Your office desk might seem like a small element of your workspace in the grand scheme of things but, it’s arguably one of the most important pieces so dig in and learn How to Choose the Perfect Desk for Your Home Office.
And if you want to select the right one, you’ll need to do a bit of research.
VertDesk Executive Series Sit to Stand Desk with Voice Control
Table of Contents
4 Office Desk Factors to Consider when You Choose the Perfect Desk for Your Home Office
Take a few moments to calculate how much time you spend at your desk each week, month, and year.
The numbers will probably shock you.
If, for example, you work eight-hour days, five days per week, you might spend seven hours sitting.
That comes out to 35 hours per week, 140 hours per month, and roughly 1,700 hours per year (accounting for a couple of weeks of vacation).
By comparison, you’ll spend somewhere around 2,400 hours per year sleeping on your mattress.
That means your desk is almost as important as your mattress – yet most people don’t give it a second thought.
Your office desk has a direct impact on your physical health, focus, and productivity.
If you simply choose the first cheap option you can find, it’s likely that you’re compromising in one of these areas.
We recommend taking more time and being intentional in your research.
For starters, make sure you’re shopping with companies that actually offer quality desks and stand by their products.
The typical big-box retailer has cheap options that don’t hold up well over time.
In addition to making sure you shop with the right company, here are a few elements we recommend considering:
Shape
Desks come in a variety of shapes. The shape you choose is dependent on the specific size and layout of your office.
Common configurations include:
- L-shaped desks when you need lots of surface area and have the room to position your desk perpendicular to one of the walls of your office.
- Corner desks are usually smaller L-shaped desks that offer two “wings” of equal size. They fit nicely into the corner of a room or cubicle, which works excellent for small spaces.
- Executive style desks are traditional, rectangular-shaped desks that work well when placed in the middle of a room.
- Tiered desks provide two surfaces within one desk. This is ideal if you need lots of work surface to perform your duties.
Material
Desks come in a variety of materials.
You’ll need to choose a material that works for your needs and budget.
The most common options are wood, glass, metal, and laminate. In many cases, the base is made of one material and the work surface is made of another.
Generally speaking, wood is the best option for a work surface. When it comes to bases, some sort of metal or wood works well and holds up over time.
Size
There are two common mistakes people often make when it comes to the size of a desk.
The first mistake is going too big.
When you go too big, you eat up valuable space in your office and limit the effectiveness of the space. (If nothing else, it makes you feel overcrowded.)
The second mistake is choosing a desk that’s way too small.
This leads to poor ergonomics and prevents you from having the workspace you need to house all of your monitors, computers, papers, and various other work-related materials.
Price
Budget is something you have to take into consideration.
Whether you’re using an office allowance from an employer, or you’re spending your own money, it’s a good idea to set a budget at the start.
You can easily spend thousands of dollars on a desk if you aren’t careful.
However, you don’t have to spend anywhere close to that figure.
For just a few hundred bucks, you can purchase a quality option that works for your needs (and lasts).
Just get clear on what that figure is for you!
Choosing the Right Desk
There’s no perfect desk – at least not one that works for everyone. Consider different options such as a motorized desk.
There are, however, certain desks that are better optimized for your specific size, posture, and needs.
By performing thorough due diligence before purchase, you can increase your chances of getting the right desk for your needs.
