Setting up the right workspace for your child is a big step you can take to ensure their schoolwork goes smoothly. At the minimum, any little learner will need a desk (we’ve rounded up a bunch of expert-approved ones here) and a place to sit. But not all chairs are created equal. “It seems straightforward, but depending on the kids’ ages and their level of learning, the expectations for them to achieve or maintain certain postures for a certain amount of time will be different,” says Dr. David Kwon, a physical therapist who works as the general manager at Next Level Physio in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. To find the best desk chairs for kids, we spoke to Kwon and three more experts — some of whom are parents themselves — about the ones they’d recommend.
Best overall | Best less expensive | Best with a fixed footrest | Best less expensive with a fixed footrest | Most stylish | Best balance-ball chair | Best for tweens | Best for teens | Best accessory
What we’re looking for
Adjustability: Our experts recommend looking for chairs that are adjustable (and therefore more ergonomic) because they can be tailored to fit a child’s needs and, according to California-based chiropractor Dr. Brook Sheehan, “help with keeping and supporting an upright posture.” This includes elements like adjustable armrests, seat height and depth, and an adjustable swivel. According to our experts, armrests give kids more places to rest limbs and achieve a comfortable position while they work. An adjustable seat that can move up and down in height (as well as depth) will help kids sit properly and ensure they can reach their desk without strain. Lastly, you’ll want to take into account whether the chair’s swivel can be adjusted. If your child tends to be easily distracted, having the ability to lock the chair in place can help ensure spinning does not become a distraction.
Footrest versus no footrest: Footrests are important — especially for younger children who may not be tall enough for their feet to reach the floor when seated — because they help prevent feet from dangling all day, which Kwon says can cause unnecessary fatigue. Of course, if your child is older or tall enough for their feet to reach the floor unaided, you may not need one.
Best kids’ desk chair overall
Adjustable seat height, armrests, seat depth, and swivel | Footrest
“The things we’re looking for in an ergonomic chair are an adjustable footrest, an adjustable seat, and armrests,” says Kwon. Armrests give kids more places to rest limbs, he adds, and an adjustable seat that can move up and down in height and lean back will help kids sit properly and comfortably. And as we noted above, footrests can ensure a child’s feet and legs are in a comfortable position. This chair from SitRite has all of these features and comes recommended by both Kwon and Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, a spinal and orthopedic surgeon with offices in New York and New Jersey. Okubadejo notes the chair’s foot bar not only gives kids a place to rest their feet but allows for their legs to be bent at around 90 degrees, which our experts say is the ideal angle when seated. (The bar can be removed for older kids whose feet reach the floor.) He likes how the chair is “well-cushioned, with adjustable mechanics to raise the height or lock the chair’s angle,” features that Okubadejo says can “prevent a relaxed, slouched position that can affect the alignment of the spine.”
Best (less expensive) kids’ desk chair
Adjustable seat height, seat depth, backrest, and swivel | No footrest
While it doesn’t have a footrest or armrests, Sheehan says that this less-expensive chair is still a solid option for those who want to spend a little less, because it has an adjustable seat and a backrest that can move between 21-to-32-inches high. She likes that the chair has a locking caster base that allows it to swivel 15 degrees to the left and the right when engaged. The locking mechanism stops the chair from swiveling too much, she explains, “keeping the child in a proper, stable position but allowing for easy exit should they need to stand up.”
Best kids’ desk chair with a fixed footrest
Adjustable seat height, armrests, and backrest | Footrest
This chair, recommended by Kwon, has a fixed footrest that’s larger than the so-called foot bar on the model we named best overall, making it a better option for kids who need more surface area to plant their feet and support their body weight, he says. (That said, if you’re looking to save some money, Kwon admits that a box or stool you already own can serve as a basic foot rest.) The model, which also comes in pink, features other ergonomic details, including armrests that fold from zero to 90 degrees and can be raised or lowered, a split-back backrest that can be raised or lowered and has rotating panels, an adjustable seat (along with helpful markings so you can keep track of your child’s preferred height), and self-locking wheels.
[Editor’s note: This chair is currently out of stock, but you can sign up for notifications on the product page to receive an email once it’s back in stock.]
