Set your chair so the desk lands at the right height for your arms, and there is a good chance your feet stop reaching the floor. That is not a fault in you or the chair; it is arithmetic, and it is the whole reason an under-desk footrest exists. A footrest gives your feet a solid place to sit instead of dangling, or perching on the chair base, or curling round a table leg. What trips people up is that the word covers three quite different objects: a hard platform you set to a height, a soft cushion you rest on, and a curved board that lets your feet move. They suit different people, and picking the wrong type is how a footrest ends up shoved in a cupboard. So this guide sorts the three by who each one is for, then works through the practical checks, a non-slip base, whether it fits the gap under your desk, that decide whether the one you choose actually stays put and gets used.
Three footrests, three jobs
1. HUANUO Adjustable Under Desk Footrest - Best Overall
HSP Score: 8.9 / 10 - The safe default: a hard platform that sets to three heights.
Capability 8.9/10 - Versatility 8.5/10 - Build 8.0/10 - Value 8.9/10 - Fit 9.4/10
Fit for this guide: It sets to three heights, so most people can match it to where their feet fall without changing their chair.
Every pick here is scored out of 10: four marks rate the product and are the same in every guide, and the fifth rates its fit for this guide - how we test and score.
If you are not sure which type you want, start here, because a platform that adjusts fits the widest range of setups. The HUANUO is a firm under-desk footrest that locks to three heights, so you raise or lower it until your feet sit flat and your knees land near a right angle rather than accepting one fixed level. The top is a textured surface rather than a smooth one. Because the height moves, one footrest can work for a tall desk and a short chair or the other way round, which is exactly the mismatch that leaves feet hanging in the first place. The honest limit is that it is a hard platform: it holds your feet at a chosen height, but it does not give underfoot the way a cushion does, and it stays where you set it rather than moving with you. For most people at a fixed desk, adjustability is the thing worth having, and this is where the money goes furthest.
Pros
- ✓ Three locked heights, so you match it to your chair instead of the other way round
- ✓ A textured top surface, not a bare smooth platform
Cons
- ✗ A hard surface, so there is no give underfoot if you want something to sink into
- ✗ It holds one position at a time rather than letting your feet move as you sit
Who it's for: Anyone whose feet do not reach the floor and who wants one rest that can be set to the right height.
Who it's not for: Not the one if you specifically want cushioning underfoot, or the freedom to keep your feet moving.
2. Kensington SoleMate Comfort Foot Rest - Best Cushioned Footrest
HSP Score: 8.7 / 10 - A memory-foam rest for people who want something soft underfoot.
Capability 8.9/10 - Versatility 8.9/10 - Build 8.5/10 - Value 8.5/10 - Fit 8.5/10
Fit for this guide: A soft memory-foam rest for people who want cushioning underfoot and are already close to the right height.
Plenty of people do not want a hard board under their feet at all; they would rather rest them on something that gives. That is the whole idea of this one. The SoleMate Comfort is a memory-foam footrest, so the top yields under the weight of your feet and shapes to them rather than staying flat and firm. Kensington's SmartFit system lets you set the height and the tilt, so it is not a one-shape cushion: you angle the front up or down to suit how you like your feet to sit. It works best for someone whose feet are already close to the floor and who is after comfort more than a big height correction, because a foam cushion is softer but does not raise your feet as far as a stepped platform. It is the dearest of the three, and what you pay for is the material and the adjustment rather than a wider job: this is the one to choose when soft underfoot is the point.
Pros
- ✓ Memory foam gives under your feet instead of holding them on a hard surface
- ✓ The SmartFit system sets both height and tilt, so it is not a fixed shape
Cons
- ✗ A cushion raises your feet less than a stepped platform, so it suits smaller corrections
- ✗ The most expensive way to solve the problem, if a hard rest would do the job
Who it's for: Anyone who wants to rest their feet on something soft and is already close to the right height.
Who it's not for: Anyone who needs a bigger height lift, or would rather not pay for the foam.
3. StrongTek Under Desk Rocker Foot Rest - Best for Movement
HSP Score: 8.4 / 10 - A curved wooden board that rocks underfoot.
Capability 8.5/10 - Versatility 8.5/10 - Build 8.0/10 - Value 8.5/10 - Fit 8.5/10
Fit for this guide: A curved wooden board your feet can rock and shift on, for anyone whose feet will not stay planted.
Fidgeters know the feeling: sit down and a foot is already jiggling or the legs are shifting about. A fixed rest just gets in the way there, and a rocker is the answer. The StrongTek is a curved board in solid natural wood: the underside is rounded, so it tips back and forth and your feet rock with it instead of sitting locked in one spot. It comes into its own at a standing desk too, where you can rock on it while you are on your feet. Being solid natural wood, it doubles as a plain footstool when you are not at the desk. The trade-off is that it does not adjust: it is one shape at one height, so it is a movement tool rather than a fit correction, and if your real problem is feet that do not reach the floor at all, the adjustable platform above solves that better. Buy this one for the rocking, not the height.
Pros
- ✓ A rounded underside lets your feet rock and shift instead of sitting still
- ✓ Solid natural wood that doubles as a footstool away from the desk
Cons
- ✗ Fixed height and shape, so it corrects movement rather than how far your feet reach
- ✗ Wood is firm underfoot, with none of the give of the foam pick
Who it's for: Fidgeters, and anyone at a standing desk who wants to keep their feet moving.
