If you are thinking about building or buying a DJ table, one of the key factors is how tall it should be. I’m a tall guy myself, so I did a bit of research on ergonomics and here’s what I found.
A DJ table is effectively a standing desk. For maximum comfort and minimum strain, it should be positioned so that your elbows are at a 90-degree angle when you use on your DJ equipment. How tall should a DJ table be? DJ tables or booth counters should be between 33 and 43 inches tall (83 to 109 cm), depending on your personal height. If more than one DJ will use the table, you should set the height at the average of 37 inches (94 cm).
Personally, I use an adjustable folding table with a tablecloth for my mobile DJ setup. It sits at 36 inches (92 cm), which hits my tall elbows perfectly when I add my gear. I use a folding laptop stand to bring my screen to eye level. You can see a full list of everything I use here.
UPDATE: Lots of folks have been buying gear using my Amazon links, and Amazon gives me a commission on the other stuff they buy too. Someone just purchased a completely different solution for larger DJ controllers. It’s a super-compact keyboard/audio table that’s only 18 pounds and folds to 29” X 12” X 3”. If you want to be ultraportable, it seems like a great choice. Check it out here: Gator Frameworks Keyboard and Audio Utility Table with Multi Point Adjustability and Built in Leveling Bubble
Where’s Your Elbow At?
You want to position your DJ equipment so that your wrists and elbows are relaxed as you use it. This will reduce fatigue and potential for injury. When designing spaces, most experts use the 5th to 95th percentiles of populations. This will cover the vast majority of DJs.
Human elbow height when standing ranges between 37 inches for a 5th percentile female to 47 inches for a 95th percentile male, based on a study conducted in 2006. The average elbow height lands right around 41 inches.
But, this doesn’t take into account the height of any DJ equipment being used. You want your elbow to be bent as close to 90 degrees as possible when your hands are resting on your equipment. This means you have to subtract your equipment height. If you don’t know what equipment will be used, you can use an average equipment height of approximately 4 inches. This is how we get to an average DJ table height of 37 inches.
Custom Kit For Comfortable Cuts
If you are building or purchasing a DJ table for just you, you should take the time to customize your measurements to your specific height. You’ll want to know exactly where your elbow sits and the height of your own DJ equipment.
To start, measure the height of your elbow while you are standing. Be sure to do this in shoes that you would typically wear while DJing, and try to make the environment as similar as possible to how you DJ. For me, I’m usually doing mobile DJ events, which means I’m in dress shoes. I also have an anti-fatigue mat that I stand on. These two things alone add almost an inch to my elbow height. So, I would measure my height on a solid floor in dress shoes standing on my mat.
To measure your elbow height, bend your elbow 90 degrees and measure from the actual floor to the bottom of your bent elbow. Ideally, you will want another person to measure you. But if you are by yourself, you can use a piece of string and measure the string. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Within an inch will do.
Now that you’ve got your elbow height, you need to factor in the height of your equipment. Remember again to use your full setup, including anything you stack on top of. I see many DJs who stack their gear on the case covers. All of these sorts of things count.
Assemble your DJ setup on any table, and then measure the height from the table to the top of your gear. Subtract this from your elbow height to get the ideal height for your DJ table.
With all of your gear on the table top, you’ll need a professional way to conceal your wires. I use a super-lightweight DJ facade that sets up in seconds and costs less than $50. Check out my full rundown of all of the different types of DJ facades to see which one will fit your table.
Rise Up, Wise Up, Eyes Up!
While we are talking about the height of your DJ equipment, this is a good time to consider the height of your eye line. You don’t want to go through all the effort of making your arms comfortable only to be hunched over your gear trying to read your screens.
If you are using a laptop or other separate screen, you want the top of your screen to be at or slightly below your natural eye level. Standing eye height ranges between 55 and 69 inches (140 to 179 cm). Obviously, you are going to need a laptop stand to get your screen to the proper height. Take your own measurements of both your standing eye level and your laptop to determine how tall your stand needs to be. Don’t forget that you can either look for an adjustable stand or a small riser if you need to move your screen up or down based on your height.
Your typical laptop stand will raise a laptop about 12 inches, and most midsize laptops will stand between 12 and 13 inches tall when open. This will put the top of your screen right at that average height of 62 inches. This is perfect for average height, but if you are taller you may need a larger stand or an additional boost.
Life Is Full Of Compromises
With all of these moving parts, you are going to have to make some compromises unless you are building your DJ table completely from scratch. If you are buying a table off the shelf, look for one that is at least 36 inches tall, and potentially one that is adjustable. Before you buy or build anything, you should use whatever you have to get your gear to the appropriate heights and see how it feels. Anything stable around the house that you can stack and measure should be fine, like books or magazines, boxes, storage containers, etc.
Get all of your gear to the proper height and use it for a bit. How does it feel? Do you feel relaxed? Are you straining in any direction? Now, make adjustments up or down based on the different tables you are considering buying. How much difference does that change make? Can you add or subtract height with an adjustable stand or a riser? Make sure you are comfortable with what you are buying before you spend the money.
Music Is Love, So Love Everybody
If you are building a DJ booth for a club, or buying a mobile setup for multiple DJs, aim for right down the middle. The top of your DJ table should be right at 37 inches, or 94 centimeters. Individual gear height will vary between DJs, so you want to build in adjustability if you can. Adjustable stands, risers or even a table top that can be moved up and down will be deeply appreciated by DJs.
An additional note specifically to business owners: you may be tempted to build to the majority. It may seem like an easier path. The majority of DJs stand up, and in the past most were male.
Do yourself a huge favor and consider all people. There are a large number of female DJs now. You may also have DJs who need to sit down for a variety of reasons. You should consider all DJs when you are building a DJ booth.
You have a duty as a venue owner to be as inclusive as possible. Do everything you can to make your space work for everyone, not just the majority. The last thing you want is a reputation for being hard to work with or making DJs uncomfortable. If you are taking the time to build something new, put in just a little extra effort to make it work for everyone.
In Summary…
DJ booths and tables can be confusing to choose. There are so many options to purchase, and you can always build a custom table yourself. All things considered, you should look for a table around 37 inches tall. Don’t forget to adjust up or down for your specific measurements and DJ gear. Picking or building a table the right size for you will make a huge difference in how you feel at the end of the night. Stay relaxed, stay comfy and keep the party going!
Now that you have the right table, do you know how to set up all of your gear around it? If not, check out my quick tips for properly setting up your mobile DJ gear.
