As we packed up our office supplies and headed into COVID lockdown, we unknowingly entered the work from home era. Makeshift home offices have become enormously critical to succeed in today’s workplace, and it’s safe to say at least some form of working from home is here to stay. The desk and chair combo are by far the most significant choices you must make to ensure correct posture.
If you have found your perfect office chair, congratulations on your hopefully short (pun intended) journey! If you haven’t, we’ve previously described the best office chairs to fit the needs of the vertically challenged here . Even after finding my perfect chair, I was brought to tears after realizing I still could not find a comfortable position. My desk was too high; I was continuing to constantly shrug and roll my shoulders over to keep my arms raised to type and use the mouse, and my neck pain persisted because I was constantly looking up to see my external monitor. You’re probably wondering, why didn’t I raise my chair and use a footrest? Why, of course I’ve tried, and found: I don’t naturally restrict my feet to one small space on the floor and I never feel like I can get a footrest close enough to my chair without hitting the wheels. In short, raising my chair and using a footrest still resulted in 100% discomfort and pain.
To pair a desk with your chosen office chair, the 2 main concerns to address are:
- When accessing your computer keyboard, your hands should be at or below your elbows.
- Your computer monitor should be at or slightly below your eye level.
Most desks on the market have dimensions that fit a person of average height. Therefore, it becomes severely challenging to find a desk with the appropriate height.
Here are our top desk picks for the vertically challenged:
Olov adjustable table legs (Ikea)
Product Description: The Olov Adjustable Table Leg from Ikea permits the customer to adjust the table height from 23 5/8 inches (an almost coffee-table style vibe) to 35 3/8 inches tall. These legs come in a black or white metallic finish and can be paired with any of the Ikea table tops to match your office vibe. Each leg has an inset post that you twist to secure and loosen to rise or lower your table, one leg at a time. This table enables the freedom to sit or stand throughout your workday. However, if you’re wanting to raise and lower this table frequently, I’d advise against the Olov adjustable table legs. It can be done by 1-person, but it’s easier with 2 people. There are markings on the table legs to help aid in your precision, but you will want a level to make sure the table is flat for fine adjustments. Oh, and don’t be a hero – remove all objects off your table before you adjust it.
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Adapta Height Adjustable Office Desk, All-Purpose Utility Table, Sit to Stand up Desk Home Computer Desk (Calico Designs)
Product Description: The 2nd non-electric table in our line-up is Calico Designs Adapta height Adjustable Office Desk. The desk features 2 legs that adjust from 23 to 32 inches in 1 inch increments. The movement of this table to different heights isn’t a process I’d dare to do without removing my belongings, but it does offer a low tabletop height down to 23 inches. Although there is no mention of total weight it can support, the table appears to be quite sturdy, especially with the added side panel. There are no added bells and whistles with this table, keeping the price at a tidy $100.99. However, if you’re wanting a larger table or the convenience of sitting and standing at the push of a button, continue on.
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Electric Standing Adjustable Height Desk (IYEE NATURE)
Product Description: If you anticipate adjusting your working position from sitting to standing frequently and the idea of manually adjusting your table legs seems daunting to you, have no fear. The IYEE Nature Electric Standing Desk Adjustable Height Desk automates the process for you. The IYEE Nature table has 3 preset shortcuts (think tall, medium, short) to be customized from 28.75 to 45.25 inches. The electric table is powered by a motor strong enough to lift 220 lbs on top of the table. No more removing items from your table just to adjust your table legs! With two table size dimensions and several table-top color options, this electric table value is worth its price point. This table height is the tallest in our suggestions; A 28.75 inch minimum table top height may be too tall for some folks.
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Dual Motor Height Adjustable Electric Standing Desk with Keyboard Tray (FEZIBO)
Product Description: Are you constantly reaching out to access your keyboard and consequently have shoulder pain? If so, a desk with a keyboard tray beneath the table, like the FEZIBO Dual Motor Height Adjustable Electric Standing Desk with Keyboard Tray, will position the keyboard and mouse closer to you. Having the keyboard and mouse underneath also frees up the tabletop for paperwork. The FEZIBO table height can range from 27.36 to 46.04 inches tall and has 3 preset shortcuts to customize. The electric lift system can support up to 176 lbs and is conveniently on lockable castors to easily move the desk around. The FEZIBO table is available in 3 tabletop dimensions and 4 colors. With the FEZIBO Dual Motor Height Electric Standing Desk with Keyboard tray, you gain over an inch in the minimum tabletop height over the IYEE Nature Electric Standing Adjustable Height Desk. However, the FEZIBO supports less weight (176 lbs) compared to the IYEE (220 lbs).
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Electric Standing Desk (Vari)
Product Description: If you’re ready to invest in an office desk, The Electric Standing Desk from Vari is a high-performance desk that takes 1st prize for its range of tabletop heights (25 to 50.5 inches) and for the lowest tabletop height for an electric table found during my search for a desk. It has 4 programmable heights to save sitting and standing heights for you and perhaps your significant other. The table has an LED display that makes adjustments easy and supports up to 200 lbs.
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