How to Choose the Best Desk Size for Your Workspace
Pick the desk dimensions that work for you.
To encourage the most productivity, you want to choose a desk size that provides enough room to store your work or study essentials. Follow these steps to find out which size is right for your workspace.
Step 1: Choose a Location for Your Desk
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First, consider where you want to place your desk. It could be in an office, behind a couch, in a nook, or anywhere you feel like you would work best.
Step 2: Measure Your Space
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The amount of room you have available, as well as the placement of your desk in that area, will dictate how big your desk can be. Use a tape measure to determine the maximum width, depth, and height of the area where you plan to put your desk. You can also use painter's tape to mark out the spot before measuring!
- Try to maintain 33"–36" of space between the spot for your desk and any nearby walls or potential obstructions to ensure there's enough room for your office chair.
- If you plan to have accent chairs in front of your desk for guests or clients, ensure there's at least 48" of space on the other side of the desk area to accommodate any accent chairs or other furniture.
Additional Measurements
- Measure desktop devices and accessories: Measure items such as monitors and keyboards – any items you plan to use/store on the tabletop. This will help you figure out how wide and deep your desk needs to be. If you have a lot of accessories, you may need a longer desk or deeper desk (if your space can accommodate it).
- Measure the height of your office chair: If you already have an office chair, you'll need to measure from the floor to the top edge of the seat or to the height of the armrest (if your office chair has them). The tabletop of the desk you choose should be 10"–12" taller than the height of your office chair seat. This allows for plenty of legroom.
Step 3: Determine the Right Desk Width
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The desk width or length is the measurement that runs from right to left as you sit. The minimum length of a desk is 20", as this will typically accommodate a computer monitor. Review these desk width options and compare them to your space measurements to see what size will fit your space.
Small: If you have limited space, you might want to consider small desks. These are less than 40" wide and work well in dorms, apartments, and small rooms. Read our guide for more Small-Space Desk Ideas.
Medium: Medium desks range between 40" and 60" wide (the most common desk dimensions). These are ideal for almost all spaces and come in a wide range of styles.
Long/Large: The biggest of them all, long desks measure 60" wide and above. These are most commonly used in offices or in large spaces with ample room.
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The depth of a desk measures from the front of the tabletop to the back. Choose the appropriate size based on how much space you need to accommodate your equipment.
Narrow: Narrow desks are under 20" deep. These are great if you don't have too many devices and accessories.
Standard: Standard depth desks are between 20" to 30" deep. These are great if you only need space for a laptop and monitor.
Deep: This type of desk is more than 30" deep. We recommend this depth if you have multiple monitors, need room for file holders, letter holders, or other accessories and organizational tools.
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Use the measurements of your office chair to help you pick the right desk height. Remember, the desk table top should rest 10"–12" above the seat of your office chair to ensure there's plenty of clearance room for your legs. If your chair has armrests, you'll want the desk you choose to be at least 2" taller than the height of the armrests. This will make it easy to push your chair in after a hard day's work. Take a look at these common desk heights to determine the best option for you:
Short: These desks are under 30" tall. They are perfect for children.
Standard: The height for these desks is 30". This is the most common option for desk heights.
Tall: These desks are over 30" tall and are great for taller people. Most height-adjustable desks can be found in this range.
Tip!
Customize your workspace to your preferences by going with an adjustable-height desk!
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In addition to finding the perfect desk height, width, and depth for your workspace, you also need to consider the impact that desk shape and design can have.
Leaning/ladder desks (pictured above) take up minimal space and have built-in shelves for vertical storage. This also allows you to keep the tabletop clutter-free while still being able to keep office supplies close by.
L-shaped desks come in a variety of different lengths, but are usually better for larger office spaces or spacious corners. With this design, you get double the tabletop space, which is why L-shaped desks are so convenient. Corner-shaped desks are a great space-saving alternative for small office nooks.
Computer desks are usually deeper than traditional desks to allow plenty of space for multiple computer monitors, keyboards, and desktop storage. Compact computer desks have tiered platforms that take up less space while still allowing you to have two or more computer monitors.
Tip!
If you are looking for more information on types of desks and how to choose the right design for you, read our Desk Buying Guide.
