Setting Up an Ergonomic L-Shaped Desk for Home Office

L-shaped desks can be perfect for a home office space for a variety of reasons. Due to their shape, these desks can fit perfectly in areas where a simple desk might look odd. You obviously have more workspace in one of these as well. 

There are typically a couple of steps that you’ll need to follow in order to set up an L-shape desk for home office use. The first thing is to realize that not every single desk on the market is going to fit your home perfectly. However, there are ways to adjust the position of these desks, which is one of the cool things about them. Don’t start discarding options just yet.

In certain situations, though, it may be best to get a small standing desk that you can fit comfortably in a corner. Before looking into desk dimensions, you’ll want to determine where you can put the desk within your home. Once you’ve got those dimensions down, you can pick the option that works best in the space that you have available. 

Where Is the Best Place to Set up a Home Office L-shaped Desk?

Some people may not have the luxury to pick their ideal home office space. They’ll just have to make do with the room that’s available for them. When you do have the opportunity to pick where you want to set up this area, what should you look for? 

Ideally, you’ll be looking for a space that allows you to set up a desk and a chair while still having room to spare to move and slide the chair out. Also, you may want something near a window to let some fresh air in, but maybe not with a window directly in front or behind the desk. Otherwise, instead of fresh air, you may get way more sunlight on your face or the computer screen than what you bargained for.

Converting a part of the living room and placing a home office L-shaped desk there is one of the popular ideas. If you have a more spacious bedroom, it could also serve as the new home of your L-shaped standing desk. This last tip may work better for people who have an extra bedroom at home. It may not be ideal for others who would have to work where they sleep. 

Other popular spots are converted garages or basements. The big issue with those areas is that they typically don’t get a lot of natural light. You’ll need great artificial lighting and a good air conditioning system to make working conditions decent in these rooms.

How to Set up an L-shaped Desk Ergonomically and Properly?

Once you’ve picked the room that you’re going to settle into, it’s time to decide how you’ll set up your L-shaped desk home office layout. Regardless of where this “office” is going to be, there are a couple of rules that you’ll want to follow to ensure you get the most out of the space that you have available. 

There is a reason why a corner desk setup is usually preferred with this type of office furniture in a home. When you put the desk up against a wall and in a corner, you’re eating up less room space while still getting the most out of the work area that the long side of the desk provides. This next tip focuses precisely on L-shaped desk layout ideas. 

Ideally, you’ll be able to use the long part of the desk as the work area and the short area as storage space. If you pick out an L-shaped home office desk with drawers, make sure the drawers are on the short side of the desk. That’s going to allow you to move freely in the longer part without running the risk of bumping into these drawers.

Can You Place the Desk in the Middle of the Room?

Most L-shaped desks with home office ideas that you’ll find online are going to suggest that the desk be placed in a corner and up against a wall, as we have recently suggested. Would it make sense to place the desk in the middle of the room? If you have a regular standing desk and a reasonably sized room, then you can certainly justify placing it right in the middle. 

Some people may prefer to work in the middle of a room because they can feel “trapped” if they are pushed up against a wall. That’s especially the case if there are no windows nearby. The problem with an L-shaped desk in the middle of a room is that it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb. 

Having a large table in the middle of any room can make it hard to find a setup and design to allow the room to show any sense of style or continuity. Some people, though, can justify this by saying they don’t really care what the room looks like as long as they’re comfortable working in it. That’s the ultimate way to defend setting up a large desk in the middle of any room.

How to Sit Ergonomically on an L-shaped Desk?

How you sit at any desk will highly dictate how comfortable you’re going to feel in that particular setup. In an L-shaped desk for home offices, the key is to have a chair that you can easily manipulate to move across the entire workspace. Usually, people who work at these types of desks will be looking at multiple computer monitors. 

What you want to be able to do is move your chair across the work area with ease. Does this mean that you have to use a chair with wheels? That will depend on just how large the work area might be. Some people will be fine if they have a chair that allows them to turn easily, even if it remains anchored to the same spot. 

If there’s one thing that you want to avoid, it’s a chair that’s completely rigid to the point where you can’t turn and face another direction quickly. Some people may think they can use their small reclining chair in their home office setup because it has “ergonomic” features. That decision could come back to bite them, though, if they’re not able to move the chair with ease. 

