Best home office desk: Standing desks, office tables, and more

Putting together a home office can be intimidating. Finding the best home office desk—the linchpin to the perfect office—can be a little anxiety-inducing. Are you going to wind up with a piece of furniture that helps you stay comfortable and on task while taking Zoom calls, analyzing spreadsheets, and poring over documents? Or are you going to wind up with a cheap piece of corkboard that gives you back problems and wobbles whenever you move a piece of paper? Don’t worry, we’ve got a process to destress the purchase of a home office desk.

First, you need to identify how you plan to put this desk to use. Will you be using a large office and need space for multiple monitors, scanners, and other gadgets? Or are you looking to set up a temporary or part-time situation? Do you expect to be sitting at this desk in a great new office chair, or do you want a standing desk that will keep you on your toes and hopefully out of the chiropractor’s office? Read on for five things to consider when buying a home office desk, and you’ll be picking the best home office desk without regret in no time.

• Best home office desk overall: Cubiker Computer Home Office Desk
• Best ergonomic home office desk: VIVO Black Electric Height Adjustable Stand Up Desk
• Best small home office desk: FEZIBO Standing Desk with Height Adjustable
• Best modern home office desk: Walker Edison Ellis Modern Glass Top L Shaped Corner Gaming Desk
• Best standing desk: Vari Electric Standing Desk
• Best budget home office desk: FURINNO Econ Multipurpose Home Office Computer Writing Desk

Get ready to find your best home office desk

Don’t click “buy” on the first desk for home office that comes across your feed. Instead, use these handy criteria to make sure the office desk you buy perfectly fits your needs. Because before you go shopping for cool desk accessories, you want to make sure you’ve chosen a sturdy foundation for your professional home office.

Do you just need a office desk that’s simple?

A well-built and sturdy professional desk is a home office staple. And while you could build your own home office desk to perfectly meet your specs, you may not have the time for that right now. Your best bet may just be to go with a solid but standard office desk—essentially, the kind of thing you’d find in any office but perhaps with a little more style.

If you aren’t expecting to set up a workstation with multiple monitors or to be logging miles while you work, all you need is a sturdy frame, a rectangular workspace, and a bit of storage.

Look for a metal frame or sturdy (solid) wood construction. Composite materials held together by glue are likely to give way or sag after a few years of use.

Best home office desk overall: Cubiker Computer Home Office Desk

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This Cubiker home office desk covers the basics, with a strong metal frame and enticing wooden top as well as two storage cabinets. It comes in a variety of sizes so a lack of space should not be an issue. Assembly is also a breeze. There aren’t a lot of extras here, but if you’re looking for a standard office table that gets the job done, this is a very solid choice.

Would an ergonomic desk save your back?

Putting together a home office means you may finally be ready to get that ergonomic desk you’ve always wanted but could never get your boss to spring for at work. Ergonomic desks are designed to allow you to work standing or sitting without putting major stress on your back. The best ergonomic desks can shift quickly from sitting to a standing position and ensure that your monitor is in a position that reduces neck and eye strain. They can also do wonders to relieve pressure on your wrists from typing, depending on the design.

Best ergonomic home office desk: VIVO Black Electric Height Adjustable Stand Up Desk

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This ergonomic office desk uses a control panel to automatically adjust its height from 29.5″ to 49.6″. Its 63″ surface allows for a wide array of monitor setups, and its steel frame supports up to 176 lbs. There are ergonomic desks with more frills, but this one delivers the best features of an ergonomic office desk in spades.

Does your home office call for a small desk?

When some of us talk about a “home office,” we’re talking about trying to be productive in an apartment we share with three friends, where privacy is pretty nonexistent. Or, you could have a home filled with kids and your old office is now a playroom so you’re looking to set up shop wherever you can find a little room. If space is a major concern, consider getting a desk converter or a portable workstation that can serve as your small office desk.

These workstations can transform a kitchen table, coffee table, or dresser into a productivity center. They also come in handy if you aren’t quite ready to commit to a particular space or to putting in the time to select the perfect piece of home office furniture.

Best small home office desk: FEZIBO Standing Desk with Height Adjustable

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Going small doesn’t mean missing out on major features. This FEZIBO small home office desk functions as an ergonomic desk with expandable height and work surface while sitting atop an existing desk or table. It rises from 5.3″ to 20.5″ and provides 32″ of workspace.

Want a modern office design that matches your style?

