Pulpit And Podium Dimensions: The Ultimate Guide

I completely get it, trust me.  You've been browsing online the past couple of weeks, and you need a podium.  Maybe for your school, your business, or your church.  Whatever you may need one for.  

Then finally, you find the one!  As soon as you saw it, you had to have it immediately.  You hit the checkout button, and you're ready to put your card information in.  Then a thought creeps into your head.

"I'm about to spend thousands of dollars on something that I can't see until it arrives."  A million questions start zooming through your head.  

What's the size of this thing?  How will it fit when you're standing behind it?  Is it too big to fit in the building's doorway?  Will the top surface be large enough for your computer and notes?

You need answers.  You need to find out about the podium dimensions!

Well I've got some good news for you.  I think you've come to the right place because in this article we're going to discuss everything there is to know about podium dimensions.  From the height, the width, the size in feet, and even the size in centimeters.  Shoot, we're even going to talk about pulpit dimensions.  

When I say everything, I mean everything.  So buckle up, and enjoy.  Let's get into it!

Standard Podium Dimensions

Dimensions usually refer to the size of an object. Whether that be the length, the width, or the depth.  You can measure the dimensions of just about anything.  Your room, a building, a table, your computer, the list goes on and on.  

When it comes to podiums, dimensions are a big topic because you want to know how the product fits your body.  If you're a really short person, it would be crazy to buy a lectern, and when it's time to speak, the crowd can barely even see you.  

I think we've all seen that happen before.  Do you remember that time when Queen Elizabeth visited the White House in 1991?  The podium was set up perfectly for President Bush, but not for the Queen.  In the speech, all you could see was her hat!

If it could happen to Queen Elizabeth, it could happen to anybody.  That's why it's important to know the dimensions of your product before you click the buy button.

The Average Podium Height 

The average podium height is about 46" - 48".  That's about 4 feet tall.  That's usually a good height for everybody, whether you're a shorter person or taller.  

Something you have to consider is what will be on top of the podium stand.  Will you have lots of microphones, or will your computer be on it?  That usually adds a couple more inches, as well.   

 The top surface of a podium is usually slanted in most cases.  The height of the podium from the work surface is a couple of inches smaller compared to the overall height of the lectern.  

Height Adjustable and Tabletop Lecterns

Let's discuss the tallest and shortest podiums you can buy:  height adjustable podiums and tabletop lecterns. 

Height adjustable podiums are the tallest podiums out there.  They're like the skyscrapers of podiums.  They work well when there's multiple speakers at an event.  Whether it's Lebron James, or your 5 year old nephew, just about anybody can speak behind these bad boys.  

The height adjustable mechanism allows the podium to go up and down, to whatever height the speakers prefer.  Most of these products have a range of about 16 inches from lowest to highest.  Some can reach heights of 59" at the tallest, but the average is about 50".

I think Queen Elizabeth would've been happy if she was using a height adjustable podium that day.

Tabletop lecterns are the shortest type of podium you can buy.  That makes sense, as they're half the height of a full standing lectern.  Maybe you don't want to buy a full standing lectern, and that's completely understandable. 

The average height of a tabletop lectern is about 15".

 The Average Podium Width

 The width of an object is the measurement from side to side.  

Widths can vary greatly depending on the type of lectern.  For example, a portable lectern's width would be completely different than a multimedia lectern's width.  

If we're referring to all of them, the average podium width is about 26-28".  The keyword here is average.  I think we can break that down a little more because it's so many different sized podiums.  Some are gigantic, and others are smaller.  So let's talk about portable podiums and multimedia podiums.  

Portable lecterns are usually found at speaking events, and are a lot slimmer than the multimedia ones.  The average width of a portable lectern is about 23 inches.  

Then, there's the multimedia lectern.  These lecterns are usually much wider because they serve a different purpose.  Some of these house lots of electronic equipment, and have really big work surfaces, as they're commonly used in educational settings.  

The average width of a multimedia lectern is about 36".  A lot bigger right?  Some of these can reach widths of up to 49"!

The width can vary greatly depending on the type of lectern. 

 The Average Podium Depth

We've discussed the height and width, so the last measurement to talk about is the depth.  What does depth even mean?  The easiest way I would define it is the distance between an object's front and back surface.  

Once again, this can vary greatly depending on the type of podium.  The average depth for all podiums is about 23".  

Fun fact:  The Soundcraft Folding Podium FFL can become less than 5" in depth when folded. 

Podium Size In CM

Maybe you're used to the metric system.  So let me do a super quick summary of everything above, but in centimeters and meters.

• The average podium height is about 119.38 centimeters.  That's about 1.2 meters.
• Height adjustable podiums have a range of 40.64 centimeters.  Some can reach heights of up to 150 cm, but the average is about 127 cm. 
• The average height of a tabletop lectern is 38.1 cm.
• The average width of a podium is 68.58 cm.
• The average width of a portable lectern is 58.42 cm.
• The average width of a multimedia lectern is 91.44 cm. 
• The average depth of all podiums is 58.42 cm.

Pulpit Dimensions

 Now that we've provided you all the information about a podium stand's dimensions, let's talk about their cousins: pulpits.  

Pulpits are the products that pastors use in churches to preach from.  They're usually bigger than podiums if we're being honest.  They vary in size just like podiums do though.  A winged pulpit's dimensions are going to be much bigger than a regular pulpit's.  

The Average Height Of A Pulpit

The average height of a pulpit is about 46 - 48".  That's about four feet.  About the same as a lectern's.  The really big pulpits can reach heights of 50 inches plus, but none lower than 46" usually.  That's usually a good height for a pastor to be able to see over a crowd comfortably.  

The Average Width Of A Pulpit

The average width of a pulpit is about 41.5 inches.  Pretty wide!  Even the smallest pulpits have widths of about 29 inches.  I told you pulpits are big products. 

The Average Depth Of A Pulpit

Remember that word depth?  The distance from the front to the back of an object.  The average depth for a pulpit is 22.5 inches. 

 Conclusion

The dimensions of a podium are one of the biggest buying decisions you make when purchasing one.  You have to know their size.  

Depending on the type of lectern it is, this can vary greatly.  A height adjustable podium is going to be way taller than a tabletop lectern.  Or a portable podium is going to be a lot slimmer than a multimedia lectern.  

They all serve different purposes, and therefore come in different sizes.  I hope you've enjoyed it, and you're more than welcome to leave comments below!