A single 27-inch monitor needs a desk at least 90 cm wide and 55 cm deep. Dual 27-inch panels need 130 cm.
A 34-inch ultrawide fits on 110 cm but feels cramped without 120. These numbers come from actual panel widths in manufacturer spec sheets, not guesswork. Below, we cover every common size so you buy the right desk the first time.
How We Calculated These Numbers
We took the panel width from each manufacturer's spec sheet, added 5-10 cm of side clearance for peripherals, and checked whether the depth left enough room for OSHA's recommended 50-76 cm viewing distance. You can test any combination yourself in the desk setup planner.
24-Inch Monitors
A 24-inch 16:9 panel is about 55 cm wide. The ASUS VG249Q1A measures 54 cm across and ships with a stand roughly 22 cm deep. An 80 cm desk works, though 100 cm is more comfortable once you add a keyboard and mouse. Depth is forgiving: 50 cm is fine because the ideal viewing distance is only 50-65 cm.
Minimum desk: 80 x 50 cm. Recommended: 100 x 55 cm.
27-Inch Monitors
The most popular desktop size. A 27-inch panel runs 61-62 cm wide.
The Dell U2723QE measures 61.1 cm; the LG 27GP850 comes in at 61.4 cm. On a 90 cm desk you get about 14 cm of clearance per side, enough for a mouse but tight with speakers. A 120 cm desk is the sweet spot, giving you 29 cm per side for speakers, a phone stand, or a drink.
The Dell U2723QE stand is 24.4 cm deep. With the stand about 30 cm from the front edge, the screen sits roughly 60 cm from your eyes, right inside the 60-75 cm recommended range for this size.
Minimum desk: 90 x 55 cm. Recommended: 120 x 60 cm.
32-Inch Monitors
At 32 inches, depth becomes the real constraint. The panel is about 71 cm wide, so width is rarely the problem.
But viewing distance jumps to 70-85 cm, and a 50 cm deep desk puts your eyes about 55 cm from the screen with a stock stand. That's too close. You'll scan across the panel instead of viewing it.
Get a desk at least 60 cm deep, or use a monitor arm to push the screen behind the desk's back edge. An arm reclaims the full stand footprint (typically 20-25 cm deep).
Minimum desk: 100 x 60 cm. Recommended: 120 x 65 cm.
34-Inch Ultrawide (21:9)
The LG 34WN80C panel is 81 cm wide. On a 100 cm desk, that leaves 9.5 cm per side. Your mouse pad won't fit beside it. A 120 cm desk gives you 19.5 cm per side, which works but is still snug with desktop speakers.
We tested an IKEA LAGKAPTEN 120x60 with a 34-inch ultrawide. It fits, but only if you skip speakers or push them behind the monitor. A 140 cm desk gives you real breathing room. Depth is less of a concern than with 32-inch panels because ultrawides are shorter vertically, so the 65-80 cm viewing distance is easier to hit on a 60 cm desk.
