If you’re creating a workspace in your home, a high-quality, ergonomic desk is an essential purchase. It’s the building block that your home office is designed around, and finding the best desk can truly help make your days more comfortable and productive. From there, all you need is a great office chair, ergonomic keyboard and computer mouse, and you’ll have a fully optimized work-from-home setup.
However, you might be surprised to learn that a lot of the desks available today fall short when it comes to ergonomics. “An ergonomic product can be used without bending, reaching or twisting the body into awkward positions,” explains Melissa Afterman, MS-HFE, Certified Professional Ergonomist and owner of Learn Ergo, a professional ergonomics consultancy service. “For a desk, this means there is enough space to separate the screen from the keyboard, and type with the elbows hanging next to the body. It also means there is plenty of leg room so you can sit in close without bumping the thighs or knees.” She recommends height-adjustable desks, which can be tailored to your body and office chair, but there are also computer desks, corner desks, wall-mounted desks and other styles to consider as you shop. With these factors in mind, the following are the best desks to make your workspace more ergonomic.
- Best Standing Desk: Fully Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk
- Best Computer Desk: Realspace Vista Glass Computer Desk
- Best Home Office Desk: Joss & Main Lexus Glass Desk
- Best L-Shaped Desk: Ebern Designs Delby L-Shaped Desk
- Best Small Desk: Zipcode Design Kendal Desk
- Best Corner Desk: Pottery Barn Livingston Corner Desk
- Best Adjustable Desk: Branch Standing Desk
- Best Desk On Amazon: SHW 55-Inch Height Adjustable Standing Desk
- Best Wall-Mounted Desk: Inbox Zero Space Saver Folding Wall-Mounted Drop-Leaf Floating Desk
- Best Drafting Desk: Studio Designs Vintage Drafting Table
Best Standing Desk
A Height-Adjustable Workspace That You Can Customize To Suit Your Needs
- Dimensions: 24 x 30 x 29-48.3 inches
- Color Options: Natural or dark bamboo desktop; Black, white, silver, alloy, grove, indigo, violet frame
- Special Features: Adjustable height, optional powered grommets
Standing desks are increasingly popular, as they allow you to change up your position throughout the day, and the Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk offers ample customization options so you can build a desk that perfectly suits you needs. It’s available in several sizes, ranging from 30 to 72 inches wide, and you can change the color of the legs, add on powered grommets, and even select your preferred height range, with options that go as low as 22.9 inches and as tall as 51 inches.
This option can hold up to 350 pounds and has adjustable feet for uneven floors. Plus, it comes with a 15-year warranty on the frame components, mechanical parts, motors and electrical components, so you can rest assured your investment is protected.
Best Computer Desk
A Sleek Glass Design With A Slide-Out Keyboard Tray
- Dimensions: 30 x 48 x 27.9 inches
- Color Options: Silver frame
- Special Features: Slide-out keyboard tray
If you’re looking for a desk to hold your computer, this one is a great value and has a sleek modern design. It’s supported by a powder-coated metal frame, which supports a tempered glass desktop, and there’s a pull-out mouse and keyboard tray, as well. This feature frees up space on the desktop and allows you to tuck the accessories away when they’re not in use. The workspace is 48 inches wide and around 28 inches deep, giving you plenty of room to comfortably arrange your monitor, and it has plenty of room for your legs and knees underneath.
Best Home Office Desk
A Minimalistic Option With An Oversized Work Area
- Dimensions: 30 x 55 x 30 inches
- Color Options: Silver, black, brushed brass, gold frame
- Special Features: Glass desktop
This large desk offers plenty of space for you to set up your work-from-home essentials, including a computer. It comes in two sizes—55 x 30 inches or 71 x 36 inches—both of which provide enough room to comfortably sit back from a monitor. Plus, there are several frame colors available, including silver, black and gold, allowing you to tailor the look to your space. It has a tempered glass top that’s supported by two sawhorse-style legs, and it can hold up to 100 pounds.
Best L-Shaped Desk
A Spacious High-End Desk With A Reversible Layout
- Dimensions: 30 x 60 x 64.33 inches
- Color Options: Pure white, gray sand
- Special Features: Reversible layout
L-shaped desks are a popular choice for the corner of a room, but the problem with many options is that their desktops are too narrow to comfortably work. If you plan to put a computer monitor on your L-shaped workspace, you need an option like this one. The Delby L-Shape Desk has a sleek, simple silhouette, and the larger of its two work surfaces is just under 28 inches deep, giving you plenty of room to set up a computer monitor. It comes in two colors, and the 36-inch return can be attached to either the right or left of the main desk, allowing you to adjust the layout to fit your space.
Best Small Desk
A Compact Folding Desk That Can Be Tucked Away As Needed
- Dimensions: 32.7 x 32.08 x 32.48 inches
- Color Options: Oak/black, brown/black
- Special Features: Compact, folding design
If you’re pressed for space, the Kendal Desk is just 32 inches wide and roughly 32.5 inches deep, and it can be easily folded flat for compact storage. This small desk has X-shaped metal legs and a manufactured wood top and despite its small size, it can support up to 90 pounds. It has a narrow ledge shelf where you can put decorations or work accessories like a phone or speaker, and the whole thing comes fully assembled, making it effortless to set up.
