Best deals on standing desks and office chairs for October Prime Day 2024 | PCWorld

Ergonomics are important, but standing desks and comfortable office chairs can feel like expensive luxuries. Fortunately, Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event is still going on, and as with the July Prime Day sales, you can find discounts on popular desks and chairs.

These deals last through 11:59pm Pacific time on Wednesday, October 9—or until they sell out. So don’t wait until the very last second if you see something you like!

Our list takes into account user reviews, technical specs, price trends over the last year, and our own experiences. PCWorld’s editors have spent years using home office setups, as well as corporate-grade gear. We know what corners you can cut to save some cash, and which ones are must-haves. The best models are often sold direct by their manufacturers, which is why you’ll see links to sites other than Amazon on this list.

Read on for all the current best deals on standing desks and office chairs, and check out our Prime Big Deal Days 2024 hub for fantastic bargains in other tech categories.

Amazon Prime Day sales always spark competing discounts from its competitors, and this October is no exception. Rival Staples makes some very fine desk chairs—and its lighter-use Cartright Task Chair is close to its all-time low prices right now. (Tip for the Cartright chair: Having a second person on hand helps assembly go smoothly.) Its Dexley Task Chair is also on steep discount, which offers a wider frame than Staples’ ultra-popular Hyken model (sadly no longer on sale).

Looking for a slightly more luxe chair, but that’s not astronomically expensive? Check out the Hon Ignition 2.0 Reactiv, which sports one of its biggest discounts since its release.

Flexispot is a popular brand on Amazon, and for good reason—their standing desks start at much lower prices than competitors. You’ll get nicer finishes for tabletop materials through more expensive rivals like Uplift and Vari, but if all you need is a basic surface, they get the job done.

PCWorld’s editors have curated tons of great deals across other tech categories. Check ’em out!

We like dual motor standing desks with programmable controls—they’re a little more expensive, but moving the desk up and down is smoother. Their frames usually have a better build overall, too, making for less wobble during height adjustments and while in use.

Programmable controls means you can go back and forth between two or even three height positions with a single button press, which makes for much better quality of life. No need to wait and monitor the adjustment as it’s happening. (That might sound like not such a big deal, but if you do it multiple times a day over the course of the year, those seconds feel tedious. Trust me on this one.)

This question can be tricky to answer, since what’s comfortable is a little different for everyone. Generally, you want enough support for your back so it doesn’t take on a hunched position, but not so much you can’t feel relaxed while sitting. You also ideally want to keep pressure off your lower back if you’ll be sitting for long periods—office chairs usually have seats shaped for this, rather than the flatter surfaces of kitchen and casual desk chairs.

Arm rests, head supports, and mesh fabric can also play a role in comfort, but you may want to try out those features on a sample chair that a friend owns or in a store to see if you need those features. The mesh is particularly good if you sweat or get warm.

Wheeled models are also useful for easily moving the chair—and you can upgrade the casters, as Reddit recommends for an even smoother experience.

The deals we select are chosen not just for the product, but because their prices are among the lowest we’ve seen, especially given the pricing history over the last year.

If you’re striking out on your own, be sure to look at reviews, as well as Amazon’s AI summaries of user reviews—avoid anything with high return rates, or a known flaw. Also look for brands with not just high user reviews, but independent reviews online. Many standing desks are just rebranded models, and so too for cheaper desk chairs.

A 14-year veteran of technology and video games journalism, Alaina Yee covers a variety of topics for PCWorld. Since joining the team in 2016, she’s written about CPUs, Windows, PC building, Chrome, Raspberry Pi, and much more—while also serving as PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter (#slickdeals). Currently her focus is on security, helping people understand how best to protect themselves online. Her work has previously appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine.