Height-adjustable children’s desks: What should you look out for when buying?

ergonomic-childrens-desk-by-blueroom

A height-adjustable children’s desk is not only good for the purse strings but also helps to save resources. But what should you bear in mind when choosing and buying a desk that grows with your child?

As your child’s first day of school approaches, it is usually also time to buy them their first proper desk. Although many children initially prefer to do their homework close to their parents, it won’t be long until they are sitting at their own desk in their own room, as proud as can be. For children, a desk is a concrete symbol of being a fully-grown school pupil.

When it comes to choosing a desk for their kids, a height-adjustable children’s desk is the ideal choice for parents who think ahead. After all, it is essential to ensure that children always sit with the right posture. Once at school, children spend several hours a day at their desks, and while they work on learning maths, English and other subjects, their bodies are also hard at work growing. In fact, a healthy child grows a total of up to seven centimetres a year, and before you know it, they’ve gone and outgrown their desk and chair. With this in mind, a height-adjustable children’s desk offers a clear advantage: it grows with your child from year to year.

What should parents bear in mind when purchasing a height-adjustable children’s desk?

A children’s desk should ideally be infinitely adjustable, preferably with a crank handle that children can use to set it to the right height without needing any help. There should also be plenty of space under the desk – around 65 to 70 centimetres or even more if possible. If you plan to place a computer on the worktop, you also need to ensure that the chair is a safe distance away from the screen.

A tilting worktop that can be adjusted for specific activities is an ideal solution for already preventing tension and future back problems at a young age. Various studies have revealed that a worktop tilted at an angle of 10 degrees is ideal for writing, while 0–5 degrees are suitable for painting, and a 20-degree angle is perfect for reading. Alternatively, you can buy a tilted stand to place on the desk.

How large should the height-adjustable children’s desk be?

Height-adjustable children’s desks can usually be adjusted from a height of approximately 51 cm up to 78 cm. In comparison, desks for adults have a standard height of 74 cm. A desk that grows with your child therefore offers plenty of scope to cater to all needs and children of all sizes.

The ideal posture for children when sitting at their desks

To check whether a height-adjustable desk is suitable for a child in terms of ergonomics, make sure that your child is sitting with both feet flat on the floor and their hips and knees at a 90-degree angle. In this position, the thighs should be horizontal, and the lower legs should form a vertical line down to the floor. When your child is sitting up straight at the desk, they should be able to place their lower arms horizontally on the worktop with their elbows at a 90-degree angle.

Our tip: Try before you buy! Instead of choosing and buying a desk without their child present, it’s a good idea for parents to test out children’s desks together with their future users. If you order a desk that grows with your child online, you can still give it a try before deciding to keep it – most online retailers offer returns for such products.

Sustainable material for a height-adjustable children’s desk

When purchasing a children’s desk, it is particularly important to note the pollutant content of the materials used. In Germany, products display a quality seal and undergo testing to provide such information. In addition to the CE marking and the ISO standard, parents should also ensure that their chosen desk displays the “GS” safety mark, the German seal of approval for “tested safety”.

Seemingly cheap children’s furniture from the Far East often contains toxic paints, glues or other harmful substances that may trigger allergies. A wooden children’s desk, on the other hand, is a safer option made from a sustainable material. If you also pay attention to the country of origin, you should choose a height-adjustable children’s desk from Europe, with material sourced from sustainable forestry with FSC certification.

An added bonus: Durable wooden desks that grow with your child can be passed on from generation to generation over many years of use.

A timeless design for your children’s desk

There’s no denying it: every year of a child’s life brings new preferences and tastes. While a four-year-old may delight in a world full of glitter and green dinosaurs, the chances are that they will have a completely different style a few years down the line. A children’s desk with a fun design that caters to a specific taste therefore carries the risk of soon being out of favour, with children wanting to replace it even though it is still in perfect working order.

It therefore makes sense to opt for a model that is like a blank canvas and can be decorated to suit a child’s aesthetic tastes at different ages. A more reserved height-adjustable table with a timeless design can be easily incorporated into a child’s bedroom from a young age right through to their teenage years – and beyond.

What is the best position for a children’s desk?

Opting for a height-adjustable children’s desk with a design that can stand the test of time means that it can be integrated into virtually every room and in every position. That said, a spot by the window is often particularly ideal for desks as a place to learn, paint or craft. Such a position provides plenty of natural light and allows children to look outside for a quick break without getting too distracted.

