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Whether you work from home full-time or a few times per week or month, having the right office furniture for your home office is important. In addition to a good desk chair, the right office desk provides you with a comfortable working space for those long 8-10 hour work stretches. Combined with a good office chair, you can have the perfect work area you’ve always desired.
So let’s jump right in and answer the question about what you should look for when buying a desk!
Table of Contents
The Basics
When it comes to buying a desk, there are various things you need to consider to ensure it meets all your needs. For example:
- Will the unit you’re thinking of buying meet your job needs and suit your work style?
- Is the surface of the desk spacious enough to accommodate your office supplies, personal items, and everything else?
- Is it sturdy and durable enough to support the weight of your computer and other office equipment and also withstand daily use?
- Do you have enough room to place it in your home office, bedroom, family room, or other room in the house?
- Does it suit your budget?
These are just a few questions you should ask yourself before purchasing one. And with so many things to take into consideration, choosing the best office desk for computer use can be a daunting task, especially when you have no idea what to look for. Lucky for you, we have compiled a list of all the important things to look for when buying a desk.
How Do I Choose a Good Computer Desk? (Useful Desk Buying Guide and Tips)
Available Space
The available space and layout of your home office will ultimately determine what size of desk you’ll need. It will also determine the style of the desk that will match perfectly with the available workspace and the rest of the office furniture for a beautiful work environment.
If you have more than enough room to fit a standard home office desk and a few other office furniture, then don’t hesitate to go for a large or medium-sized unit. Executive desks are also an excellent choice.
On the other hand, if the amount of office space is limited, a compact or even foldable wall-mounted desk would be an excellent choice.
If you only have a tiny corner space to spare, don’t worry. A corner desk should fit in perfectly in that tiny office room. If you have a large computer set up that requires ample surface work area, an L-Shaped unit is just what you need.
For a two-person unit, you’ll need more floor space since most of them range from 63” all the way to 90” in length.
Make sure you measure the available space in the home office, bedroom, family room, or study room before ordering one. It will help you find the right size.
Desk Dimensions
Different jobs require different desk sizes. The available space may also determine how big or small the office desk should be.
If you require a lot of surface area to accommodate multiple monitors (such as a gaming setup), printer, scanner, keyboard, mouse and still leave ample space to place your paperwork and some decorative items, you definitely need a big office desk.
A good idea is to go for a medium-sized desk between 40 inches and 60 inches in width or a large-sized desk with a width of over 60 inches. It should also have enough storage space in the form of drawers and shelves to avoid cluttering your workspace.
Of course, you’ll need to ensure that there is enough space in your home office to accommodate the desk.
If you’re just using a single monitor or laptop and don’t have a lot of paperwork to deal with, you can go for a smaller desk. Most compact office desks have widths ranging from 32 inches-40inches. They are perfect for small spaces and also work great as children’s study or writing desks.
Still on dimensions, you should consider the height of the desk. The standard height of most average desks ranges between 28” – 30” high. Thus, most of them are able to accommodate both tall and short people without any issues.
Some special office computer desks have a height adjustability feature that allows you to raise or lower the height of the unit. They are known as standing desks.
A standing desk allows you to easily switch from a sitting to a standing position. It’s actually better for your health as prolonged sitting is known to cause a wide range of ailments, including back pain and cardiovascular diseases. If you prefer standing while working, you can go for a standing desk.
For extremely tall or short folks, using a height-adjustable office chair can help you find the perfect spot that best suits your comfort needs.
Ergonomics and Space
If the desk doesn’t fit, you may find yourself slouching due to poor posture and straining your eyes and arms to find a comfortable position.
The ideal height should allow you to maintain a forearm-to-upper-arm angle between 70 degrees and 135 degrees. Most standard desks have a height between 28 inches and 30 inches, which is ideal for most average people between 5’ 8” and 5’10”. Individuals who are taller or shorter may need to adjust their work surface height by using an adjustable office chair.
