Desk & Chair Guide

The short answer: chair first, desk second

If your budget is limited, invest in the chair first. As long as a desk has the right height and enough surface, a cheap one barely affects your work - but the chair's comfort translates directly into fatigue and focus. Sit six hours a day and you are sitting in that tool 1,500 hours a year.

If you already have a usable table, replacing only the chair is the most cost-effective move. See the desk chair comparison for candidates by maker.

Choosing a desk: width, depth and height

Width and depth

For a laptop alone, start at 100 x 50 cm. With an external monitor, go for 120 x 60 cm or more. A 60 cm depth keeps the monitor 50 cm or more from your eyes, which reduces eye strain. Find 120 cm desks

Height

Ready-made desks in Japan are 70-72 cm tall, sized for people around 170 cm. If you are shorter, use a height-adjustable desk, or match with the chair's seat height plus a footrest.

Shape

An L-shaped desk uses a room corner and separates screen work from paperwork - a great fit for working from home if space allows. Find L-shaped desks

Choosing a chair: three checkpoints

1. Does the seat height fit?

Your heels should rest flat on the floor with knees at 90 degrees. The guideline is height x 0.25: about 39 cm for 155 cm tall, about 44 cm for 175 cm. Always check the lower end of the adjustment range.

2. Does it support your lower back?

A rounded lower back over long hours leads to pain. Choose a chair with a lumbar support or a backrest shaped to follow the lumbar curve. Find chairs with lumbar support

3. Armrest height

Elbows supported at 90 degrees dramatically reduce shoulder strain. Check that the armrests fit under your desk, and prefer height-adjustable ones - they never fail you. Find adjustable-armrest chairs

Setup examples by budget

• Around 10,000 yen: keep your current table; improve it with a seat cushion and lumbar support. If you need a desk, go folding.
• Around 30,000 yen: a mesh work chair (15,000-20,000 yen) plus a simple 100-120 cm desk (about 10,000 yen). The standard home office setup.
• 50,000 yen and up: put 30,000-40,000 yen into a full-featured work chair, or add an electric standing desk. Worth it if you work 8 hours a day at home. Find electric standing desks

When in doubt, remember: 60% of the budget goes to the chair. If placement is your real problem, see the home office layout examples and the small rental workspace guide.

Related pages

• Desk Chair Comparison (by maker)
• Monitor, Keyboard & Mouse Guide
• Home Office Layout Examples
• Home Office Setup Checklist