Who it's not for: Anyone whose feet do not reach the floor and who needs a set, adjustable height.
Quick verdict
If you are not sure, get the HUANUO Adjustable Under Desk Footrest: a hard platform that sets to three heights fits the most setups, because it matches your feet to whatever your chair and desk are doing. Prefer something that gives underfoot? Go for the Kensington SoleMate Comfort Foot Rest, a memory-foam top you can angle to suit you. And if you can never keep your feet still, the StrongTek Under Desk Rocker Foot Rest is a curved wooden board they can rock on all day. A footrest sorts the bottom of your setup; if it is your hands that take the strain at the top of the desk, our wrist rest guide covers the pads that cushion the keyboard and mouse hand.
First, check the chair is the reason
Before you buy anything, work out why your feet are not reaching the floor, because half the time the footrest is fixing a chair that is set wrong. When you raise the seat so your forearms sit level with the desk, you often lift your feet clear of the floor at the same time; that is the classic home-office mismatch, and a footrest fills the gap the seat height opened up. So try the chair first. If it drops low enough for your feet to sit flat while your arms still reach the desk, you may not need a footrest at all. If it does not, or if lowering it leaves you reaching up to type, then your feet need their own support and a footrest is the right call. Our office chair guide works through setting the seat height, and it is worth reading first so you buy a footrest because you need one, not because the chair was never set up. If you are not sure what height that should be, our guide to office chair height sets it out.
Platform, cushion or rocker
The three types are not better and worse versions of one thing; they do different jobs, so match the type to your reason for buying. A platform is the pick when the problem is height: it is firm, it sets to a level, and it holds your feet where the floor should be. A cushion is the pick when your feet more or less reach already and you just want something soft to rest them on, with a bit of tilt to angle them. A rocker is the pick when sitting still is the thing you cannot do, or when you want something to shift your feet on at a standing desk. Read your own complaint back before choosing: "my feet dangle" points to the platform, "I want somewhere soft" points to the cushion, and "I fidget" points to the rocker. If you use a standing desk as well as sitting, the rocker is the one that carries over to time on your feet.
What to check before you buy
Once you have the type, three practical things decide whether it stays put and gets used. The first is the base: on a hard floor a footrest slides unless it has a non-slip underside or enough weight to stay put, so if you are on laminate or wood rather than carpet, check for a grippy base. The second is size and where it sits: measure the gap under your desk, because a broad platform or a wide board needs room to sit without fouling the desk legs or a drawer, and a rest you keep kicking out of the way is a rest you stop using. The third applies mainly to the cushion: a foam top picks up dust and marks, so a removable, washable cover is worth having, while a hard platform or a wooden board just wipes clean. If the rest doubles as a footstool, as the wooden one does, it is also worth a look at how much weight the maker says it takes before you stand on it.
How we chose
We started from the reason people search for a footrest, feet that do not reach the floor at a desk set for the arms, and picked one clear answer for each of the three ways to solve it rather than ranking near-identical platforms. From there it was one honest pick per type, nothing padding the list: the adjustable platform for height, the foam cushion for softness, the wooden rocker for movement. Every feature named above, the three height settings, the foam, the rocking underside, is lifted straight from the product page; anything a listing skimmed over, we left blank rather than invent a number. We should say plainly that not one of these has been under our own desk, so they are spec-checked, not hands-on; each verdict rests on what the footrest is built to do, not on weeks of using it. We also stuck to what you can buy on Amazon UK, so a great footrest sold only on its maker's own site would not show up here, which is a limit of the list rather than a mark against the footrest. You will not spot a price or a star count anywhere on this page. Both change too often to be worth printing, and a number that was right when we wrote this would only mislead you now.
FAQ
Q: Do I actually need a footrest under my desk? A: Only if your feet still dangle once the chair is set so your forearms are level with the desk. So sort the chair before buying anything: get it low enough for flat feet while your arms still reach, and you need nothing more. If you cannot get both at once, that gap is what a footrest fills.
Q: What type of footrest is best for a home office? A: It depends on your reason for wanting one. Feet that dangle want a firm platform that adjusts to a height. When they roughly reach already and you are just after something soft, a memory-foam cushion suits better. For anyone who cannot sit still, or who works at a standing desk, a rocking board keeps the feet moving. Match the type to the complaint rather than buying on looks.
Q: Will a footrest slide around on a hard floor? A: It can, if it has a smooth base and little weight. On laminate, wood or tile, look for a non-slip underside or a rest with enough weight to stay put. On carpet it is much less of an issue. It is the first thing to check if you are not sitting on carpet, because a rest that slides is one you stop using.
Q: Should the footrest be flat or angled? A: Either can work, and some let you choose. A flat platform gives your feet a level place to sit; an angled or tilting top lets you point your toes up or down to suit how you like them. The foam cushion here lets you set the angle, while the wooden rocker moves through a range as it tips. Pick whichever feels natural rather than chasing a single correct angle.
Q: Can a footrest double as a footstool? A: A solid one can. The wooden rocker here is solid natural wood, so it works as a plain footstool away from the desk as well as a rocker under it. A foam cushion is made to rest feet on rather than take standing weight, so check the maker's stated weight limit before you stand on any footrest.
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