# At what point does male height provide "diminishing returns?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 9, 2017, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812 "2017-07-09T06:36:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/21 "2017-07-09T18:18:08Z")
As a straight, 5’9" male, I think the perfect male height is between 5’10" and 6’1"; everything above that is a little too tall. I know myself, if I could change my height, it would be in that range. There are same literal giants of history like Abe Lincoln, who stood 6’4" tall, but that’s just too tall for my eyes. When you get to a certain height, you start looking like a Bond villain. My height isn’t perfect either - one inch too short. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/22 "2017-07-09T18:43:40Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I can see where dating/living with/marrying someone closer to one’s own height becomes appealing (the guy I wound up marrying was about 3-4 inches taller than me, which made him under average US height for a man). My 6’2 husband is always putting things up on shelves where I can’t reach them. He just doesn’t think about it. Proportion does matter. My husband is tall, but his height is as much in his back as his legs, so he has to worry about headroom more than legroom. Also, slight hijack, but my mother, who always gets these weird ideas fixed in her head, and you can’t change her mind, was somehow convinced that when you bought a car, you were supposed to set the seat position, and never move it again-- moving it repeatedly was “bad” for it somehow. She is just an inch shorter than my father was, and so they really did keep the seats and mirrors in the same position. When short li’l me drove their car for the first time, and moved the seat and mirrors, I got in trouble for “messing” with them, because I was going to “break” them. Fortunately, I didn’t have much call to drive their car, but when I did, I had to put a pillow behind my back. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/23 "2017-07-09T18:50:26Z")
I’m 6’3". Was 6’4" but gravity has taken it’s hold. It used to suck to try to buy clothes. Really. Every shirt sleeve had to be rolled up, or they came two inches before my wrist. I can find things online now. I have long arms and legs. Being a bit over average height is very, very helpful… Until you get on a plane or buy a car. With that said, I wouldn’t give it up. I’m sure I will have more joint problems as I get older though. To address the OP re women. Not sure it matters. My Wife of 20 years is 5’2". My best bud is 6’6" and his Wife is 5’1". My Wife is an IronMan. It’s not about height. It’s about soul. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/24 "2017-07-09T19:14:31Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > at a certain point the height differential is such that you can’t have penis in vagina sex and kiss at the same time. This is just not true. Your math might be OK, but the premise severely underestimates the flexibility of your partner. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/25 "2017-07-09T19:21:59Z")
Either that, or my partner was really inflexible. Hey, he couldn’t mange it, doesn’t mean no one else can. It was just an example. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/26 "2017-07-09T19:37:16Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > My 6’2 husband is always putting things up on shelves where I can’t reach them. He just doesn’t think about it. My wife complains about that too. I remind her where the stepstool is. Not quite conversely, but she’s in the habit of putting things where I can’t ever find them again, nor can she much of the time, but we work things out anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/27 "2017-07-09T19:42:49Z")
At a foot difference in height, it’s also going to be difficult to kiss while standing up. Let’s also not forget the door-frame issue. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/28 "2017-07-09T19:48:35Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > My 6’2 husband is always putting things up on shelves where I can’t reach them. He just doesn’t think about it. . . . Grin! Me too. My old co-worker was 5’4" and hated me for putting stuff on top shelves. (But being tallish was very handy when it came time to string data cables through the ceilings!) Ah, well, “Long enough to reach the ground,” I guess! ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/29 "2017-07-09T20:34:03Z")
Guy that’s 5’10" here. I’d guess somewhere in the 6’1" to 6’4" range. You’re tall, but not the “tall guy.” ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/30 "2017-07-09T20:44:14Z")