Best (less expensive) kids’ desk chair with a fixed footrest
Adjustable seat height, armrests, and backrest | Footrest
Sheehan told us about this less-expensive version of what to the naked eye looks quite similar to the chair above, but with a different brand name. She calls it a versatile option that can be adjusted as a child grows. It has a fixed footrest, locking wheels, armrests that fold up and down (but cannot be adjusted in height), and an adjustable seat and split-back backrest. A split-back backrest like the one on this chair and its pricier counterpart above helps “cradle the spine and allow for a more upright posture,” Sheehan explains. She adds that this chair, which is only available in pink, does not have a seat that swivels; instead, it moves in all directions from the base, “which is better in early spinal development than pivoting from a central point,” according to Sheehan.
Most stylish kids’ desk chair
Adjustable seat height, armrests, backrest, swivel, and tilt | No footrest
Okubadejo says this chair — which lacks a footrest, and also comes in pink — “supplies a child with the right amount of support and fits kids of various sizes and ages, so it will stay with you for a while.” It has adjustable armrests, back-angle adjustment, a tilting seat so you can adjust the height, and lumbar support — features that he says all provide back and shoulder support as well as cushion the lower back. While you can get other chairs on this list in similar colors, there’s something about the streamlined (and decidedly non-orthopedic) look of this one that makes it a bit more stylish than the rest. While this chair is made for adults, unlike the ones above that are designed specifically for kids ages 4 to 12, our experts say they can be used for kids as long as they are adjusted according to their needs. This is a good option for growing children as they get older.
[Editor’s note: This chair is currently out of stock, but you can sign up for notifications on the product page to receive an email once it’s back in stock.]
Best balance-ball chair for kids
According to Caitlin Meister, founder of private educational-consulting practice Greer Meister Group, if you have a child who can’t sit still and extra space, a yoga ball like Gaiam’s affordable model can work as a desk-chair alternative. The balance-ball chair requires kids to actively balance, so they are more physically engaged than they would be in a regular seat, which helps reduce fidgeting and restlessness. We’ve heard about Gaiam’s yoga-ball chair from chiropractors before (as seen in our story about the best desk chairs for adults), who told us they’re great for improving posture.
Best desk chair for tweens
Adjustable seat height, armrests, and tilt | No footrest
The Hbada office Chair has a supportive design that curves with the spine to promote proper alignment, according to Okubadejo. He explains that this design “focuses support on the lumbar region, which can often feel uncomfortable as kids tilt backward or sink into their seats and cause unnecessary pressure there.” The chair, he adds, is durable and its S-curve backrest is made with a breathable mesh fabric. While it lacks a footrest, it does have armrests that flip up or down and a seat with an adjustable height that can tilt back. This chair, like the Ebern Designs chair above, is designed for adults but Kwon notes that teens’ bodies are closer to adults’ than to children’s, so if you’re looking for a chair for a tween, it’s a good idea to think about getting one made for adults.
Best desk chair for teens
Adjustable seat height, lumbar support, and armrests | Footrest
For older kids, Sheehan recommends this gaming chair. “Geared toward an audience with more developed spinal structures, it helps to maintain the spinal curves that are present,” she says, adding that over time, it can even help correct bad posture. This high-back chair has adjustable lumbar support, a headrest pillow, armrests, a seat with an adjustable height that tilts, and a footrest that pulls out from under the seat.
Best kids’ desk chair accessory
According to Meister, young learners who can be wiggly may benefit from having a seat that “engages their bodies while they are working.” She adds that “many younger children can focus better when their bodies are engaged rather than sitting in one stationary chair all day,” which is why a wobble cushion like this one, which you can put on the seat of a proper desk chair, “can reduce restlessness and distractibility,” according to her.
[Editor’s note: This cushion is currently out of stock, but you can sign up for notifications on the product page to receive an email once it’s back in stock.]
Some more workspace supplies for kids we’ve written about
Our experts
• Dr. David Kwon, physical therapist and general manager at Next Level Physio
• Caitlin Meister, founder of private educational-consulting practice Greer Meister Group
• Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, spinal and orthopedic surgeon
• Dr. Brook Sheehan, chiropractor
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