are next to each other that difference might mean those coffee cups are getting spilled.

The ergonomics of the keyboard being lower than 30" keep your wrists straight and the likelyhood of carpal tunnel and the like less likely. We are not all the same height, of course, easier to move that chair.


John

[Jim Neeley]

As long as you have good knee clearance, go for it!

[Chris Fournier]

Depends on the design. Can you get your legs under it? You'll be staring down at the screen which will be tiring. I'd do a careful mock up and live with it for a while before I committed.

[Wade Lippman]

I've made the desktop and have it on a sawhorse and a file cabinet (which will be the support for the left side). I could put the computer on it and use it for a few days to see how I like it. Yeah, the monitor might be too low, but is easier to raise the monitor than to lower the keyboard/trackball. (22 years ago my son couldn't understand a mouse but could do a trackball, so I switched to trackball myself.)

[Rich Engelhardt]

You'll be staring down at the screen which will be tiring.Not if you wear bifocals..... ;). Having to tilt my head back so I can see the screen causes me excruciating pain after 30 min. I actually flunked a Microsoft certification test since I couldn't complete it because my neck hurt so bad. After that,,,I always dragged along several different strengths of reading glasses

[Curt Harms]

Not if you wear bifocals..... ;). Having to tilt my head back so I can see the screen causes me excruciating pain after 30 min. I actually flunked a Microsoft certification test since I couldn't complete it because my neck hurt so bad. After that,,,I always dragged along several different strengths of reading glasses

That's because you didn't have tri-focals:). I started with bifocals and had similar issues, neither portion was right. I went back to the glass place and they added a 3rd grind. The lower is for reading, the center is optimized for about 30" away and the top for distant.

As to Wade's question, I too am a trackball user. I guess keyboard drawers are less necessary now that keyboards and mice are often wireless and easy to move out of the way. I still prefer 'em though. I have a keyboard drawer just above my knees when I'm sitting. Keyboard drawer is 26" off the floor, desktop is 29". I don't believe you want your arms any higher than necessary when using a keyboard and mouse, lower seems less fatiguing to me. I also designed a stand for my trackball which tilts it forward. My wrist and hand are in a straight line with my forearm in use. Trackballs don't move around like mice so that's easy to accomplish. I guess keyboard drawers are less necessary now that keyboards and mice are often wireless and easy to move out of the way. I still prefer 'em though. I made my keyboard drawer 24" wide, if I did it again I'd make it 25 1/2" or 26". A mouse user might want it wider still. Also think about a pull-out tray to the right of the center desktop. That's the only surface that'll likely stay uncluttered:p. That's the beauty of making your own stuff. Make it to fit you, not some statistical average or mean.

[Scott Vigder]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=35195&d=1143645564 I built this desk with an adjustable keyboard holder....three levels of comfort to choose from. Seven years later it still works like a charm! http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=35195&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1143645564 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=35195&d=1143645564)

[johnny means]

Wade, why are you thinking about a desk at that height? Are you a shorter person, trying to make use of a limited amount of stock, trying to fit it under a window? I've seen Little People with custom furniture and kitchens specifically made for their situation and it's an obvious choice for their needs. The other 99.9% of us would suffer greatly with these things. I feel as though a desk should also be fairly comfortable to use while standing. I know I am not always inclined to have a seat for every little task I run to my desk for. Also, a 27" desk would have me looking down when using the computer, which for me and a lot of others would be problematic for the back. We are not designed to maintain that posture for long periods. Most importantly small furniture looks cheap:D

[Mel Fulks]

Old dining tables were often made 28 inches.Lots of them still being used .