The biggest issue with chairs that are too rigid is that they’ll make the large workspace that an L-shaped desk for home offices can provide useless. Since you won’t be able to move effectively, you’re likely going to be tied down to only a small part of the desk. 

Is it a good idea to buy a new ergonomic chair or even a gaming chair for your home office setup? These chairs are typically easier to manipulate, allowing you to move across the desk quickly. Plenty of quality furniture brands are now selling these chairs, and many of them do so at decent prices.

How to Pick the Right Seating Option for Your L-shaped Desk?

We mentioned that the ideal chair for an L-shaped desk for home offices is one that’s easy to maneuver. Ideally, this chair will also have decent ergonomic features so that you can sit in front of the desk for long hours without putting too much strain on your back. What are those key ergonomic features in chairs?  

Quality ergonomic chairs will usually feature a backrest with multiple support points. If you’re someone who has back issues, it’s a good idea to find a chair that features a backrest with extra support in these areas. 

One of the popular elements that these ergonomic chairs tend to feature is a plate where the lower back goes to relieve the strain that some people may feel in that area when sitting down. 

Many of these chairs will also allow you to recline while keeping your back straight in the process. Even though you’re probably looking for a sturdy backrest, it’s always a good idea to make sure that the chair reclines as well. This can help you relieve some of the pressure that you may be feeling throughout the day. 

It may not be a great idea to look for the coziest or puffiest chair out there. Many of these options are great if you’re going to be sitting in them for a couple of minutes or even a few hours. As the hours and days come and go, you’re going to wish that you pick a sturdier chair that will take some pressure off your back.

Autonomous SmartDesk Corner - Best L-shaped Desk for Home Office

This desk is our pick as the best L-shaped desk for home office use. First off, we really like the desk materials that are used in its composition. It has a solid steel frame, which makes it one of the most durable options on the market. You can comfortably set up to 400 lbs worth of equipment on top of it, and the frame is going to hold up just fine. 

It comes in three colors that you mix and match between the desktop and frame. The desktop comes in white, black, or walnut, while the frame can be black or white. If you’re going for a modern look, we suggest that you stick to the all-white design.

In some homes, though, it’s going to be easier to add a walnut desk with a black frame to the existing look and feel of the place. That will especially be the case if the rest of the furniture in the home office room doesn’t feature a minimalist/modern design.

Keep in mind that it won’t arrive fully assembled. We’re not saying this to scare you away from the assembly process. It’s actually not hard at all to assemble these desks. The only reason why we bring this up is because you can decide what side of the frame you want to attach the small part of the “L” to. 

Let’s say that you find the perfect corner in your home that you want to put the desk in. It’s okay if the shorter side is pushed up against the wall and the longer side comes out towards the room. When you’re looking for the perfect desk dimensions, remember that this desk is rather versatile in that department. 

This is also a sit/stand desk that goes as low as 29.4 inches and as high as 48 inches. If you’re someone who likes to stand at the desk constantly, that’s another good reason to get a chair that’s easy to move. You may have to move it out of your way during certain parts of the day. 

It’s priced at a bit over 1000 dollars. That’s a very good deal when you take into account that you’re essentially getting two desks for the price of one. The long side of the desk is 77 inches long, while the short one is only 35 inches.

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Final Thoughts on Setting Up an Ergonomic L-Shaped Desk

When you find the right place to set up your L-shaped desk in home offices, you’ve won half the battle. At that moment, you’ll know how large of a desk you can buy. Remember, though, that you’ll typically want to look for a place within your home that gets natural light or at least isn’t too far away from the air conditioning vent.

This could be a place that you’ll spend a lot of time in, so if your basement isn’t ready to be converted into a home office space, you may want to hold off on making the move. Finding the right desk is certainly the key to the success of the operation. However, there are other elements that you need to take into account. 

Don’t overlook the importance of a good chair in your home office setup. That will allow you to take full advantage of the size of your L-shaped desk. When you don’t have an effective way to move around your work area, you may be better off sitting at a smaller desk. 

If you do decide to purchase an L-shaped desk for home offices, make sure to buy one from a trusted brand. It could be part of your home office for years, so it may be a good idea to invest in a decent option that can last for a long time.