Top Footrests for Office Desks

As the descendants of decorative ottomans and footstools, foot rests were meant to provide support for your feet while sitting in your favorite armchair. Now they can add ergonomic bonus points to your office setup and relieve sitting strain while working.

A footrest delivers a variety of health benefits to the average office worker. It allows you to distribute your weight evenly while sitting, keeping your feet firmly planted and flat on the surface, which makes it more comfortable and ergonomic. It also improves blood circulation in the legs, which may prevent blood pooling and clots as well as relieve lumbar pressure. Shorter users and those who are at risk of blood circulation diseases can especially benefit from a foot rest. But the benefits extend beyond just sitting.

Foot Rest Benefits

Since prolonged standing is associated with a host of negative health effects such as low back and heel pain, blood pooling in the legs, varicose veins, increased pressure in the veins and increased oxidative stress (both of which might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease), we recommend switching among standing, sitting, walking, and leaning positions every hour. But standing is still an integral component of a healthy work day. So how can we make standing healthier?

A footrest can become a weapon in the fight to stay upright without causing yourself negative health effects. While it will never replace an anti-fatigue mat (which is crucial for promoting blood circulation and better posture if you stand for more than 20 minutes at a time), it can help with distributing your weight properly. You probably notice that while standing the majority of your body weight tends to rest on just one leg while the other leg remains idle. Unless you’re moving every couple of minutes or using a balance board or an active mat, this may take toll on your hip and knee joints.

With a footrest you can better distribute your weight, shifting your center of gravity from your supporting leg and allowing you to take some weight off the load-bearing hip joint. A footrest also promotes body adjustments (switching legs), which improve blood circulation and break up your stationary position, if only slightly.

The price range for footrests starts as low as $8—that’s if you’re buying a cheap foot hammock (yes, they’re real). The priciest (but not necessarily the nicest-looking) footrests will run you $150. And you can find a lot of interesting options (both visual and functional) in between. Take a look for yourself:

Need More Standing Solutions?

Standing desk balance boards are great for introducing movement while you stand at work. If you’re looking to cushion your soles, check out our Standing Mat Reviews or explore a new category of Calculated Terrain Standing Mats. Another standing solution that may give your knees and lower back respite are balance boards.