Best Corner Desk
A Sturdy Wooden Corner Desk With A Modular Design
- Dimensions: 40 x 40 x 30 inches
- Color Options: Gray wash, Montauk white, dusty charcoal, brown wash
- Special Features: Modular add-ons available
You can transform the corner of any room into a convenient workspace with the Livingston Corner Desk. This piece is made from solid meranti wood (a kind of hardwood commonly used in furniture making) for unbeatable durability, and it’s available in four different finishes. The triangular desktop is 40 inches wide and 40 inches deep, providing ample room for a computer monitor, and the sturdy frame can support more than 300 pounds.
Classic details like crown molding and fluted posts give this option a timeless appearance, and if you want to add storage, there are modular accessories, such as filing cabinets, that can be added onto the design.
Best Adjustable Desk
A Height-Changing Option With Built-In Cable Management
- Dimensions: 48 x 30 x 25-52 inches
- Color Options: Woodgrain, white, walnut, fog desktop; White or charcoal legs
- Special Features: Adjustable height, cable management compartment
Height-adjustable desks like the Branch Standing Desk are ideal for those who like to alternate between standing and sitting, and they also allow you to find just the right height level for an ergonomic workstation. This desk comes in two sizes—48 x 30 inches or 60 x 30 inches—and there are four woodgrain colors and two frame colors to choose from. The desktop can be adjusted between 25 and 52 inches with centimeter-level adjustments, and the control panel offers four preset options for quick height changes.
The laminated melamine tabletop is both stain- and scratch-resistant, and there’s a cable management compartment in the back to keep all your cords organized. The desk can support up to 275 pounds, and your purchased is covered by a 10-year warranty with a 3-year warranty for motor and electrical components.
Best Desk On Amazon
An Affordable Adjustable Desk That’s Eligible For Prime Delivery
- Dimensions: 55 x 28 x 28-45 inches
- Color Options: Black, maple, oak, walnut, light cherry, cherry
- Special Features: Adjustable height, programmable presets
This standing desk is wildly popular on Amazon, and it’s easy to see why! It comes in several sizes, ranging from 40 to 55 inches wide, and there are numerous color finishes to choose from, as well. All that, plus the desk is very reasonably priced and available for 2-day Prime shipping.
The SHW Desk has a 28-inch deep tabletop that can be adjusted between 28 and 45 inches high, and the industrial steel legs can support up to 110 pounds. The control panel has four programmable preset options, and there are even grommets in the desktop to help you organize cords.
Best Wall-Mounted Desk
A Space-Saving Option That Folds Down When Not In Use
- Dimensions: 18 x 31.5 x 21.5 inches
- Color Options: White, black, brown
- Special Features: Two folding options
This floating desk won’t take up any floor space in your home, as it’s designed to be mounted right onto the wall. It comes in white, black or brown, and it’s made from a combination of solid and manufactured wood for durability. Don’t be fooled by its simple appearance, either—when mounted into a stud, this desk can support more than 200 pounds!
When fully extended, this desk offers a 31.5 x 23.5-inch work area, and it can be folded down in two different ways. You can fold the whole top down to free up more space, or you can just fold down the outer drop leaf, leaving a small 14-inch shelf for your office essentials.
Best Drafting Desk
A Solid Wood Workspace That Rotates Up To 90 Degrees
- Dimensions: 34 x 42 x 24 inches
- Color Options: Rustic oak
- Special Features: Tilting tabletop, pencil ledge
Drafting tables are popular among architects and artists, as the surface of the desk can be tilted, making it ideal for drawing. This drafting table is a top choice for any office space thanks to its solid wood construction, as well as its spacious 42 x 24-inch desktop. The angle of the work surface can be tilted up to 90 degrees, and there’s a built-in pencil ledge to prevent your writing implements from falling off. The desk has a classic appearance that will look good in any space, and it’s backed by a 10-year warranty.
What To Look For When Shopping For A Desk
To find a desk that’s both ergonomic and comfortable, there are several factors you’ll want to consider as you shop.
Depth: Many desks available today have very shallow desktops, which can make you feel cramped if you’re working on a computer. “A depth (from front to back) of 30 inches is best,” says Afterman. “This gives you space to support the forearms on the desk behind the keyboard and mouse. A 24-inch-deep desk will work if the chair armrests can adjust to the same level as the desk.”
Height: It’s also important to find a desk that’s an appropriate height for your work chair. “Try to find a desk that is the right height for your body,” recommends Afterman. “Working on a desk that is too high makes you hold the shoulders in an uncomfortable shrugged position. The correct height for a desk is your elbow height with the shoulders relaxed and the feet fully supported.”
Design: Not only do you want to consider the aesthetics of your desk, but you should consider its design features, as well. “A height-adjustable desk gives you ultimate control over the setup,” says Afterman. “It lets you set the right height for sitting (just check to see if it goes low enough for you) and makes it easier to get more movement during the workday.” Other useful features you may want to look for include cable-management holes and integrated power outlets.
Material: Desks can be made from a wide range of materials, including everything from plastic and particleboard to solid wood and metal. If you plan to use the desk on a daily basis and want it to last for many years, you’ll likely want to look for more durable materials, such as solid wood, metal or glass. However, the trade-off is that furniture made from high-quality materials often costs significantly more than those made from less-durable options.
Storage: Some desks come with built-in storage compartments, including shelves, drawers and even whole filing cabinets. These features are beneficial if you have papers and other supplies that you want to tuck away, but Afterman recommends avoiding desks with drawers under the main area of the work surface, as they often limit your leg space and interfere with proper ergonomics.
