how high are kotatsus or chabudais?

[traycerb]

like the title says, what's the height of a kotatsu or a chabudai? i live in the states but my apt leaves no room for my dining table, so my plan is a do-it-yourself conversion of my table. i'm not looking to recreate either the style (mine will end up more mid-century modern) or the functionality (ie the heater); i'm just wanting to know the height that works well for dining, laptop use, etc.

yeah GIYF, but a wide range is listed, anywhere from 9 in. (23cm, which seems low), http://www11.ocn.ne.jp/~nagariya/building_chabudai_english.htm up to 16 inches http://mantilo.com/updates/2006/10/24/project-kotatsu-post-2-construction-speculations/ (40cm, which is coffee-table height, and seems high). the average seems to be roughly around 12-14 inches. does this sound right. can anyone break out a tape measure to find out...? (i know not all places will have one but i'm sure you have easier access than i do )

what height works well for you gaijin, esp the tallish ones? are you all hunched over spilling everywhere or is it a nonissue?

[Mulboyne]

They do come in different sizes so it is largely a matter of how you mean to sit at it and how big you are. Sitting with some kind of back support and your legs out under the kotasu will put you lower than if you will mainly be kneeling on cushions.