You may have already set up a place to work from home when COVID-19 took the world by storm. Or maybe you’ve done a full pivot and decided to go fully remote now that companies have called people back to the office. Perhaps, even, you’ve started on your journey toward financial freedom and need a dedicated spot to dream up your future.
Whatever the reason, we’ve proven it’s more than possible to set up an office space with good-quality furniture and not break the bank. All for less than $500.
Desks
While any old table can count as a desk, we’ve established that a home office desk should have at minimum a place to write or type, stable legs for all that stuff you inevitably pile on top and a drawer or storage space.
Best Compact Desk: 40” Winsome Wood Mission Home Office Desk on Amazon, $70 – $131
Unlike many others, this desk boasts a strong frame made of solid beechwood. With a neutral tone and slatted sides, the mission-style Winsome desk matches most traditional and transitional styles with ease. It may be shorter than its competitors, clocking in at 40″ long, but it offers a slide-out keyboard/writing shelf and folds up flat for storage. It is sold by and ships from Amazon, so you don’t have to worry if you need to return or exchange — though it does sell out often. The list price at time of writing is $131, but this solid-wood desk frequently drops to $70 during sales.
Best Contemporary Desk: 43” Roundhill Roskilde Office Desk on Amazon, $100
For those who prefer a more minimalist style, the Roundhill Roskilde desk may suit. Built on solid rubberwood legs with a painted MDF top, this desk is as stylish as it is sturdy. Float it in the middle of a room or push it against the wall. It offers a higher shelf on which to put your computer monitor and storage where you can shove your pens, pencils and other odds and ends. Shipped and sold by Amazon, so you can rest assured if you have any delivery issues. The list price is a solid $100.
Best Storage Desk: 47” Engriy Computer/Writing Desk on Amazon, $90 – $140
With generous surface space, this top-rated Amazon find offers multiple color combinations that go well with many types of decor. It boasts two shelves for storage, two side hooks for hanging bags or headphones and withstands up to 200 lbs in weight. The vendor also sells shorter and longer desks in the same style, 39” and 55” respectively. Although the top is made of particle board, the frame is made of metal. Regular price is listed at $140, but you can snag it on sale for $90.
Best Adjustable Desk: 48” Flexispot Essential Standing Desk on Amazon, $219 – $249
Despite being the most expensive option in the category, this spacious adjustable desk is meant to move with you as you work throughout the day. It almost didn’t make the list since it lacks a drawer or shelf, but the desk does boast a quiet motor and built-in button controls to move it up and down as needed. Built on sturdy steel legs with a thick, laminated wood top, this adjustable desk can carry a maximum weight of 154 lbs.
Office chairs
Given how much time you’ll spend sitting down, it’s important to invest in a comfortable chair that supports you where you need it. There are many stylish chairs out there, but not all serve their purpose equally. We’ve narrowed down the choices to highly-rated, ergonomic chairs to reduce fatigue and avoid the dreaded stiff back.
Best Adjustable Chair: Sihoo Ergonomic Office Chair on Amazon, $209
With four support points for your head, back, hips and arms, this padded chair is great for users who want to invest in their long-term comfort. It comes in black and orange versions, with a padded headrest and seat bottom, and can support up to 330 lbs in weight. Every part is adjustable for maximum fatigue reduction, including the ability to tilt the headrest up to 45 degrees as well as the chair up to 125 degrees.
Best Budget Mesh Chair: Noblewell Mesh Office Chair on Amazon, $138
Similar in looks to the Sihoo Ergonomic Chair, the Noblewell appeals for its cheaper price point. It also supports your head, back, hips and arms, with adjustable lengths and 130 degree chair tilt – but with less customization. The seat bottom is less padded than its competitor above and the headrest adjusts up and down with no tilt support. However, it does support a maximum load of 300 lbs and reviewers say the price-comfort value is great.
Best Movable Armrest Chair: Mimoglad Task Chair on Amazon, $150
As with all chairs on this list, the Mimoglad Task Chair has a mesh back for breathability and a foam-padded seat. Unlike other options, however, this chair boasts fun colors in grey and pink and reclines up to 120 degrees. Best of all, the armrests move up and out of the way when needed. This affordable option supports up to 400 lbs and has height-adjustable head and lumbar support.
