How to Set Standing Desk Memory Presets — and What Height to Save for Sitting vs Standing

A memory controller is the part of a sit-stand desk most people ignore on day one and rely on every day after. The idea is simple: instead of holding the up or down arrow and eyeballing the height each time, you save your seated and standing positions to numbered buttons, then move between them with a single press. The catch is that the presets are only as good as the two numbers you save into them. Save the wrong heights and you will spend months slightly hunched or reaching up to type. This guide covers how to work out the correct seated and standing tabletop height for your body, then how to program those heights into the presets — using the real height ranges on DeskOne desks so the numbers are grounded, not guesswork.

What memory presets actually do

Every DeskOne electric sit-stand desk with a digital controller ships with four height memory presets. Each preset stores a tabletop height in millimetres. Once saved, pressing that button drives the legs to the exact stored height and stops — no watching a tape measure. Four presets is enough to cover a seated position, a standing position, and two extras (for example a second user, or a lower "focus" seated height). The height a desk can reach depends on its frame. DeskOne two-stage frames — such as the S-Series and U-Series dual-motor desks — travel from 700mm to 1200mm at the tabletop. The three-stage L-Shaped triple-motor frame travels further, from 620mm up to 1270mm, because the extra leg segment lets it drop lower and rise higher. This range difference matters when you choose your seated height, as shown below.

Working out your standing height

Your standing tabletop height should put your elbows at roughly a 90-degree angle when your hands rest on the keyboard, shoulders relaxed. A reliable starting estimate is your standing elbow height from the floor. As a rough guide by body height (tabletop measured from the floor, in a normal pair of shoes):

• 160cm tall — about 950mm
• 165cm tall — about 990mm
• 170cm tall — about 1020mm
• 175cm tall — about 1050mm
• 180cm tall — about 1080mm
• 185cm tall — about 1110mm
• 190cm tall — about 1140mm

All of these fall comfortably inside the 700–1200mm range of a DeskOne two-stage frame, and inside the 620–1270mm range of the three-stage frame. Treat the number as a start point: stand at the desk, rest your fingers on the home row, and nudge the height until your forearms are level and your wrists are straight, not bent up or down.

Working out your seated height

Seated, the same elbow rule applies — forearms roughly parallel to the floor when your feet are flat and your back is supported. Typical seated tabletop heights by body height:

• 160cm tall — about 650mm
• 165cm tall — about 660mm
• 170cm tall — about 680mm
• 175cm tall — about 700mm
• 180cm tall — about 720mm
• 185cm tall — about 740mm
• 190cm tall — about 760mm

Here is where the frame range becomes a real constraint. A DeskOne two-stage frame bottoms out at 700mm, so if you are around 170cm or shorter and want a true seated typing height near 650–680mm, the desk cannot physically go that low — you would need to raise your chair and use a footrest, or choose the three-stage frame, which reaches down to 620mm. If a low seated height matters to you, the 620–1270mm three-stage L-Shaped desk is the one that covers it.

How to program the presets (step by step)

Exact button labels vary between controller versions, so keep the small controller card that ships in the box. The general sequence is the same across DeskOne handsets:

1. Use the up and down arrows to drive the tabletop to your target height. Confirm it against the digital display or a tape measure from the floor.
2. Press the set or memory key (often marked M or S) until the display flashes or shows a prompt.
3. Press the number you want to assign — 1 for seated, 2 for standing, for example — within a few seconds while the display is flashing.
4. The height is now saved to that number. Move the desk away, then press the number again to confirm it returns to the exact height.
5. Repeat for your standing height on a second button. Use the remaining two presets for a second user or a spare position.

To overwrite a preset later, simply drive to a new height and save it to the same number again. There is no need to clear the old value first.

Common setup mistakes

Measuring to the frame instead of the tabletop is the most frequent error — always measure to the top surface where your keyboard sits, not to the crossbar. Setting a standing height that is too high is the second: if you find yourself shrugging your shoulders to reach the keys, drop the preset by 10–20mm. People also forget that adding a thick desk mat, a keyboard tray, or a monitor riser changes the effective height and may warrant re-saving both presets. Finally, if the desk beeps and refuses to move to a preset, it is usually the anti-collision protection sensing an obstruction under the desk, or a reset being needed — lower the desk fully and hold the down arrow to recalibrate before trying again. Alternating between sitting and standing through the day may help reduce the stiffness that comes from staying in one posture, but the presets are a convenience feature, not a medical device.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many memory presets do DeskOne standing desks have?
DeskOne electric sit-stand desks with a digital controller — including the S-Series, U-Series and L-Shaped models — have four height memory presets. Each stores one tabletop height, so you can save a seated and a standing position and still have two spare buttons for a second user or an alternate height.

What height should I set for standing?
Aim for the height where your elbows sit at roughly 90 degrees with relaxed shoulders and straight wrists — near your standing elbow height. As a starting estimate that is about 1020mm for a 170cm person and about 1080mm for someone 180cm tall, then fine-tune by feel. Both sit inside the 700–1200mm range of a DeskOne two-stage frame.

What height should I set for sitting?
Set it so your forearms are parallel to the floor with feet flat and back supported — roughly 680mm for a 170cm person and about 720mm at 180cm. Note that a two-stage DeskOne frame bottoms out at 700mm; if you need a lower seated height, the three-stage L-Shaped frame reaches down to 620mm.

How do I actually save a preset?
Drive the desk to your target height with the arrows, press and hold the set or memory key until the display flashes, then press the number you want to store it under. Move the desk and press that number again to confirm it returns to the saved height. Button labels vary, so keep the controller card from the box.

My desk won't move to a saved preset — what's wrong?
This is usually the anti-collision protection detecting something under or above the desk, or the controller needing a reset. Clear any obstruction, then lower the desk fully and hold the down arrow for a few seconds to recalibrate. After a reset you may need to re-save your presets, as some controllers clear them during recalibration.

Do I need to re-set the presets if I add a monitor arm or desk mat?
A monitor arm clamps to the desk and moves with it, so it does not change your tabletop height. A thick desk mat, keyboard tray or riser does change the effective typing height, so it is worth re-checking your elbow angle and re-saving both the seated and standing presets if it feels off.

The short version

Work out your seated and standing tabletop heights from your body height, confirm the numbers against your own elbow angle, then save them to two of the four presets. Check that your chosen seated height is within the frame's range — 700–1200mm on a two-stage DeskOne frame, or 620–1270mm on the three-stage L-Shaped model — before you commit. Once the two numbers are right, switching posture is a single button press for the life of the desk.

By James Whitfield, Melbourne