Working from home is brilliant — no commute, your own coffee, trousers optional. But a poorly set-up home office can turn that freedom into neck pain, eye strain, and a productivity slump before you’ve even noticed it happening.
Whether you’re setting up your first dedicated home workspace or upgrading from the kitchen table, this home office setup guide covers everything you need to know. We’ll walk through the essentials in order of priority, suggest specific products where helpful, and share the mistakes we see people make most often.
Let’s build you a workspace that actually works.
Step 1: Choose Your Space #
Before buying anything, figure out where your office will live. This matters more than you think.
Dedicated Room vs Shared Space #
A separate room with a door is ideal — it gives you a physical boundary between “work” and “not work,” and it means you can leave your setup undisturbed overnight. But plenty of people work brilliantly from a corner of the living room, a wide hallway, or even a large closet converted into a nook.
The key requirements:
- Enough space for a desk (at least 120 cm × 60 cm surface area)
- A power outlet nearby (extension leads are fine, but avoid daisy-chaining)
- Reasonable lighting — natural light is ideal, but we’ll cover lighting below
- Tolerable noise levels — not next to the washing machine if you take calls
Avoid These Spots #
- Your bed or sofa — terrible for posture and even worse for your sleep habits
- Facing a window directly — glare on your screen will destroy your eyes
- A high-traffic area — constant interruptions kill focus
Step 2: Pick the Right Desk #
Your desk is the foundation. Get this right and everything else falls into place more easily.
What Size Do You Need? #
For most people, a desk surface of 120 cm × 60 cm is the minimum for comfortable work with a laptop or single monitor. If you use dual monitors, aim for 140 cm × 70 cm or larger.
Depth matters too — if your monitor is on the desk (not on a monitor arm), you need at least 60 cm of depth to get enough distance between your eyes and the screen.
Sit-Stand Desks vs Fixed Desks #
We’re big believers in sit-stand (standing) desks. The ability to change position throughout the day reduces fatigue, improves circulation, and can help with back discomfort. That said, a good fixed desk paired with a great chair is perfectly fine — the science on standing desks vs sitting desks is more nuanced than the marketing suggests.
If you’re leaning towards a standing desk, check out our 7 best standing desks of 2026. Our top pick, the Flexispot E7, starts at around £450 and covers most needs.
Budget Options #
Not ready to invest in a standing desk? A simple fixed desk from IKEA (the LAGKAPTEN/ALEX combo is a classic) will run you under £100 and does the job. You can always upgrade later.
Step 3: Invest in a Good Chair #
If you only splurge on one thing, make it your chair. You’ll spend 6–10 hours a day in it, and a bad chair will cost you far more in physiotherapy than it saves upfront.
What to Look For #
- Adjustable lumbar support — this is the single most important feature
- Adjustable seat height — your feet should be flat on the floor
- Armrests — adjustable ones that support your forearms while typing
- Breathable material — mesh backs stay cooler than leather
We’ve tested dozens and put together a dedicated guide: best ergonomic chairs under £500. The Autonomous ErgoChair Pro (around £375) is our top overall pick, while the IKEA Markus (around £175) is the best budget option.
Sitting Posture Basics #
Even the best chair won’t help if you sit badly. Here’s the quick checklist:
- Feet flat on the floor (or on a footrest)
- Knees at roughly 90 degrees
- Hips pushed back against the chair’s lumbar support
- Shoulders relaxed, not hunched forward
- Top of your monitor at or slightly below eye level
- Elbows at roughly 90 degrees when typing
Print this out and tape it somewhere visible until it becomes habit.
Step 4: Set Up Your Monitor #
Staring at a laptop screen all day is one of the most common home office mistakes. Even if you don’t do anything else in this guide, getting a proper monitor will transform your working experience.
Why an External Monitor Matters #
- Larger screen = less eye strain (you stop squinting and leaning forward)
- Proper height — laptop screens force you to look down, which strains your neck
- More screen real estate — side-by-side documents, visible Slack, reference material
What to Look For #
For general office work, a 27-inch IPS monitor at 1440p (QHD) resolution is the sweet spot. It’s sharp enough for text-heavy work, large enough to be comfortable, and affordable — good options start around £250.
If you want specific recommendations, we’ve reviewed the 5 best monitors for working from home.
Monitor Placement #
- Distance: Arm’s length (roughly 50–70 cm from your eyes)
- Height: Top of the screen at or just below eye level
- Angle: Tilted back slightly (10–20 degrees)
- Position: Directly in front of you, not off to one side
A monitor arm (£30–80) is one of the best value accessories you can buy. It frees up desk space, makes height adjustment effortless, and looks much cleaner than a chunky monitor stand.
Step 5: Keyboard and Mouse #
If you’re using a laptop, an external keyboard and mouse are essential once you add a monitor. They let you position the screen at the right height while keeping your hands at desk level.
Keyboard #
You don’t need to spend a fortune. A basic full-size keyboard from Logitech or Microsoft (£20–40) works fine. If you type a lot and want something nicer, a mechanical keyboard with tactile switches (we like Cherry MX Brown or equivalent) reduces finger fatigue over long sessions.
Ergonomic split keyboards (like the Logitech Ergo K860) can help if you experience wrist discomfort, but they take a week or two to adjust to.
