4 Expert Tips To Choose A Kids Desk

Lily Wright | Jul 23, 2020

When you're looking to furnish a child's room, there are some basic pieces of furniture you know you'll have to buy: a bed, a dresser, a chair. If you have extra room, why not create a dedicated place for education, inspiration, and creativity? Do look into the wide selection of kids desks.

Regardless of how old the child is, they'll need a place to keep projects and work quietly from time to time. At a desk, you can help a kid build lifelong habits that will help them as an adult! But first, you need a desk - a desk they'll want to use.

In this handy guide, we'll help you navigate the main decisions you'll have to make as you choose the best desk for your home!

What are the different types of kid's desks and their features?

For the most part, kid's desks have many similar features and options as those of adult desks. However, it'll just be in miniature or potentially bright and fun colors! Here are the different types of kid's desks, as well as the type of features you should carefully consider while you're completing your search.

Desk and Chair Set: If you want the desk and chair of your kid's desk to match, there's no easier option for ensuring that than simply purchasing a desk and chair set that already matches! This is a good choice for you if you're looking for budget-friendly furniture, as well, because these kinds of sets are usually priced quite economically when compared to buying the two pieces of furniture separately.

Dark Brown Kids Desk with Hutch and Chair Set

Desk with Hutch: A hutch helps add storage on top of the desk, instead of merely offering a flat workspace. This is a great idea if you're looking for extra vertical storage in your home - particularly if you're using the desk in a smaller space.

Assembled: Not interested in assembling the desk yourself? You're in luck: many desks arrive assembled or with the option to request expert assembly assistance at home. This is a good idea if you don't believe that assembling a desk is for you.
Ergonomic: It's never too early to think about good posture or protecting your back! Give your child a head starts with an ergonomic desk to support their back and set them up with good habits for years to come. This is a good choice if you're looking for a desk that can follow your child through adolescence, not necessarily just for childhood.

Ergonomic Assembled Kids Study Desk in White

Ergonomic Kids Study Desk in Black and Red

Solid Wood: A gorgeous solid wood desk can be an investment, but it'll last for years to come and work with multiple different aesthetics! This is a good choice if you're looking for a very functional, neutral aesthetic as well as pieces that are high-quality for your child to use.

Kids Desk with Chair Set in Brown Solid Wood

Solid Rustic Wood Kids Desk with Chair Set

Solid Wood Kids Desk and Chair Set with Hutch

Keyboard Tray: If you think that your child could use a drawer specifically made to hold a keyboard, then get a desk that has that functionality. It's a good idea to ensure that the tray is also functional as a drawer, as this will have more longevity in a world that more commonly uses laptops and tablets.

Kids Study Desk with Keyboard Tray in White

Student Computer Desk with Keyboard Tray

Older Kids Computer Desk with Keyboard Tray

Wooden Kids Writing Desk with Keyboard Tray

Corner Desk: There are desks available that are specifically engineered to make the most use out of a corner. Instead of being rectangle-shaped, they'll often form more of a triangle. These are fantastic if you're trying to utilize every inch of a smaller space; if that sounds like you, then go for it! But just know that you'll always need to fit this type of desk into a corner in the future; it won't be able to be re-purposed into a normal wall-facing desk.

What size desk should I get for my kid?

Your kid's desk needs to accomplish two things: It needs to be the right size for your child, and it also needs to fit the room that it's going to be in! Your child will be growing, however, and the room will not; so, for starters, it's a good idea to get a one-size-fits-all kids desk - or at least one that's a little bigger than you think will likely be necessary, just so that your child's able to use it for a longer period of time.

As a general rule of thumb, you can follow the following age guide to gauge the width of the desk you should get:

2-4 Years: For tender tots who are using desks at this early age, you only need a small desk that's about 3-4 feet wide.
5-7 Years: When your child's a little older, they'll be best suited to a desk that's up to about 5 feet wide.
8-12 Years: When 8-12 years old, five feet is still a good length, but you might want to consider going for a deeper desk - or one with accessories such as drawers and a hutch.
12+ Years: At this point, it's likely cost-effective to simply purchase an adult-sized desk.

To make sure that the desk fits the room, you'll want to start by measuring the place that the desk will go. Keep this measurement in an easy-to-access place, and then reference it whenever you're looking at desks. Be careful to use search criteria to ensure that you're not looking at desks that simply won't fit!

Small Kids Study Desk and Chair Set in Blue

What's the best material for a kid's desk?

Wood is far and away the most popular material when it comes to desks for people of any age. It's beautiful, it can be painted as you please, it can come in different shades to match different styles, and it's timeless. However, if you're going for more of an industrial vibe, a metal desk can also work; for particularly young kids, plastic desks offer a sense of security and durability.

Plastic is a good idea if you're looking into a desk that could be outdoors, or if you think that your child will be relatively messy with their desk work - as plastic is often easier to clean. For this reason, plastic might be a good idea for desks for very young children.

Otherwise, wood is likely the best choice, for its longevity and ultimate versatility.

How to match the style and color of the desk to my home's decor?

When you're purchasing a kid's desk, it's likely that you'll be consciously working with a brighter, younger color palette than you will with the rest of your home. However, especially if you're buying a good quality desk, you likely want it to be able to grow with your child, so they can use it not only when they're young but as they go through middle and high school. Because of this, selecting a style and color that not only works with their room as it is now, but also a wide range of other styles, is key.

To do this, it's a good idea to select a style and color of desk that works with your home's aesthetic as well as your child's. It's likely best to select a style and color, in this case, that is more neutral, and less of a bold focal statement.

If this sounds like the method, you're planning on implementing, your path forward is quite clear: start by going through your home, noting the types of materials and general colors that the rest of your furniture may be. Do you have a lot of natural wood furniture? Or are you working with metallic furniture and more industrial vibes? Is the overall color scheme of your home on the light or dark side? Take note as to what's currently in your home, and then buy something in a similar make and color so it'll be most ready to be versatile in your home over the coming years.