Best Desks 2023

Aug 28, 2023

The best desks combine the professional features essential for a productive workspace with the aesthetic appeal and comfort you desire in your home decor. Once you’ve selected a great desk for your home office, simply pair it with the perfect office chair, throw on an ergonomic keyboard and slide over a trusty computer mouse, and you’ve got the ideal work-from-home setup ready to go. Our top pick is the Fully Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk, a sleek and stylish pick that allows you to change up your position throughout the day. However, there are several other options we recommend to help you create out your ideal work environment.

The Fully Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk is available in several sizes and offers ample customization ... [+] options to suit your needs.

Many desks today are lacking 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 these aren’t for everyone—or every budget. 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.

Fully

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.

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Office Depot

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 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.

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Joss & Main

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.

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Wayfair

Dimensions: 24 x 65 x 95 inches | Color options: White black | 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. The Yerby L-Shape Desk has a fun and funky silhouette, and it features ample room for your computer monitor, along with attached tall shelving that can house office supplies, files and more than a few potted plants. Tuck your desk into a corner, or lay it flat against the wall—the choice is yours.

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Wayfair

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.

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Pottery Barn

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.

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Branch

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.

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Amazon

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.

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Wayfair

Dimensions: 6 x 24 x 16 inches | Color options: White | Special features: Folding option

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 one color—white—and it’s made from a combination of solid and manufactured wood for durability. When fully extended, this desk offers a petite, but usable, work area that’s roomy enough for your laptop and a notepad. A nice feature: It can be folded flush against the wall when it’s not in use to help save space. Rounded edges help keep you and other family members safe from accidental pokings.

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Walmart

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.

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Secretlab US

Dimensions: 59 x 28 x 21 inches | Color options: Black | Special features: Gaming storage, desk extensions and accessory add-ons are available

The Secretlab Magnus desk is a gamer's dream. This sturdy, 117-pound desk is large enough to fit multiple monitors along with a desktop PC or laptop. Made of machined steel with a 220-pound weight limit, this desk is not only large but plenty supportive, which is the key to housing several monitors and accessories. Plus, you can customize it to meet your exact gaming needs—add cup holders, cable management, RGB lighting and more. If you’re in need of more legroom, use the partial height adjustments, which are located at the feet of the desk.

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Here at Forbes Vetted, we’ve written dozens of home and furniture articles, gathering inspiration from staff favorites, tested picks and top-rated products. For this particular article, we trusted Forbes Vetted contributor Camryn Rabideau to rely on her extensive knowledge of everything home—pool floats, self-cleaning robots and tv stands are just a few of her latest reviews.

And because desks play a crucial role in your day-to-day workflow and subsequent level of comfort, we sought expert advice from certified professional ergonomist and owner of the professional ergonomics consultancy service Learn Ergo, Melissa Afterman.

To ensure accuracy, we also frequently update this story; it was last edited in August 2023.

To find a desk that’s both ergonomic and comfortable, there are several factors you’ll want to consider as you shop.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

Ultimately, the best work from home desk depends on your preferences and needs. Some prefer a standing desk, while others might prefer something that blends in seamlessly with their home decor. A pick like the Wade Logan Amarissa Floating Desk works well for those tight on space or folks who want to go a more inconspicuous route—the desk is mounted to the wall and can be folded flush against it when not in use. On the other hand, a chic option like the Pottery Barn Livingston Corner Desk comes in several wood finishes and has modular options if you want to expand your office space.

The standing desk market is packed with options right now. We like the Fully Jarvis bamboo standing desk for its wide range of customizable options and quality features. However, there are plenty of brands that make great standing desks. Uplift and Flexispot are other popular brands that customers frequently choose.

Typically, most desks measure about 45 inches in width. The best size desk should be at least 30 inches wide for a comfortable fit. If you’ll be tacking on additional monitors, laptops, notebooks or other supplies, you may want to opt for a larger size desk (around 60 to 70 inches wide) with a greater surface area.