23 of the Best Homeschool Desks and How to Choose the Right One

Inside: Buying a desk is a decision you have to live with for a long time. Here’s 23 of the best homeschool desks and how to choose the right one!

Homeschool desks are often the first thing that comes to mind when searching for homeschool room ideas.

Do you need one? What kind should you get? How in the world do you choose?

There are so many options for homeschool desks that you could end up with decision fatigue. And that’s not good because you end up stalling and nothing gets done, or you buy the first thing you find and you’re not happy with it.

This is a piece of furniture that will be around for a while so you want to be sure to get something you and your child like.

If you take a few things into consideration, you should be able to narrow it down to one that works best for your family.

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Things to Consider When Choosing Homeschool Desks

Buying a desk without thinking it through may not solve your problems. You could end up with a piece of furniture that’s not the right size, doesn’t grow with your child, or ends up being used for storage like a treadmill in the bedroom.

Think it through to make sure you’re purchasing the best homeschool furniture for your needs.

Here are some questions to ask yourself.

How Many Children Will Be Using Desks?

The number of children you’re homeschooling or will be homeschooling can determine what type of furniture you should get. If you have a family with five children, you may not want five individual desks taking up space in your house. A better option might be a big table where they can be spaced apart.

We have an 8-foot conference table we got for $80 at an auction years ago and while it’s not the most beautiful table in the world; I love it. It has been such a blessing in our homeschool over the years.

My kids can sit far enough apart not to distract each other, and there’s enough room for them to spread out their materials.  I can even leave projects out until they’re complete and still have room to eat dinner.

How Old Are Your Children?

If your children are young, a full size desk is too big and they can’t sit correctly to write. A homeschool desk with adjustable legs would work much better. Or a traditional school desk that’s made for children.

Sometimes you can find the best of both worlds and get a school desk with adjustable legs so it grows with them.

How Much Space Do You Have?

If you live in a house with space for a homeschool room or your room is large enough to handle desks, then choosing homeschool furniture will be much easier.

If you live in a smaller house (like myself), you need to get more creative. But don’t worry- it can be done!

There are some great options that don’t take up a lot of space.

The first step is to check out the area you have and measure the space. Then check out some space saving options later in this post to give you ideas on how to find a desk that works.

What Room Will the Homeschool Desks Be In?

Will you be using the family room, bedroom, or kitchen? Or do you have your own designated homeschool room?

If your child will do school in the living room, you may want a desk that’s a little more formal looking or fits in with the decor.

If it’s in his bedroom, you may want one that has a more personal feel to it.

For the kitchen, you may want a minimalist desk or something that folds down.

How Often Will the Desks Be Used?

If your child won’t use a homeschool desk all the time, you probably don’t want a big structure that’s taking up space and the smaller or collapsible ones might be better.

You can put them up when needed and store them when they’re not in use.

We have drop-down desks in our girls’ bedrooms. They’re out of the way from the main living area and they can go to their rooms to work at their desks when they need some quiet time to concentrate. Otherwise, they do the majority of their work at the kitchen table or back porch when it’s warm out.

Do You Want Storage Options?

Drawers and shelves to store books and supplies are nice to have. Especially when you’re trying to organize art supplies.  If everything is within reach for your child, he’s less likely to waste time wandering around looking for things like a pencil, markers, or ruler.

Keeping all of that at his desk will increase the amount of time he’s on task and also decrease the clutter because he has somewhere to put it away when he’s done.

What Kind of Child Do You Have?

This might seem like a strange question, but children have different learning styles, personalities, and activity levels.

One of the reasons many families homeschool is that their child wasn’t successful in the classroom. Having to sit at a desk for hours might not be the best way for him to learn.

Maybe he likes to move around or lay upside down on a chair (I have one of those) and a regular desk isn’t a good idea.

Check out the Homeschool Space Ideas for Active Children below if you have one of these learners.

Best Homeschool Desks- Options for Everyone!

Traditional School Desk

If you’re looking for a school desk like they use in the classroom, this desk fits the bill. It has the metal box underneath for storing books and a nice writing surface on top.

This is very similar to a traditional desk except it comes with a chair and both are adjustable.

Desks that Grows with Your Child

The Mecor desk is for kids 3 to 15 years old. Both the desk and chair are adjustable. Plus, you can adjust the desktop to find a comfortable position that’s good for posture.

While all that is awesome, my two favorite features are the bookstand and lamp that are attached. One of the problems with smaller desks is there’s no room for a child to open a book and still have room to write. This solves your problem and makes copywork easy! The lamp is a great feature, especially if you’re in a room with poor lighting.

It comes in four different colors- blue, green, pink, and gray.