Office desks are often synonymous with khaki, particle-board cubicles, and faux-oak finishes. The good news is you don’t have to bring that vibe into your home office if you don’t want to. There are plenty of desks with pleasing and even captivating designs that can blend well with your home’s overall design.

Whether you prefer a rustic look with finished wood, a more modernist feel with steel and glass, or something that screams CyberPunk, you can find it in a desk that delivers all the functionality you could want. Don’t settle for a computer or gaming desk that looks like the thing your parents made you use to do your elementary-school homework—because that’s another vibe you just don’t need in your home office.

Best modern home office desk: Walker Edison Ellis Modern Glass Top L Shaped Corner Gaming Desk

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It may come recommended for gaming, but behind this modern home office desk, you’ll feel like you’re working out of a modern Manhattan skyscraper overlooking the Hudson. This office corner desk has a sliding keyboard tray discreetly contains your keyboard under its two panes of safety glass. The L-shaped, steel-crafted frame gives you the support you need, as well as space for multiple monitors and office amenities. Check the weight limits, though, to make sure your equipment is a fit: The main surfaces support up to 50 pounds each, the corner area supports 20, and the keyboard tray can handle 10.

Do you need a standing desk?

Admit it, you were always too embarrassed to use a standing desk in the office. There was just something about knowing the person in the cubicle behind you might be staring at your backside all day that stopped you from getting one. Or maybe you didn’t want to be towering over the rest of your officemates all day long as they sat at their computer desks. Whatever the reason was then, it’s time to let go of those considerations and think about your health. Standing desks can save your back and may even stop blood clots from forming in your legs. Plus, standing desks have been shown to increase alertness, lessen the need for caffeine, and reduce major health problems such as cardiovascular disease.

Best standing desk: Vari Electric Standing Desk

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Searching for the best standing desk for your home office? This electric standing desk will allow you to go from sitting to standing to sitting again as you need to throughout your workday. And the spacious design allows for multiple monitors. When you’re ready to go up, just push a button and the desk will rise all on its own, thanks to four programmable height settings. Its versatile 3-stage legs provide for 30% more range, from 25.5″ to 50.5″, over dual-stage legs. The best part: It takes only 10 minutes to assemble.

Best Cheap Office Desk: What you can get for under $80

Buying a desk on a budget can be worrisome, as the less expensive the desk, the longer the assembly times and, generally, the more flimsy the actual structure. However, if you’re looking for a home office desk that you won’t be putting through stress five days a week, there’s no reason not to look for the best cheap office desk money can buy. You’ll still be able to find sturdy construction, useful storage space, and flexible form factors with a little smart shopping.

Best cheap home office desk: FURINNO Econ Multipurpose Home Office Computer Writing Desk

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Yes, this cheap computer desk is made out of composite material but it has a reputation for being pretty sturdy. Its smart design includes rounded edges, a keyboard tray, a number of storage spaces, and non-woven bins to go with it. This is the perfect cheap home office desk option for someone who does a lot of writing or regularly works on a laptop.

FAQs:

What is the best type of office desk?

A: The best type of office desk really depends on how you like to work. If you plan on working from home regularly, you should start with sturdy construction. From there it’s really up to your preference, like if you need a small desk, a portable workstation, or a standing home office desk. However, it is quite possible to find a number of useful functions in one home office computer desk. An ergonomic, standing desk with a modern design is a very common thing. So it might be worth picking a desk with multiple features just to see what works best for you.

What is a reasonable price for an office desk?

A: A reasonable price for an office desk with all the features and plenty of storage is less than $500. Yes, there are plenty of models way past that price point, but you’ll be able to find all the features and design elements you want without exceeding it.

What is a good size for an office desk?

A: General consensus is that the best desk size is around 60″ x 30″ with a height of 30″ to provide space for modern office tools and storage. Space considerations could make that untenable, so you’ll need to opt for a small home office desk. Or if you’re a gear-heavy worker—multiple monitors, computers, and gadgets—you may want to go much bigger.

A final word on shopping for a the best home office desk

The best home office desk you can buy should reflect the work you are planning to do. If you are mostly pushing papers and looking at a laptop, you won’t need the kind of size and structure someone with a workstation does. But no matter what you’re doing, make sure you get something made of quality materials that are sturdy and fairly easy to assemble. If you want to experiment with an ergonomic design or a standing desk, it’s worth taking the risk, as the price point isn’t wildly different. And once you’re done choosing the best home office desk, you can focus on the fun stuff, like decorating your office. Take time to create the home office of your dreams—it can make working from home much more enjoyable.