Armrest and lumbar height for someone 5 ft 6 in
Quick answer
For a 5 ft 6 in body the armrests belong about 9.6 in (24 cm) above the seat pan, which is 26.1 in (66 cm) from the floor, and the lumbar support apex sits about 7.6 in (19 cm) above the pan. Armrests set too high are the commonest cause of raised shoulders at a desk.
The stature multipliers behind this table are conventions, not published standards. Two people of the same height can differ by more than an inch in leg or torso length, which is exactly why ANSI/HFES 100 specifies adjustment ranges rather than single correct numbers.
| Dimension | Above the seat | From the floor | How to check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armrest top | 9.6 in (24 cm) | 26.1 in (66 cm) | Elbows rest without the shoulders lifting |
| Lumbar apex | 7.6 in (19 cm) | 24.1 in (61 cm) | Presses into the inward curve of the lower back |
| Seat height | - | 16.5 in (42 cm) | Set this first |
| Desk surface | - | 27.1 in (69 cm) | Armrests should slide under it |
| Type | What it moves | Worth it for this body |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed | Nothing | Only if the fixed height happens to land near 9.6 in above the pan. |
| Height adjustable (1D) | Up and down | The minimum worth having. Covers most of the fit problem. |
| Height and width (2D) | Up, down, in, out | Useful if your shoulder width differs from average for your height. |
| 3D and 4D | Adds pivot and depth | Genuinely useful for mixed keyboard and mouse work, and easy to overpay for. |
Chairs with real armrest and lumbar adjustment
Shown across the range this category actually spans, from $16.98 to $1585.00, rather than the cheapest few.
- LumbarPal
Lumbar Support Pillow for Office Chair, Back Support, Memory Foam, Grey
$16.98 Check pricePrices change often - Haworth
Haworth Fern Ergonomic Office Chair w/Breathable Mesh, Lumbar, Coal
$1,130.00 Check pricePrices change often - Haworth
Haworth Fern Ergonomic Office Chair, Digital Knit, Lumbar, Ember
$1,585.00 Check pricePrices change often
Armrests are usually set too high
The job of an armrest is to take the weight of the forearm so the shoulder does not have to. That means it should just meet your elbow when your upper arm hangs straight down and your shoulders are relaxed, which for a 5 ft 6 in body is about 9.6 in above the seat pan. Most people set them higher, because a higher armrest feels supportive at the moment you sit down.
Higher is worse. An armrest above elbow height pushes the forearm up, which lifts the shoulder, and a lifted shoulder held for hours is felt in the upper trapezius and the neck rather than the arm. If you are unsure, set them slightly too low rather than slightly too high: an armrest a little below the elbow is simply not used, while one a little above is actively loading you.
Setting the lumbar support
The lumbar apex should press into the inward curve of your lower back, which for this body sits around 7.6 in above the seat pan. Height adjustable lumbar support is far more useful than depth adjustment alone, because getting the apex at the wrong height cannot be corrected by pushing it further forward; it just presses harder in the wrong place.
A useful check: sit back fully, then slide a hand behind your lower back. You should feel the support filling the curve without pushing you forward out of the seat. If there is a gap you are not being supported, and if you are being pushed forward the apex is too far out or sitting too high up the back.
Questions people ask
How high should armrests be for someone 5 ft 6 in?
About 9.6 in (24 cm) above the seat pan, which works out to roughly 26.1 in from the floor once the seat is set correctly. Let your upper arms hang straight down with your shoulders relaxed, then raise the armrests until they just meet your elbows. Any higher and they lift your shoulders.
Are armrests bad for you?
Well set ones take forearm weight off the shoulders and help. Badly set ones cause the problem they are blamed for. The failure mode is setting them too high, which raises the shoulders, and the second is armrests so wide or so tall that the chair will not pull under the desk, leaving you reaching forward for the keyboard all day.
Where should lumbar support sit?
Around 7.6 in (19 cm) above the seat pan for this body, pressing into the inward curve of the lower back rather than above or below it. Height adjustment matters more than depth: an apex at the wrong height cannot be fixed by pushing it further forward, which only presses harder in a place that does not want pressure.
Should I remove the armrests entirely?
Some people do, and for a desk used mainly for mousing at a pulled in position it can work well. It is a reasonable experiment if your chair will not adjust low enough, since no armrest is better than one that lifts your shoulder. Removing them does mean your shoulders carry the full weight of your arms whenever you are not resting them on the desk.