Smart desks for a stylish home office

If you predominantly or even occasionally work from home, having a beautifully designed, practical home office desk is essential. It will, after all, become your constant companion between 9am and 5pm. Over the last few years, working from home has become the new normal for lots of people, whether five days a week or as a hybrid home/office split. With so much more time spent working in this way, investing in a high quality writing desk or computer desk is so important to ensure that you are as comfortable and productive as you can be whilst doing your job from home. As it is an historically unfamiliar way of working for the many for whom it is now quotidian, people have ended up working in less than ideal conditions and lacking the right furniture and equipment, which can lead to issues such as back pain or carpal tunnel syndrome.

We've rounded up our favourite home office desks that are available to buy now, whether you're after a small desk, a classic wooden desk, or a generous option with plenty of storage, so you can find the perfect office desk that works for you.

What is the best home office desk?

To answer this question, you must first consider what you need from your desk, as the right office desk depends on how you like to work and where you like to work. If you need to move around a lot to stay focused, a standing desk will make a great choice as it feels less static than a seated one. Perhaps you have 101 pieces of paper and files? If that's the case, a space-saving storage desk with built in shelves, drawers or cupboards will provide what you need. If you really spread out when you're working, make sure the piece of office furniture you opt for features a work surface with enough space to accommodate that.

If you want the ability to customise your desk to the correct height, a height adjustable desk might be good for you. The latter is helpful as your elbows and wrists should be level when typing, so, if you don't have an ergonomic desk chair (take a look at our guide to the best office chairs here), you can set your workspace up properly.

If you haven't got a dedicated office and are using a small space in your living room or bedroom, having a desk you are able to hide wires behind, or slide things out of view on a keyboard tray, will be particularly effective. This will help keep the tabletop clear and let all those pretty desk accessories, like pen pots and letter trays, shine. Should you be squeezing your desk into an awkward nook, check out our guide to the best corner desks, as one of these might do the trick.

After more home office content? We've rounded up the best desk chairs, best laptop stands and corner desks, to make your spaces as comfortable as possible. To add some flair and visual interest to the space, we've picked out the ultimate desk accessories to decorate with, alongside the best paperweights. Though of course, you'll need the best desk lamps to really make the space sing.

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Rita Notes: desks and home work spaces

The best home office desks to buy now, at a glance:

• Best home office desk overall: Quilda Vintage Double Unit Desk, £1,050 from La Redoute.
• Best desk for small spaces: Bisley MultiDesk Oak Veneer Home Office Desk with 6 Drawers, £299 from John Lewis.
• Best desk for beautiful design: Marena Desk, £2295 from Soho Home.
• Best affordable desk: Habitat Compact Folding Office Desk - Black & Oak, £50 from Habitat.
• Best height adjustable desk: Idåsen Desk Sit/Stand, £495 from Ikea.

Best home office desk overall: Quilda Vintage Double Unit Desk from La Redoute

Quilda Vintage Double Unit Desk

We've selected the Quilda as our best desk for the home working space overall due to its simple yet stylish design that will suit lots of homes, combined with the practicality of its storage space, with a cupboard on one side and three drawers on the other. It has a wide, spacious top so you won't be cramped while working, and it's made from solid oak and oak veneer. Although it's rather pricey, it should last you for many years and is a worthwile investment for the amount of use it would get from regular WFH. While we like the symmetry and amount of storage in this design, there is also a cheaper version of the Quilda with a cupboard on one side and shelf space under the desk top.

Best desk for small spaces: Bisley MultiDesk Oak Veneer Home Office Desk with 6 Drawers from John Lewis

Bisley MultiDesk Oak Veneer Home Office Desk with 6 Drawers

With its industrial-chic look, this is a great desk for creatives working from home, or anyone undertaking document-heavy tasks. At 105cm wide, it's a more compact desk than some of the others on our list, yet with six drawers that are large enough to neatly fit A4 paper, you won't be short of storage. It's available in six fun colour ways, but we love this mustard yellow option. The hairpin legs add a midcentury touch to the piece and match the colour of the metal drawers on the other side. Overall, we think this desk packs a punch in terms of style and substance, despite its smaller size and fairly low price.

Best desk for beautiful design: Marena Desk from Soho Home

Marena Desk

For a luxurious desk that will really stand out in a home office, look no further than Soho Home. The beautiful studded oak frontage is the decorative feature which really sets apart this piece, finished with elegant antique brass finish handles. It's got plenty of storage too, with two large cupboards and two drawers.

Best affordable desk: Habitat Compact Folding Office Desk from Habitat

Habitat Compact Folding Office Desk - Black & Oak

Another fantastic choice for those struggling with space for a desk at home, this is a folding desk from reliable British high street stalwart Habitat, so it can be neatly folded and slotted away or leant against a wall when not in use. At £50, it's also an absolute steal and by far the cheapest desk in our edit, so is ideal for those not looking to splurge on a high-end desk. Due to its smaller stature and portable nature, this is probably better suited to occasional home working rather than all day every day use. If you're concerned about the quality due to its low price, the desk has almost uniformly excellent customer reviews on the Habitat website.

Best height adjustable desk: Idåsen Desk Sit/Stand from Ikea

Idåsen Desk Sit/Stand

If you're someone who likes to stand sometimes while working, or you just want to make sure you're working at the correct height (which has a huge impact on posture and helps to avoid issues such as neck and back pain), then Ikea's Idåsen height adjustable desk could be perfect for you. The height can be altered using a handle, from 63cm to 127cm. The white desk frame is powder coated steel, atop which sits an ash veneer desk surface. It's not the most beautiful desk in the world, but does what it says on the tin. Its neutral design will fit in nicely to a home office, and would be easily personalised with some pretty stationery, perhaps a classic Anglepoise lamp or a decorative paperweight.

The best home office desks 2024

Timothy Oulton Aviator Blackhawk Valkyrie Desk

Habitat Loft Living Corner Office Desk - Light Oak Effect

Balabac Desk - Natural

Theonie Reversible Ash Veneer Bookcase Desk

Kartell Earl Of Wood Desk

Brunel Red Edition Desk Oak

Grimsby Corner Console Desk

Brockwell Desk

Compas Direction Desk

Arranmore Desk, Walnut Burl