School goes back in late January or early February, and plenty of students start the year doing homework on the bed or at the kitchen bench. A proper study desk gives a secondary school or university student one place for a laptop, books and notes, and it keeps schoolwork out of the rest of the house.
This guide covers desk sizes, desk and chair heights, corner desks for bedrooms, storage, cable access and a sit-stand option, with seven products and their stated specs. For more sizes and finishes, browse our home office desks.
Study desk sizes: room for a laptop, a screen and books
Start with what sits on the desk every night. A laptop and an open textbook fit on most desks, but add a monitor, a keyboard and a stack of workbooks and the top fills quickly. A study desk 1200mm wide is a practical starting point for a bedroom, and a depth of 600mm leaves room in front of a laptop for notes.
The Logan Student Desk ($156) is 1200mm wide, 600mm deep and 730mm high. It has a 25mm thick top and sides, shock-absorbent PVC edges and adjustable feet, and it carries a 5 year warranty. Choose White / Ironstone, Beech / Ironstone or Oak / White to suit the room.
If the student needs drawers that lock, the Logan Student Desk with Drawers ($293) is the same 1200 x 600 x 730mm desk with a matching two-drawer unit. The drawer unit measures 470mm wide, 355mm high and 460mm deep, and it is fitted with a lock as standard. Both versions sit in our student desks range.
Corner desks for a bedroom
Bedrooms are tight, so measure before you choose. Note where the door swings, where the bed and wardrobe sit and where the power points are. A corner desk can turn an unused corner into a larger work surface.
The Logan Corner Workstation - Beach/Ironstone (from $407) is a three-piece set, a corner module and two wings, that forms an L-shaped desk. Sizes run from 1500 x 1500mm to 2100 x 2100mm, at 600mm or 750mm deep, and it stands 730mm high. Pre-drilled cable holes keep cords tidy, the tops and sides are 25mm thick and adjustable feet steady it on uneven floors.
On the smallest size, one wing can hold a laptop while the other takes books and notes. The product page notes room for multiple monitors and paperwork, which suits a university student with a second screen. Chairs and pedestal drawers are sold separately. For more layout ideas, see our guide to desks, chairs and storage for small spaces.
Desk height and a chair that adjusts
Every desk in this guide sits at 730mm, except the sit-stand laptop desk further down. A fixed desk cannot change height, so the chair does the adjusting. Look for a stated seat height range, so one chair can suit a student in Year 7 and again in Year 12.
The Chicago Mesh ($176) is a mesh operator chair made for home offices and light commercial use. Gas lift adjustment sets the seat anywhere from 430 to 550mm, and the armrests sit 600 to 680mm above the ground. A tilt lock mechanism holds the chair upright or lets it move in free flow, and the moulded foam seat is 490mm wide.
It has a durable nylon base, a 100kg weight rating and a 3 year warranty. Black mesh is standard, and a Silver back is also offered. Compare more chairs with stated seat heights in our ergonomic task chairs.
Storage and cable access
Storage keeps the desk clear for work. A hutch puts shelves above the desk, and a bookcase beside it takes textbooks, folders and the things a student needs only once a week.
The Logan Hutch (from $286) comes in 1200mm, 1500mm and 1800mm widths, so the 1200mm size matches the width of the Logan Student Desk. It is 1075mm high and 315mm deep, with 25mm thick adjustable shelves, in Beech / Ironstone or White / Ironstone. Its product page says to anchor it to the wall when it is used at home.
The Logan Bookcase ($238) in the 1200mm height is 900mm wide and 315mm deep, with three adjustable 25mm shelves. It comes in the same three two-tone finishes as the Logan Student Desk, so the set can match.
Plan the cables as well. The Logan Student Desk has no cable holes, so run chargers down the back edge to the power point. The corner workstation has pre-drilled cable holes, which let a laptop charger and a monitor lead drop through the top instead of trailing over the edge.
A sit-stand option for a small room
Some students like to stand for part of a long study session, or to read notes away from the main desk. A full sit-stand desk takes as much floor as a normal desk, but a mobile laptop desk can sit beside the bed and roll away afterwards.
The Upanatom Mobile Laptop Sit Stand Desk ($344) adjusts from 720mm to 980mm with a single lever gas assist. Its 600 x 385mm polypropylene platform suits a 17 inch laptop, with a retractable mouse pad and a cup holder. Locking castors, a large handle and an extra wide starship base make it easy to move and hold in place, and it has a 10 Year warranty.
The four desks compare like this.
| Desk | Width x depth | Height | Storage and cables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Student Desk | 1200 x 600mm | 730mm | No drawers, no cable holes |
| Logan Student Desk with Drawers | 1200 x 600mm | 730mm | Two-drawer unit fitted with a lock |
| Logan Corner Workstation - Beach/Ironstone | 1500 x 1500mm to 2100 x 2100mm, 600mm or 750mm deep | 730mm | Pre-drilled cable holes |
| Upanatom Mobile Laptop Sit Stand Desk | 600 x 385mm platform | 720mm to 980mm | Mouse pad, cup holder, locking castors |
Back to school in Australia: timing, heat and delivery
School returns in late January or early February, depending on the state, and most university semesters start in late February or early March. Setting up in January leaves time to put the furniture together and settle the room before homework starts.
January is also the height of summer. A desk under a west-facing window can be hot and full of glare in the afternoon, so a spot with shade or a blind is easier to work at.
Deliveries go to the ground-floor entrance, and goods arrive flat-packed unless the product page says otherwise. Each product page has a Delivery line naming its metro cities, and every product in this guide lists metro Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
Study desks — frequently asked questions
What size should a study desk be?
A study desk about 1200mm wide and 600mm deep suits most students, with room for a laptop, books and a lamp. Choose a corner desk or a deeper top if a monitor or a second screen is part of the set-up.
What height should a study desk be?
Most fixed desks sit at about 720mm to 730mm, and the Logan desks in this guide are 730mm high. Fit the student with an adjustable chair, such as the Chicago Mesh with its 430 to 550mm seat height range, rather than changing the desk.
Is a corner desk good for a small bedroom?
A corner desk suits a small bedroom when a corner is otherwise unused, because it adds surface without pushing further into the room. Measure both walls first, as the smallest Logan Corner Workstation needs 1500mm along each wall.
Is a standing desk worth it for a student?
A standing desk is worth it if the student likes to change between sitting and standing, but it does not have to replace the main desk. A mobile laptop desk such as the Upanatom adjusts from 720mm to 980mm and rolls away on locking castors when it is not needed.
Shop the range
Every product in this guide is listed below in the order it appears. Our student desks, home office desks and task chairs hold more sizes and finishes.
- Logan Student Desk ($156): a 1200 x 600mm desk for homework and study, in three two-tone finishes
- Logan Student Desk with Drawers ($293): the same student desk with a two-drawer unit that locks
- Logan Corner Workstation - Beach/Ironstone (from $407): an L-shaped desk with cable holes for a bedroom corner and two screens
- Chicago Mesh ($176): a mesh chair whose 430 to 550mm seat height suits students of different heights
- Logan Hutch (from $286): open shelves above the desk in 1200mm, 1500mm or 1800mm widths
- Logan Bookcase ($238): a 1200mm high bookcase for textbooks and folders beside the desk
- Upanatom Mobile Laptop Sit Stand Desk ($344): a rolling laptop desk for standing work or reading away from the desk
Metro delivery is a flat $75 per order, and prices include GST.