The work surface space and materials should neither be too low or too high.
The desk should also provide ample room for spreading your legs to avoid excessive leg fatigue and discomfort. The standard desk height of between 28 inches and 30 inches from the floor to the surface of the table is enough for most people, even those who are quite tall.
Check out our standing desk recommendations for tall people.
Most importantly, the desk should allow your eyes to be at level with the top of your computer monitor and you shouldn’t be reaching too far for your keyboard and mouse.
Desk Shape
Work desks come in a wide variety of shapes. [1] Your choice will depend on factors such as the available room in your home office, the layout of your office, and your personal preferences.
You can go for a standard rectangular desk that is well-suited for almost any room design or an L-shaped desk if you want additional room and want to maximize on space since these units are designed to fit perfectly into tight corners.
If you’re low on space, you can choose a corner computer desk that will easily fit into a tight space or go for a U-shaped office unit that doesn’t just provide a more professional setup, but also offers more storage options.
U-shaped desks do take up much room though, so you need to keep this in mind. And then there are oval units that are best suited for more than one person and are usually a popular option for conferences. They are quite spacious and trendy.
Storage and Other Features
If your job requires generating a lot of paperwork or other materials, choose a desk with plenty of storage space so you can keep your workstation well-organized. It should either have a file cabinet, drawers, and shelves to accommodate those bulky books, files, spreadsheets, paperwork, and other office supplies.
Some even come with large open shelves for storing the tower or printer.
You can also go for a computer desk with a hutch if you need a lot of storage space. A hutch desk typically offers vertical storage options and will easily accommodate all your work materials. Avoid choosing a simple writing desk as it doesn’t offer much storage space.
Still, on storage, you might want to consider getting a computer desk that features holes or grommets for convenient and easy cable management. You won’t have to worry about the wire cables cluttering your work surface. To free up your workspace further, consider a unit with a removable keyboard tray.
Construction Quality and Durability
Because you want to get the best value for your money, it’s important that you only purchase an office desk with good build quality and one that can withstand frequent use.
In this case, you need to consider the type of materials used to construct the desk. The best desks feature sturdy metal, wood, or steel frames and tabletops made of either natural wood, MDF, bamboo, glass, wood veneer, laminate, and others.
Desks made entirely from natural solid wood are quite sturdy and durable and will therefore accommodate all your equipment and work materials without concerns of collapsing.
Wooden desks are also aesthetically appealing and are much better in terms of quality compared to other materials. Desks with metal or steel frames are also durable. They offer excellent stability and durability so you can be sure such a desk will serve you for a very long time.
Go for a desk with a laminated or wooden surface as it’s smoother and more comfortable.
Set Budget
Desks are available at a wide range of prices. If you’re looking for an extra-large executive desk, make sure you have a good budget in place because they can be extremely expensive.
Desks with hutches are also quite expensive. However, most standard home office desks are really affordable. Some can be as cheap as $50, with most ranging between $100-$300 depending on the size, style, and other factors.
Decide how much you want to spend and get a desk that not only matches your set budget but also your specific work needs.
And of course, consider the desk warranty. Preferably, choose one with a lifetime warranty
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a Reasonable Price for a Desk?
The most reasonable price for a desk is typically between $50-$300. Actually, most home desks fall in this category. Standing desk units are a little bit costly, going for as much as over $300.
What is the Best Place to Buy a Desk?
The best place to buy a desk right now is Amazon. Amazon doesn’t just have one of the biggest office furniture selection in the market- it also offers some of the best prices, prices you won’t find anywhere else. Whether you’re looking for a standard rectangular, glass, standing or executive office desk, Amazon has got you covered.
How Do I Choose a Good Desk?-Wrapping It Up
Choosing a good office desk for computer work is as important as choosing the perfect office chair. Your health and comfort depend on it, so it’s important that you make the right choice.
Once you decide how much you want to spend, be sure to consider these factors when choosing the perfect desk. Remember to choose one that can be paired with similar office furniture.