IMO 6’0" is about perfect. I’m 6’0" and I feel if I were any taller I would start to be inconvenienced more. Some examples. I had a 1995 Ford ranger, there was no extra leg room and no room to recline even a normal amount. I ride motorcycles, have worked at stealerships, guys much over 6’ don’t ALWAYS fit a bike like they want to. I live in a mobile home, and I feel huge. I hit my head on the back door frame, if I stretch I hit the ceiling etc. I play guitar, as a teen I wanted to look like some of my heros, so I bought a LesPaul and then figured out Randy Rhoads is like 5’6" 135lbs.:smack:. At 6’0" 235lbsI did not look like my hero. Now none of these things are real problems, but all would be worse if I were taller. All that said, I’ve always wanted to be 6’4". (But realized 6’ is more convenient as an adult) 6’4 always sounded good to me as a kid. Big enough to be bigger than most,but not freakishly tall. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/31 "2017-07-10T02:31:03Z")
I think/assume many women prefer men about 1 standard deviation taller than average. So for American men that means about 6’ or 6’1". Above that, I don’t think you get as much advantage. Going from 5’8" to 6’1" provides advantages in dating, but going from 6’1" to 6’6" doesn’t provide as many from what I’ve seen. As far as issues other than dating, i’m 6’1" (about 6’2" with shoes on) and it can be hard to find a car with enough headroom. I’ve had several cars I had to bend my neck sideways to fit. And I’m not even that tall. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/32 "2017-07-10T02:36:08Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Funny story, I work in an industrial site that is dominated by ethic groups that tend to be on the short side. I am used to being the tallest person around. However, one day I had to bring in two other consultants that I had never met before to do a site survey. A 6’4" Norwegian and a 6’6" German showed up. I showed them around while being the shortest of the group but we looked like Gulliver trampling across Lilliput. [Photo](https://forum.bodybuilding.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=290871&d=1143794882) taken of \*\*Shagnasty \*\*at work with his taller coworkers. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/33 "2017-07-10T13:17:02Z")
Average male height in the United States is 5’9.3" with an S.D. of 2.94". A nice calculator for percentiles available [here](https://tall.life/height-percentile-calculator-age-country/). The question of diminishing and potentially negative returns may be different for opposite sex attraction (and that dependent on the height of the woman), for career, and for health (possibly even by individual health risk). IMHO **Wesley** ’s way of thinking about it is on the money: being taller than average is an advantage; being an outlier is a disadvantage. 6’2’ is almost at the 10%ile, tall but one out of ten will still be taller than you. 6’3.3" is the 2 S.D. above average, 97.9%ile, yeah, definitely tall but not freakishly so. 6’5" OTOH puts you at the 99.559%ile and that is the literally stand out of the crowd range. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/34 "2017-07-10T13:55:49Z")
I am an even 6’0 and always said I wish I was about 2-3 inches taller. I think height becomes more of an inconvenience when you hit 6’4. I’ve always hated my height because I feel so damn average. I’m not tall enough to be tall, but I’m certainly not short. I am pretty lanky, so I look and act taller than I really am, but I’ve always hated just being meh. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/35 "2017-07-10T14:08:13Z")
I’m 6’3"-ish. Am often glad to be this tall, but wouldn’t want to be too much taller. Most cars fit just fine w/ seat al the way back - tho it crowds anyone in back. Airplane seats are uncomfortable - but they seem uncomfortable for everyone. I now fly 1st class, so that’s no problem. Can buy pretty much any clothes I want - using tall sizes. Size 12 shoes are readily available. Nice to be able to reach top shelves, and see over crowds. I occasionally bump my head - would imagine that would increase with each extra inch. Never found my height to be any benefit/detriment re: romance, tho I personally think being tall, relatively thin/fit, w/ relatively broad shoulders is about all I’ve got going for me in the looks department. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/36 "2017-07-10T17:54:17Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Speaking as someone who once had a relationship with someone 14 inches taller than herself: at a certain point the height differential is such that you can’t have penis in vagina sex and kiss at the same time. Unless the taller partner is some sort of contortionist I suppose, but we weren’t able to do it. Is that a deal-breaker? Well… I guess not for me, we were an item for two years and that’s not why we broke up, but start adding up all the awkwardness that difference in height causes and yeah, I can see where dating/living with/marrying someone closer to one’s own height becomes appealing (the guy I wound up marrying was about 3-4 inches taller than me, which made him under average US height for a man). It could well be a deal-breaker for some people. Ha! That brings back the memory of a girl back in college. She was relatively short, maybe around 5’, and I’m a bit over 6’4". I had just met her and we had been talking for a few minutes when she said something like “Height doesn’t make any difference in bed, for example you and I could have sex and it would work out fine” and I responded immediately with “That’s nonsense, you would be making out with my belly button!” 10 minutes later she was proving me wrong! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/37 "2017-07-10T17:56:59Z")