Mouse #
An ergonomic vertical mouse (like the Logitech MX Vertical) can reduce wrist strain compared to a traditional mouse. Otherwise, any comfortable mouse with a scroll wheel will do. The Logitech MX Master 3S is the workhorse standard for office use.
Wrist Rests #
Opinions vary, but we find a padded wrist rest in front of the keyboard helpful for keeping wrists neutral during typing. Avoid resting your wrists while typing — use the rest during pauses.
Step 6: Lighting #
Bad lighting causes eye strain, headaches, and fatigue. Good lighting is easy and inexpensive to get right.
Natural Light #
Position your desk perpendicular to the window — light coming from the side. This avoids glare on your screen (light behind you reflects off the monitor) and avoids the screen being washed out (light directly in front of you). If you’re on video calls, side lighting also looks best on camera.
Desk Lamp #
A good desk lamp with adjustable colour temperature (warm to cool) is worth having for cloudy days and evening work. LED desk lamps from BenQ or TaoTronics (£40–80) are popular for a reason — they light your desk evenly without creating screen glare.
Overhead Lighting #
Avoid harsh overhead fluorescents if possible. If your room light is bright and directly overhead, it can create reflections on your screen. A softer, diffused overhead light or bias lighting behind your monitor (an LED strip, £10–20) reduces eye strain by lowering the contrast between your bright screen and dark surroundings.
Step 7: Internet and Connectivity #
All the ergonomic furniture in the world won’t help if your internet drops during every video call.
Wi-Fi vs Ethernet #
If possible, run an Ethernet cable to your desk. It’s more reliable and faster than Wi-Fi, especially for video calls. A simple 10-metre Cat 6 cable costs under £10.
If Ethernet isn’t practical, position yourself as close to your router as possible, or invest in a mesh Wi-Fi system (TP-Link Deco or similar, £80–150) to eliminate dead spots.
Docking Station / USB Hub #
If you use a laptop, a USB-C docking station simplifies everything — one cable connects your laptop to your monitor, keyboard, mouse, and charger. Good docks from Anker or CalDigit run £50–150 and make the daily plug-in/unplug cycle painless.
Step 8: Audio (Headset and Speakers) #
For Video Calls #
Your laptop’s built-in microphone picks up every background noise in the room. A dedicated headset with a boom mic (like the Jabra Evolve2 or Poly Voyager Focus) dramatically improves call quality for you and everyone on the other end.
If you dislike headsets, a desktop USB microphone (Elgato Wave 3, Blue Yeti) paired with decent speakers or earbuds works well too.
For Focus #
Noise-cancelling headphones are a worthwhile investment if you share your home with other people, pets, or street noise. The Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max remain the standards here.
Step 9: Cable Management #
It’s tempting to skip this, but tangled cables under your desk look messy, collect dust, and make it harder to clean or rearrange things later.
A few cheap solutions that work:
- Cable tray (under-desk, £15–25) — catches all the cables and power strips
- Velcro cable ties (£5 for a pack) — bundle cables together
- Cable clips — stick to the back of your desk to route cables neatly
- A power strip with surge protection — keeps everything in one place
Spend 20 minutes on cables when you first set up. Future you will be grateful.
Step 10: Personal Touches and Environment #
Your home office should be a place you want to spend time in. Once the functional stuff is sorted:
- Add a plant — even a small one improves air quality and mood
- Temperature — a small fan or space heater for your office can be more efficient than heating/cooling the whole house
- Minimise clutter — a clean desk reduces visual noise and mental distraction
- Wall art or photos — make the space yours, not a sterile corporate box
Common Mistakes to Avoid #
We see these over and over:
- Using a dining chair — it’s not designed for 8 hours of sitting. Invest in a real office chair.
- Monitor too low — if you’re looking down at your screen, your neck will punish you. Raise it or use an arm.
- Ignoring lighting — “it’s fine” until you get headaches every afternoon.
- Skipping breaks — set a timer. Stand up every 30–60 minutes. Walk around. Look out the window.
- Over-buying — you don’t need a £2,000 setup on day one. Start with a good chair and monitor, then upgrade over time.
Sample Budgets #
Starter Setup (~£400–600) #
- IKEA desk (LAGKAPTEN/ALEX): £80
- IKEA Markus chair: £175
- 27" 1440p monitor: £250
- Basic keyboard and mouse: £40
- Cable tray and ties: £20
Mid-Range Setup (~£800–1,200) #
- Flexispot E7 standing desk: £500
- Autonomous ErgoChair Pro: £375
- 27" 1440p monitor + arm: £300
- Mechanical keyboard + ergonomic mouse: £120
- Desk lamp + cable management: £60
Premium Setup (~£1,500–2,500) #
- Uplift V2 with premium desktop: £700
- Secretlab Titan Evo: £450
- 32" 4K monitor + arm: £500
- Premium peripherals: £200
- Docking station + lighting + accessories: £250
Getting Started #
You don’t need to do all of this at once. If we had to prioritise, here’s the order:
- Chair — your body will thank you
- Monitor (external, at the right height) — your eyes and neck will thank you
- Desk — upgrade to a standing desk when budget allows
- Lighting — cheap wins that make a big difference
- Everything else — iterate over time
The perfect home office is the one that works for you. Start with the basics, listen to your body, and adjust as you go. If you want specific product recommendations, our review guides for standing desks, ergonomic chairs, and monitors are a good next step.
Happy working from home.