Best Mid-Back Chair: Flash Furniture Executive Swivel Chair on Amazon, $132 – $178
With more of a basic chair look, the Flash Swivel Chair has no headrest, making it very suitable for shorter users and those who prefer a lower back. It has height-adjustable arms, lumbar support and offers three control knobs within easy reach to adjust the seat back recline, tilt angle and seat height. Maximum weight limit is 250 lbs.
Printers
With the rise of digitalization, printers may not be as necessary as they once were. However, plenty of office users prefer to and frequently print their own materials. We took into consideration the upfront cost of the unit, continuing ink costs (a huge money drain, in case you didn’t know) and total features offered.
Best Black and White Printer: Brother Monochrome Laser Printer on Amazon, $189
A wireless printer that really does it all – except print in color. It boasts a large 250-page fill capacity, uses laser toner to reduce your per-page ink cost, copies, scans and can print up to 32 pages per minute. It prints on multiple types of paper, including envelopes and card stock, and for all those upgrading from an older printer, it even automatically prints double-sided.
Best Color Printer: Brother INKvestment All-In-One Printer on Amazon, $179
Made by Brother, this wireless inkjet printer offers similar features to its black-and-white cousin but also prints in color. It has a smaller 150-page fill capacity, a scanner/copier bed, and it prints up to 20 pages per minute in black and 19 pages per minute in color. Importantly, the manufacturer has redesigned its ink cartridge size and intake to reduce the need for new cartridges, part of its proprietary INKvestment technology, but you will likely need to replace the ink more frequently than the laser printer above.
Best Budget Printer: Canon All-In-One Printer on Amazon, $100 – $130
One of the best budget buys we’ve found, the wireless Canon printer boasts a compact size, color printing, and scanning/copying functions. It doesn’t print very quickly, only 7 pages per minute in color and 13 pages per minute in monochrome, but it allows you to print double-sided and continue printing in black and white if your color ink runs out. Please note that, as a budget inkjet printer with standard cartridge sizes, you will likely have to replace the ink cartridges at regular intervals.
Desk lamps
You know those moments you put on your webcam and realize that image lurking in the shadows is actually you? Avoid being that person and get yourself a good-quality desk lamp that keeps your electricity costs low.
Best Adjustable Desk Lamp: Beetwo Fully-Adjustable LED Desk Lamp on Amazon, $20
A fully-adjustable desk lamp that offers 10 dimming levels and three color warmth options, the Beetwo LED lamp is made to suit. The desk arm rotates a full 360 degrees, and each joint moves up to 270 degrees. The lamp also has a memory function to remember exactly what level brightness and color you prefer. Most flexible of all, this lamp powers via USB cable, allowing you to use the included wall charger or not, and it clamps onto the edge of your desk so you can bring it on the go.
Best Traditional Desk Lamp: Torchstar Classic Architect Lamp on Amazon, $22
Another flexible option is the Torchstar classic lamp, which comes with both a standard lamp base and desk clamp to allow you the best option for your needs. The lamp arm tilts 150 degrees at each joint and the lamp head rotates a full 360 degrees. It does not offer multiple lighting modes like the previous option, but it does take LED light bulbs with a standard lightbulb base.
Best Modern Desk Lamp: Baseus Smart LED Lamp on Amazon, $40
Last is our smartest option in the lamp category: the Baseus Smart Lamp. While not fully adjustable like the Beetwo, it does illuminate a naturally-large 47” area and has a lamp head that moves up and down 180 degrees to aim the light where it’s needed. This stylish LED smart lamp has three color warmth modes and more than 10 dimming levels, as well as a memory function to remember your preferences. It has a smart dimming sensor and a wireless, rechargeable battery so you don’t have to keep it plugged in (unless you want to). Best of all, the compact base is only three inches wide.
Bottom line
You don’t need to break the bank when setting up a comfortable and stylish home office. By spending smartly, you can easily find office furniture for under $500 to quickly set up a workplace that you’ll want to spend time in. Remember to shop sales if you have the time to wait and consider upcycling older furniture if you’ve got the energy and wherewithal to do so. In the end, the sky’s the limit for your space, so ensure you’ll enjoy the hours you’ll spend working your way towards financial freedom.