Spoilt for choice: a brief guide to suitable children’s desks

Over the years, an abundance of attractive height-adjustable children’s desks have established themselves on the market. Our list of examples provides an overview of selected models produced by owner-managed brands in Germany and Europe:

“growing table” by pure position

When creating his “growing table”, a height-adjustable desk for preschoolers and children starting school, the product designer Olaf Schroeder was inspired by old Bavarian farmhouse tables. With its simple design combining natural wood with a white shade, the “growing table” is the perfect fit for virtually every room. It is made of robust plywood with a wipe-off surface. Since being launched in 2009, the “growing table” has established itself as a classic desk that grows with children. The desk is manufactured in a workshop for people with disabilities in Bavaria, Germany.

growing-table-by-pure-position

“growing table” by pure position is:
• made of birch multiplex and beech wood
• manufactured in a protected workshop in Germany
• suitable for use between approximately 3 and 6 years old
• certified by the German technical inspection association (TÜV)
• available from € 599

Adjustable kids’ desk: “stocubo” from Berlin

This desk bears the label “Made in Berlin” and is indeed manufactured in the German capital – at the heart of the Moabit district, to be precise. The modular desk that grows with children was designed by “stocubo”. It can be extended by adding a wide variety of boxes and drawers and can therefore be easily adjusted to suit each child and their individual needs.

adjustable-kids-desk-by-stocubo

The “stocubo” desk is:
• made of MDF and birch multiplex
• manufactured by a female-run company in Berlin
• suitable for use from the age of 2 right through to adulthood
• available from € 665

Adjustable kids’ desk with a chair: “TABLÒ” by ‘ettomio

This height-adjustable children’s desk works its magic particularly well when combined with the matching chair. Both the worktop and the chair legs grow with your child, meaning that “TABLÒ” which is made in Italy, can be used by boys and girls from the age of 2 right through to 10. As an added bonus, the desk has a magnetic worktop that is ideal for all kinds of games and experiments. This children’s desk is an excellent option for both homework and creative fun.

adjustable-kids-desk-with-chair-tablo-by-ettomio

“TABLÒ” by ‘ettomio is:
• made of solid ash and birch plywood
• manufactured by the female-run brand ‘ettomio in Italy
• suitable for use from the age of 2 to approx. 10 years old
• available from € 455 as a set (desk & chair)

Desk that raises and lowers: “poptop”

One of the latest models to be launched on the market of ‘desks that grow with your child’ is “poptop”. Invented by the two fathers behind the popular “woom” bikes, Christian Bezdeka and Markus Ihlenfeld, this desk that raises and lowers is above all ideal for children who are full of energy and simply cannot sit still. Children can use “poptop” as a standing desk between the ages of 1 and approximately 13 years old before switching to use as a sitting desk from age 13 up. The unique mechanism used to adjust the height of “poptop” is patent pending.

desk-that-raises-and-lowers-by-poptop

“poptop” is:
• comprised of a wood-based panel, steel and an aluminium frame
• manufactured in a workshop in Lower Austria
• suitable for use from the age of 1 right through to adulthood
• available from € 499

Adjustable kids’ desk: “Janne” by Lenaturel

The height-adjustable children’s desk “Janne” with the stool “Bente” by Lenaturel  are made of maple wood and designed to support the creative development of children as they grow. They have a clear-cut and minimalist design but also feature a number of additional highlights such as a secret compartment. The size of the worktop provides plenty of space, allowing books and notepads to be pushed aside to make way for a new creative project.

Seal of approval: “Janne” and “Bente” have been certified with the Austrian Ecolabel.

adjustable-kids-desk-janne-by-lenaturel

“Janne” by Lenaturel is:
• made from maple wood laminate panels
• manufactured in a workshop in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• suitable for use from the age of 5 right through to adulthood (for users up to 170 cm tall)
• available from € 1,497

Ergonomic children’s desk by “blueroom”

The ergonomic children’s desk by “blueroom” is reminiscent of an old school desk but offers the added bonus of being able to be converted into a modern workspace for teenagers and adults. The upper worktop of the desk can be rotated and removed, allowing the desk to grow with children and be adjusted to suit their age and needs. Designed by the Swiss architect Isabelle Winterhalder-Anderhalden, the “blueroom” desk is a life-long companion for all kinds of tasks, from a child’s first homework to an adult’s first tax return.

ergonomic-childrens-desk-by-blueroom

The “blueroom” desk is:
• made of birch plywood
• manufactured in a workshop in Switzerland
• suitable for use from the age of 5 right through to adulthood
• available from CHF 1,350

Checklist – what you need to consider when purchasing a desk for children

1. Find out about the manufacturer: Where is the desk produced? In Germany, Europe or Asia?
2. What material is the children’s desk made from? Wood is considered to be particularly robust, durable and resource-friendly.
3. Check the transparency of the material and production information provided for the desk. This is essential to guarantee that the desk meets the legal requirements.
4. At what age and for how long can the height-adjustable children’s desk be used?
5. The design: How easily can the desk be incorporated into different rooms? Does it have a timeless design that makes it durable and enables it to be passed down through generations?

Translation: Jessica Schewel

This article was updated in October 2024 and first published in August 2021 in German.