Wish I never listened to my uncle about workbench height

My uncle Steve kept telling me to build my bench at 36 inches tall because that's what he used. I followed his advice exactly and built it perfect level and sturdy. After three months of using it my lower back was killing me every time I sanded or planed. I finally raised it to 40 inches and the pain went away in a week. Has anyone else figured out their bench height the hard way?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jordan2d ago

Changed my mind on this one honestly. I always figured low was the way to go because it feels more stable for heavy hammering. But after watching a buddy struggle through a whole project with his back hunched over I started measuring my own bench height. Turns out I had mine way too low for the way I actually work. Now I'm at 42 inches and it feels completely different, like I can actually stand up straight and use my arms instead of my spine. Funny how something so simple can mess you up for months before you realize it.

andrewh432d ago

Wait, has anyone here tried adjusting their bench height depending on what they're doing? I mean like having a low one for heavy hammering and a higher one for assembly or detail work. I keep seeing people argue for one height fits all and it seems silly to me, no offense to @the_jordan. Different tasks use different muscles and body positions, so having two benches or an adjustable top makes way more sense than fighting your setup for hours. I built a second bench at 44 inches just for sanding and measuring and it saved my lower back completely. Just something to think about if youve been stuck on the one height debate.