A good-quality desk is the most important item in any home office. In fact, it’s the item that transforms your home into an office. A well-placed desk can turn dead space into a workspace and make a boardroom out of a bedroom.
The best desks don’t scrimp on style or storage. Pedestal desks ooze antique elegance and come with plenty of drawers to store essential items. L-shaped desks are designed to fit into corners, while adjustable desks aim to minimize back pain. There are so many styles of desks sold at so many home furniture stores that it can be difficult to know where to start.
I’m a product reviewer and shopping writer. It’s my job to follow home office desk ideas and to write about them at my own desk, for eight hours a day. I know what makes a good work surface. I’ve spent hours searching the sites of the best indoor furniture stores to find the very best desks for every budget.
Whether you’re shopping for a statement desk with plenty of storage or a flatpack find that’s easy to assemble, these stores stock them all.
Best places to buy desks {2023}
1. West Elm
Featuring plenty of deep drawers and hidden compartments, West Elm desks are made to maximize space. Once you learn how to navigate the West Elm website, you can snag a high-quality desk for less. You can fix your budget down to the dollar with a sliding scale, so that you only see the products within your price range, or shop via the sale subcategory on their website homepage. A West Elm desk is perfect for shoppers with tight budgets, limited space, but high expectations for their homeware.
This compact desk comes with an anti-tip kit, including safety-tested mounting hardware, to safeguard your study sessions.
This desk set features 12 fixed shelves to display your favorite trinkets and house your everyday essentials.
Designed for sitting or standing use, this desk aims to counteract the aches and pains of a hard day’s work.
2. Wayfair
With over 6,000 different desks for sale, it’s easy to feel spoiled for choice at Wayfair. Specialist search filters help to narrow the search, so that you can shop by desk type, color, size, and shape, as well as the all-important price. If you’re shopping for a more specialist sort of surface, such as a ladder desk with display shelves or a floating desk with hidden storage space, Wayfair has the widest selection. Just remember that you’ll have to assemble your desk yourself, though Wayfair will provide the tools.
Interlocking legs double up as display shelves, giving you easy access to your essentials.
This floating desk is designed to save space. It’s perfect for multi-purpose rooms, and it would work well with your bedroom office combo ideas.
This L-shaped desk is designed to fit into nooks and crannies, with extra cabinets to optimize your storage space.
3. Crate & Barrel
There are some premium pieces at Crate & Barrel, and they come with premium price tags. If you’re tight on time and money, you might be better off shopping elsewhere. But if you have the budget to invest in a high-quality desk that will stand the test of time, there’s a lot to love. Crate & Barrel desks are crafted by experts from all-natural materials. Sleek and streamlined, with plenty of storage space, these desks will make a statement without overwhelming your room.
Made from solid walnut with a natural finish, and featuring two power outlets apiece, this desk marries form and function.
This desk rotates the full 360 degrees, creating endless configurations to suit your space.
Hidden handles help to keep school supplies and electronics organized and out of sight in this stylish kids’ desk.
4. Walmart
There are thousands of desks for sale at Walmart, in every shape, size, and style. Their selection is so wide that it can be hard to know what is and isn’t quality. That’s where their specialist search filters come in. You can set your own star standard when you shop by customer rating, so that you only see the desks that have been bought and loved before. The best desks at Walmart aren’t showy. They’re simple and stylish, made from natural materials that will integrate seamlessly with most interior designs.
This compact desk fits easily into tight spaces, so it would work well with your small home office ideas.
Shelves can be fixed to the left or the right of this L-shaped desk, as best suits your space.
This bestselling desk combines the timeless elegance of its design with the modern conveniences of an in-built USB and charger hub.
5. Amazon
If you already have a vision for your home office, and you’re just searching for the right desk to tie it all together, you’ll find it fast on Amazon. Their sidebar is extensive, but easy to navigate, and allows you to fix your own minimum and maximum budget. There are all the usual search filters, so you can shop by desk type, brand, and color, but where Amazon really shines is in the specific. Of all the furniture retailers on this list, only Amazon allows you to search for desks with in-built keyboard trays and USB ports. You can even shop for surfaces that come already assembled, where almost every other desk dealer makes you do it yourself.
With bookshelves, in-built storage space, and a computer hutch, this work surface is more of a workstation
This design features memory keys, which allow you to set and save your favorite heights for your desk.
You’ll be ready to write in moments at this folding desk, which has been completely assembled already.
6. IKEA
Every IKEA desk is made in that classic Scandinavian style, with soft colors and subtle textures. The finished product is clean and simple, blending beautifully into any background. If you’re looking for a desk dealer that prizes both form and function, you can’t go far wrong at IKEA. You can set your search filters to shop for desks with special features, such as cable management systems, hooks, and storage shelves. Just remember that, as with all IKEA furniture, you’ll have to assemble your desk yourself.
This shallow desk makes a clear workspace with plenty of legroom.
The Malm Desk gives you two work surfaces in one, as a pull-out panel provides additional writing space
This desk features slim-line angular legs, designed to maximize floor space.
Best places to buy desks FAQs
Who makes the best desks?
Which desk dealer is best all depends on what you want from your work surface. If you’re looking for a premium desk that will add character to your home office, Crate & Barrel is your best bet. If you’re working with limited space and funds, you’re better off shopping at one of the best places to buy affordable furniture. Wayfair has thousands of affordable desks to choose from, including dozens of L-shaped styles designed to fit into tight corners.
Why are desks so expensive?
Many of the best desks are expertly crafted from all-natural materials. When you’re shopping for such premium products, you can’t be surprised by a premium price tag. With that said, not all desks are expensive. If you know where to shop and how to search, it’s definitely possible to get a decent desk for less. However, if you know you’ll be using your desk most days, it’s well worth investing in a higher-quality piece to get the style, neck support, and storage space that suits you.
Final thoughts
Your desk can quickly become disorganized, especially when you use it regularly. It’s worth consulting these top tips for organizing a desk to declutter your workspace and your mind.
If, for whatever reason, you just don’t like the look of a desk, you might prefer one of these hidden desk ideas. This way, you can clear away your workspace in minutes and be ready to relax.
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