Standing desks and office chairs for working from home: what to check before you buy
The measurements that decide whether a desk or chair fits you, and five products in the UK that cover most budgets.
How this guide was written: from manufacturer specifications, retailer listings and published independent reviews. We have not tested these products ourselves. If you buy through a link on this page we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The shortlist
- Check price at IKEA
IKEA MITTZON sit/stand desk, electric
Standing deskSuits: light setups and buyers who want a shop to return it to.
Height 62 to 126 cm / Dual motor / Max load 80 kg / 10-year guarantee / Around £380 for 140 x 60 cm
- Check price at FlexiSpot
FlexiSpot E7 Pro
Standing deskSuits: heavy setups with several monitors or a desktop PC on the desk.
Max load 160 kg / Dual motor / Warranty advertised as up to 15 years / Listed from about £330 on offer
- Check price at Herman Miller
Herman Miller Aeron
Office chair, three sizesSuits: all-day use, and buyers who want a long warranty.
12-year warranty / Max user weight 136, 159 or 181 kg by size / Seat depth fixed by size, not adjustable / Roughly £1,200 to £1,900 by configuration
- Check price at Sihoo
Sihoo Doro C300
Mesh office chairSuits: a tighter budget, if you are between 150 and 180 cm tall.
Max user weight 136 kg / 3-year warranty / 4D armrests, adjustable headrest / Seat height 47 to 55 cm / Around £250 on offer
- Check price at Back2
HÅG Capisco 8106
Saddle-seat chair for sit-stand desksSuits: perching at a raised desk rather than sitting low all day.
10-year warranty / Seat depth 37 to 46 cm / Three gas lift heights / Around £900 to £1,300; often made to order and non-returnable
A desk or chair is right when its adjustment range covers your body. Start from your own measurements and the rest of the choice gets short.
What good posture looks like
The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance for screen work gives a simple target:
- the top of the screen level with your eyes, about an arm’s length away
- the keyboard just below elbow height
- the chair back supporting your lower back
- a gap of 2 to 3 cm between the front of the seat and the back of your knee
Use these four points to judge any product. A desk has to reach your elbow height both sitting and standing. A chair has to give you that knee gap.
Desks: four numbers to check
Lowest height. Shorter people need a desk that goes low enough to type with relaxed shoulders while seated. The IKEA MITTZON goes down to 62 cm, which is lower than many rivals.
Highest height. Stand up, bend your elbows to a right angle and measure from the floor to your forearm. The desk must reach that height with room to spare. If you are tall, look for 125 cm or more.
Rated load. Add up monitors, arms, computer and anything else that lives on the desk. The range between models is wide: the MITTZON is rated at 80 kg and the FlexiSpot E7 Pro at 160 kg.
Desktop size. Depth matters as much as width. You need enough depth to put the screen an arm’s length away with the keyboard in front of it.
Every desk in our shortlist has two motors. Makers present dual motors as more stable, but we found no independent source that settles the question, so judge by the rated load and the warranty.
Chairs: fit comes before features
Seat depth. This decides whether you get the 2 to 3 cm knee gap. Some chairs adjust it, such as the HÅG Capisco. The Aeron fixes it by size, so choosing the right size (A, B or C) is the whole decision.
Height range of the person. Sihoo recommends the Doro C300 for people between 150 and 180 cm. Outside a maker’s stated range, look elsewhere.
Lumbar support and armrests. The backrest should meet your lower back without you leaning for it. Armrests should let your forearms rest at keyboard height and slide under the desk.
Weight limit and warranty. These tell you how long the maker expects the chair to last. In our shortlist the warranties run from 3 years (Sihoo) to 12 years (Aeron).
Standing is only part of the answer
A standing desk helps because it lets you change position. The HSE’s advice on breaks is that short and frequent beats long and rare: 5 to 10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every 2 hours. Alternate between sitting and standing through the day.
If your employer provides your equipment
The Display Screen Equipment Regulations cover employees who use screens daily for an hour or more at a time, and that includes people working from home. Employers have to carry out a workstation assessment for those workers. If you work from home for an employer, ask for the assessment before spending your own money.
Returns
Check the returns policy before you order. Large furniture is expensive to send back, and some chairs, including the Capisco at certain dealers, are made to order and cannot be returned.