This Sit/Stand Bi-Level Desk also adjusts in height but is thinner and may work better where you need something closer to the wall.

Space Saving Desks

I love the idea of a folding desk. Think of it as the TV tray for homeschoolers!

No space- no problem! You can whip it out whenever you need it and then fold it up and store it somewhere when you’re done.

Kids like to do school in random places like the living room, back porch, or bedroom. This gives them the opportunity to do that with a surface to write on and it even has a shelf.

It comes in an oak color with either white or back legs. It’s very versatile and a great option when you don’t have a lot of space.

Here’s a unique desk (Amazon, Target) that takes up very little room. It changes from a sitting to standing desk and the top surface is adjustable. There’s even a shelf underneath for storage. You get a lot for such a little piece of furniture!

IKEA Homeschool Desk

If you have an IKEA in your area or are able to have things shipped, they have amazing options for homeschool furniture.

Minimalist desk with lots of drawers.

Desk with a pull out panel to put a laptop or other school materials on. There’s also a space to insert any cords.

A desk with an add-on book/storage shelf.

Simple desk with two drawers and a panel that opens to hide cords.

Basic wood desk with drawers and a space for files. It also has a place to manage cords.

Desk with Bench  

Here’s a cute table that has a bench on one side and two chairs on the other that could serve as a desk for multiple children. I love that you can tuck the bench underneath the table to save space when you’re not using it

Here’s a similar table with a bench and two chairs but it has padding on the seats.

Here’s another desk with a bench a single student could use. There’s  even a small pullout drawer.

Desk with Drawers

Having drawers is nice to put things away and have materials accessible.

This desk has drawers and a hutch that’s detachable. You could hang it on the wall for storage instead. It comes in six different colors, so there’s bound to be one that matches the room or that your child likes.

This is an adorable desk with drawers and a hutch but you can’t remove the hutch.

Here’s a regular desk with drawers that would look good in a bedroom or a living room.

The KidKraft Kids Study Desk with Chair is the perfect size desk for kids. It also has a lot of storage and a cork board to hang things like a schedule.

Drop-Down Wall Desk

This is a multi-purpose desk (Amazon, Target)! It has shelves for storage, doors to hide the clutter, and a drop-down leaf to use as a desk. It’s thin (only 15.5”)  and doesn’t take up a lot of space.

This is a convertible desk that closes up on the wall. When it’s open, you have a desk and some shelves for storage.

This is similar to the drop down desk I have in my girls’ rooms.

Minimalist Desk

These desks take up very little space and do a great job of providing some storage and organization.

A rustic looking desk with a side pocket to hold books and a hook for headphones.

Simple desk that’s easy to assemble and has a drawer.

Here’s another at Target.

And a third option at Office Depot.

Build Your Own Desk Plans

If you can’t find what you need and you’re looking for a fun project, why not build your own desk?

Here are some free build your own desk plans that have some great ideas for any homeschool space.

This site shows you how to build your own desk with reclaimed wood.

Homeschool Space Ideas for Active Children

Sometimes you have a child who does better moving when he learns and you need to think outside the box.

This next desk is similar to a traditional desk but with some cool features.

Sitting at a desk for a long period can cause your child to feel sleepy and lose focus. Kids need to move around and get their blood flowing in order to concentrate. By raising the desk up, your child can stand and move around a little.

It also has a really neat feature called a pendulum fidgeting bar. My son would have loved this when he was little. He learned so much better when he was moving.

The bar is under the desk and the student can put his foot on it and rock it back and forth. It’s discreet so it’s not a distraction to anyone else in the room but provides that kinesthetic stimulation some kids need to think better.

It comes in black or beige, but there’s also an option to get one with a dry erase board built in (Amazon, Target, Office Depot). Very cool!

The Wiggle Seat or Wobble Cushion helps your younger child stay focused yet be able to move around a little when he needs to be seated to do his work.

Chair bands can hook onto the front of a desk or chair and allows the student to fidget, which helps them to focus. It’s great for kids with ADD, sensory issues, and Autism.

A no-roll balance ball that’s weighted is great for posture, relieving stress and increasing focus.

The Zenergy Ball Chair (Amazon, Target) is similar but looks more like a stool.

This portable lap desk is the perfect solution for the child that likes to do his school work in different places. It creates an instant writing surface while sitting on the floor, chair, or bench. It comes in various colors. I’m thinking we’ll be getting one of these soon!

Choosing Homeschool Desks

It can be overwhelming trying to find homeschool desks that fit your needs. However, if you take a little time and think about your space, needs, and kids, you can find one that works and avoid decision fatigue and panic shopping.