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Drafting chair or office chair for a standing desk?
Updated
If your standing desk moves up and down, you do not need a drafting chair. Lower the desk when you sit and use a normal office chair. A drafting chair makes sense only when the work surface stays at standing height, like a counter, a fixed-height standing desk or a workbench.
How a sit-stand desk changes the chair question
With a desk that moves, the order is simple: set the chair to fit your legs first, then bring the desk to your elbows. The chair never has to reach up to the desk. That means the same two numbers as any chair: a seat height near one quarter of your height plus an inch for shoes, and a seat that is not too deep. A person who is 5 ft 8 in wants a seat near 18 inches. Use the calculator for yours.
When a drafting chair is the right tool
- Your desk or counter does not go down.
- You switch often between standing and perching, and do not want to move the desk each time.
- You work at a tall bench or table.
A drafting chair is a tall office chair with a longer gas lift and a foot ring. The foot ring matters. With your feet dangling, the seat edge presses into your thighs, which is the same problem OSHA's guide describes for any seat that is too high. On the drafting chair listing we read, the seat height range was not printed clearly, so ask the seller for the lowest and highest setting and compare the highest with your desk height.
Sitting, standing and the in between
OSHA's positions guide describes upright sitting, standing, and declined sitting, where the thighs slope down and the hips sit higher than the knees. A drafting chair or a perch stool puts you in something close to that declined posture. Cornell's ergonomics guide notes that the real benefit of sit-stand is the change between positions, and that standing still is more tiring than sitting still. So whichever setup you pick, plan to move.
What we list
We do not list a drafting chair, because the one we read did not print a clear seat height range. For a sit-stand desk, any of our picks works. If you have a long reach to the desk and like to lean back, the HON Ignition 2.0 lets you set seat depth, though owners are split on its firm seat. If you are tall, the GABRYLLY High Back prints a seat range up to 23.6 inches, though some owners report it sinking.
Setting the desk height is the other half. Our sister site Desk Height Check covers that, and Walking Pad Fit covers walking pads if you want to move while you stand. Compare all seven chair picks here.