What are the things to consider when choosing the size of an office desk?
Looking for the right desk is not just about style and what looks good – you also have to make sure that your desk’s size is appropriate to your workspace, how you are going to use it, and even your work habits.
Whether you are arranging a home office, changing an old desk, or setting up your company’s workstation, you would want to ensure that you are getting the proper-sized desk for your preferences, needs, and workstation.
You need to consider some aspects when choosing an office desk, and it includes determining how big or how small it has to be. To help make sure that you choose the right desk, let’s look at a few frequently asked questions that we receive to assist you in making an informed decision.
Understanding Desk Measurements
Initially, you need to know how to properly measure an office desk because this would significantly impact how you evaluate the available space. Usually, people get puzzled between the depth and the width, resulting in them buying the wrong sized office desk.
Make sure that you understand these basic measurements before heading out to purchase a desk:
Height (H) – Measures from the top to the base of the desk.
Width (W) – Measures from left to right of the desk.
Depth (D) – Measures from back to the front of the desk.
Taking note of these should help you understand the dimensions when purchasing an office desk online and help you precisely measure your available space.
The Ideal Office Desk Height
Work desks are mostly 73cm high, which means they are ideal for most people. Nonetheless, if you’re taller than an average man or woman, and this height is not comfortable for you, you might want to search for adjustable desks instead.
Adjustable desks enable you to adjust the desk height so it could be used in a more convenient standing or sitting position. This is an ideal choice if you want to stand from time to time or if you want to refrain from sitting on your computer chair for prolonged periods, or if you have to adjust it to accommodate your height.
Regardless of whether you go for an adjustable or regular desk, make sure that the height is ideal and that you can either stand or sit without needing to hunch over it.
The Ideal Office Desk Depth
Usually, the depth of an office desk gets overlooked or is not regarded as an important dimension, like the height and width. Nonetheless, your desk’s depth is crucial in making sure that you have sufficient space to work while still having enough surface area for the equipment and other materials you need.
Your desk’s depth should be around 51cm and 76cm, with a width of at least 61cm. It’s actually better to have more room than too little.
If you are utilizing your desk for computer work, such as typing and encoding, the suggested desk depth is around 71cm and 76cm to make sure that you have sufficient space for your equipment and devices that you could arrange on your desk comfortably.
The average work desk measures around 80cm in depth, which is the max measurement that you would need. This lets you fit all your computer devices and equipment atop your desk and correctly place your mouse and keyword to prevent or lessen strain.
You might also want to confirm the depth of any work desk storage you are going to use. You wouldn’t want it to be significantly deeper than the office desk itself. Likewise, having a desk storage that’s quite narrow could make it challenging for you to reach from your work desk.
The Ideal Office Desk Width
As mentioned above, the least width allowable for your work desk should be 61cm. Any lower than this, and you would find yourself struggling to use it for pretty much anything.
You would also have to consider how much you would be using your desk, where your it would be put up, and which equipment and devices you would place on it. If you’re using your office desk for long periods, you may consider getting a wider desk more practical.
If your workspace is limited, it may be helpful to consider getting a smaller office desk and a desk-high storage or filing cabinet or a storage pedestal.
This would offer you enough storage space and a larger working surface (when you place the storage cabinet next to your office desk), so you could easily have enough room for all your computer devices and equipment.
Factors that Affect the Office Desk Size that You Choose
After going through the suggested desk size measurements, you now need to consider what would work best for you and your needs. Here are several factors that you need to consider, which may affect the desk size that you will ultimately go for:
- Available space – Where are you putting your office desk, and how much available space do you have?
- Office chair – When determining your available space and browsing through the available office desks, you also need to include the space you would need for an ergonomic office chair.
- Your Usage – Is your office desk for daily use or just occasionally? Are you utilizing it for work, art, or others?
- What devices and equipment are you going to place on it? – Do you need to put a computer on your office desk? If so, you might also want to measure how much room all of your computer equipment would need.
- What office desk shape do you prefer? – Do you want a rectangular or square desk, or would an L-shaped desk suit your space and working style better?
- Your budget – You might want a huge office desk; however, it is probably not the best choice if it is over your budget.
When you have thought about the considerations we have mentioned above, you should already understand the minimum and maximum measurements for your potential office desk.
Ergonomic Office Desk Tips
If you are looking for a suitable office desk for your home office or commercial workstation, remember these tips:
- When arranging your workspace with your new office desk, ensure that there is enough clearance space under the desk so you could move and stretch your legs freely without hitting your knees on the desk.
- Consider going for a matte finish office desk to reduce workplace glare. This could be an issue with glass-topped office desks.
- Pick a desk with rounded edges on the legs and desktop. Sharp and pointy edges could result in bumps, bruises, and cuts at work.
- Put keyboard trays on your office desk. This provides you with more adjustment possibilities, so you could put yourself in an appropriate working posture and position.
- Make use of monitor arms or risers to place your computer monitor at a level just a couple of inches lower than your eye level to prevent eye strain and neck pain.
- Opt for an ergonomic adjustable office chair so you could properly configure your workstation.
Choosing the perfect office desk could be an overwhelming task, but with our guide to the ideal-sized office desks, zeroing on the right desk for you shouldn’t be that hard.