What Size Desk Do I Need? A UK Home Office Desk Sizing Guide
Most single-monitor desks work well between 100 and 160cm wide and 60 to 80cm deep, with a desktop height around 72 to 75cm for an average-height adult. Add a second monitor and you'll want 160cm or more of width and 80cm or more of depth, and if you're over 6ft or want to work standing some of the day, the height needs to go higher still.
The right size for you comes down to three things: how you actually work (laptop only, laptop plus a monitor, or two monitors), how much floor space your room genuinely has once you leave room for your chair, and whether a straight desk or a corner desk makes better use of an awkward wall.
In this article
- Quick answer: desk sizes by scenario
- How wide should my desk be?
- How deep should my desk be?
- What's the standard desk height, and does it fit you?
- What size desk fits a small room or box room?
- Which desk should you buy?
- FAQs
Quick answer: desk sizes by scenario
Here's the full spread, so you can match a size to how you actually work before you start browsing:
| Setup | Width | Depth | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laptop only | 100 to 120cm | 50 to 60cm | Box rooms, hallway nooks, occasional use |
| Laptop plus one monitor | 120 to 160cm | 70 to 80cm | A standard home office setup |
| Dual monitor | 160cm or more | 80 to 90cm or more | Serious screen time, video or design work |
| Standing or sit-stand | 120 to 160cm | 60 to 70cm | Height-adjustable desks, typically 72 to 116cm tall |
Treat these as a sensible starting range, not a rule. The biggest single factor in how much desk you need is your monitor, not your laptop or your paperwork, so size around your screen first and everything else tends to fall into place.
How wide should my desk be?
If you only ever work from a laptop, 100 to 120cm is genuinely enough. You get room for the laptop itself, a notepad or mug, and a bit of elbow space either side.
Add a second screen and that calculation changes fast. A 24 to 27 inch monitor on its own stand typically needs 60 to 70cm of width before you've put anything else down, which is why 120 to 160cm is the realistic minimum once a monitor joins a laptop.
Running two monitors side by side pushes you to 160cm or more. Below that, you end up angling both screens inward just to fit, which works for a while but gets uncomfortable on long days. If dual monitors are the plan, see our home office desks in 160cm and corner layouts rather than squeezing onto a standard single desk.
How deep should my desk be?
Depth is where most sizing mistakes happen, because it's easy to measure a desk's width in the shop and forget the screen sits well back from the front edge, not flush against it.
For a laptop alone, 50 to 60cm is plenty. For a single external monitor, aim for 70 to 80cm so the screen sits at a proper arm's length rather than crowding your face. There's genuine debate among people who've actually measured this: some manage fine on a 60cm-deep desk with a 27 inch screen pushed right to the back, others find anything under 70cm too shallow once a keyboard and mouse join it. If your room allows it, 70cm-plus removes the guesswork.
For a large monitor, two screens, or a monitor arm with extra reach, 80 to 90cm gives you proper breathing room. A monitor riser helps too, since lifting the screen off the desktop frees up depth the stand's own footprint would otherwise eat into.
Desk accessory
Dual Monitor Stand Riser, Adjustable Length and Angle
Extends from 80 to 117cm and lifts one or two screens clear of the desktop, with three storage compartments underneath for the clutter a shallower desk has no room for.
What's the standard desk height, and does it fit you?
Most fixed-height desks sell at around 72 to 75cm, a figure built around an average adult in a standard office chair. It works for a lot of people, but "most people" isn't the same as you.
As a rough guide, your elbows should sit level with or just below the desktop when your chair is at a comfortable height, not hovering above it. If your feet don't reach the floor once the desk forces your chair up to the right height, the desk is too tall for you, not something a footrest should have to fix.
This is the real case for a height-adjustable desk. It removes the one-size-fits-all guess entirely, since you set the height to suit you (and anyone else who shares the desk), and it lets you stand for part of the day without buying a second piece of furniture.
Premium pick
Electric Standing Desk, 140 x 70cm, Adjustable 72 to 116cm
A 140 x 70cm top with four memory height presets, enough depth for a laptop and monitor side by side, and a 70kg weight capacity.
What size desk fits a small room or box room?
A lot of UK home offices aren't a dedicated room at all. They're a landing corner, a converted cupboard, or a small spare bedroom with a sloped loft ceiling eating into the usable space. Here, a slim 80 to 100cm desk against the wall does the job far better than forcing in a 140cm desk because that's what the collection page shows first.
Behind the desk, leave at least 80 to 90cm of floor space for your chair to pull out and for you to get in and out without shuffling sideways. That clearance matters more than the desk's own width in a genuinely small room.
A compact writing desk with a shelf above, rather than drawers underneath, often works best here. It keeps the floor clear for a chair with arms, and the shelf gives you somewhere to put books or a printer without stealing desktop depth.
Budget pick, small spaces
Writing Desk with Storage Shelf, 84 x 45cm, Walnut
An 84cm wide, 45cm deep desktop with a shelf above for books or files, sitting 71.5cm off the floor. Built for a laptop or a single compact monitor, not a dual-screen setup.
Which desk should you buy?
The writing desk and standing desk above cover a box room and a height-adjustable setup. Here's the third of three real, in-stock picks: the corner desk for anyone short on wall space but long on screen time. For a wider look at desk styles and materials, see our desk buying guide.
Mid-range pick, corner setups
L-Shaped Corner Desk, 138 x 138 x 75cm, With Shelves
An L-shaped 138 x 138cm desktop that uses a corner instead of a stretch of wall, with two shelves (remove the top one for a PC tower) and a cable cut-out for a tidy dual-monitor setup.
A corner desk like this one earns its keep where a straight desk would otherwise block a wall you need for shelving or a radiator. The trade-off is that it needs a genuine corner to sit in, so measure both walls either side of the corner before you buy, not just the desk itself.
FAQs
What is the standard desk size in the UK?
Most UK desks sit between 100 and 160cm wide and 60 to 80cm deep, at a desktop height of roughly 72 to 75cm. Dual-monitor and standing desks push past those ranges on width and height respectively.
Is 60cm desk depth enough for a monitor?
It can be, for a single 24 to 27 inch screen pushed right to the back edge, but it's tight. Many people find 70cm or more noticeably more comfortable once a keyboard, mouse and mug are also on the desk, and it's the safer choice if you're not sure.
What size desk do I need for two monitors?
Aim for at least 160cm of width and 80 to 90cm of depth. Below that, you'll likely end up angling both screens inward to make them fit, which works but isn't as comfortable over a full working day.
What's the standard desk height, and do I need a different one?
72 to 75cm suits most average-height adults in a standard chair. If you're considerably taller or shorter than average, or you share the desk with someone else, a height-adjustable desk (commonly 72 to 116cm) fits more people than any single fixed height can.
What size desk fits a small room or box room?
A slim 80 to 100cm wide, 45 to 60cm deep desk against a wall is usually the right call, with at least 80 to 90cm of clearance left behind it for your chair.
Should I get a corner desk or a straight desk?
A corner desk makes sense when you genuinely have a corner to use and want to free up wall space elsewhere in the room. A straight desk is simpler to place and easier to move later if you're not certain the room's layout is permanent.
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