Standing desk or ergonomic chair: which to buy first

Start with a quick workstation check

Sit at your desk as you normally work and go through these points from the HSE checklist. Note each one that fails.

1. 1

   Can you set the seat so your feet rest flat on the floor and your thighs are roughly horizontal?

2. 2

   Does the chair back support the curve of your lower back without a gap?

3. 3

   With your shoulders relaxed, are your forearms roughly level with the keyboard?

4. 4

   Can you get close to the desk without the arms hitting it?

5. 5

   Is the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, at about arm's length?

6. 6

   Can you change position or take short breaks easily during the day?

Reading the results

If points 1, 2 or 4 fail, the chair is the main problem. A fixed desk at the wrong height can sometimes be worked around with a chair, but a chair that cannot be adjusted cannot be fixed with a desk.

If point 3 fails only because the desk is too high or too low, and raising or lowering the chair would break points 1 or 2, the desk is the main problem. Point 5 is usually a monitor issue, solved with a riser or arm. Point 6 is where a sit-stand desk helps most.

What an ergonomic chair changes

A good task chair lets you set seat height, seat depth, lumbar position, arm height and recline. That covers most of the HSE seating points on its own. Even at a fixed desk, a chair with a wide height range plus a footrest can get your forearms level with the keyboard.

Our ergonomic office chairs guide and our under £300 guide compare chairs by how many adjustment points they cover.

Compare ergonomic chairs →

What a standing desk changes

A sit-stand desk lets you set the desk to your seated elbow height instead of moving the chair to suit the desk, and lets you stand for part of the day. It suits tall users, people sharing a desk, and anyone who wants to vary position. It does not fix a chair that lacks lumbar or seat depth adjustment.

If a full desk is not practical, a desk converter gives you the standing option on your current desk, though it does not change the seated height. Our electric standing desks guide covers full desks.

If you can afford both

Buying both at once avoids having to re-set one when the other arrives, and lets you set the chair and desk heights together. Set the chair first, so your feet are flat and your thighs level, then bring the desk to your elbow height and save that as a preset. Then stand, bring the desk to your standing elbow height and save that too.

If you buy one now and one later, keep a note of your measurements: seated elbow height, standing elbow height and seat height. That makes it quick to set up the second purchase and check that its range covers you before you order.

Cheap fixes while you decide

A footrest, a lumbar cushion, a monitor riser and a separate keyboard and mouse for a laptop can fix several failed checklist points for very little. They are worth trying before a large purchase. Our ergonomic chair vs lumbar cushion article explains how far a cushion can go.

Frequently asked questions

Should I buy a chair or desk first for working from home? Run the checklist above. For most people with a basic chair, the chair fixes more problems first.

Does a standing desk mean I need a less expensive chair? Not really. You will still sit for much of the day, so the chair still needs to fit you.

Can a good chair fix a desk that is too high? Partly. Raise the chair until your forearms are level with the keyboard and use a footrest to keep your feet supported.

Is a converter enough? For standing part of the day, often yes. It does not change seated desk height, so a fixed desk that is the wrong height still needs a chair and footrest solution.