Anything over 6’ 6" gets awkward. People start to stare, make jokes about the weather “up there” and warn you to duck your head. Being to tall or too long can cause problems. 😃 I’m 6’ 1" and wished I was 6’4". It would have improved my basketball game. I might have gotten into a Division I school. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/38 "2017-07-10T18:12:26Z")
> [@BobBitchin](#): > > IMO 6’0" is about perfect. > > I’m 6’0" and I feel if I were any taller I would start to be inconvenienced more. I’m 6’1" and I can see that being any taller can have drawbacks. I can feel my hair brushing against the headliner when I drive my car. Another inch or two and it would start to be uncomfortable. > [@pullin](#): > > Broomstick will understand this one… > > I have friend who’s 6’7". He became interested in earning a pilot’s license and discovered he’s very limited in the airplanes he can use. He cannot fit into a Cessna 152\* at all, and the 172\*\* is barely adequate. According to him, he cannot use any of the small Pipers either (Cherokees, Arrows, etc.). He can fold himself into them, but his knees interfere with the control movements so much that he considers it unsafe. He says the C-182 is the only one the “fits” him. My uncle is 6’4" and flies a Bonanza, but if you think a 172 is expensive… When I was a kid, a friend of my dad’s was 6’4" and drove an [MGB GT](https://www.hemmings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads//2013/02/1969MGBGT_01_700.jpg), which is not a big car. Years later I bought one; I had plenty of headroom, and in the passenger seat I could stretch my legs and point my toes. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/39 "2017-07-10T19:18:34Z")
A friend of mine is 6’7" (he was 6’8" when he was younger), and his wife is 4’11". He’s fairly private, and so, I’ve never asked about the logistics of their love life, but clearly it worked out all right. The one issue I know of is that both of their daughters are tall, and were long / big babies, which made the latter stages of her pregnancies difficult. He’s always been limited in the models of cars he could buy, due to his size (he’s lanky, and much of his height is in his legs), and he always has to be aware of ceilings and doorways. I suspect he wishes he were a few inches shorter than he is. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812/40 "2017-07-10T20:17:12Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I would like to hear a rational explanation for why more than 12 inches of height difference is a deal-breaker. > > (go ahead and fire off the jokes - I can feel them coming - but I would really like to know **Oredigger** ’s rationale for this) > mmm I don’t have any rational explanation but life is certainly easier when partners heights are similarly matched. An easy example is I bought a nice couch several years ago that is built for bigger guys, I love it and it’s one of the best things that I own. My wife hates my couch since when she sits on the couch her feet don’t touch the floor and after long enough her legs start to fall asleep. Of course, I broke my rule with her since she’s 13 inches shorter than me. I created the rule after a string of girlfriends that we’re ~18" shorter than me and I was tired of the difficulties of having sex standing up since it limits the fun. Aside from the furniture example above and basically needing to own two sets of everything for us both to be comfortable as mentioned where we store things in the house vary I prefer eye level which is typically out of reach of my wife while she likes the under counter shelves which I have trouble seeing the back of. I hate her car, Ford Focus, and getting in is a pain and then my knees and head are crushed the whole time while she feels like my car is hard to see out of. Now that’s all the day to day stuff that while true are nowhere near what I was thinking of when I made the rule, just that making out standing up is uncomfortable and sex standing up is basically impossible and while would I want to make my life harder for a girl I don’t know so I might as while just eliminate the shorties off the bat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-male-height-provide-diminishing-returns/790812.md?page=3)