Best under-desk footrests
Measure the gap between your feet and the floor at your correct seat height. That number, not a review, decides which of these works for you.
By Sawyer V. · Published September 30, 2026
We earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not affect the order of the picks - the rubric does that, and here is how we are funded. Prices were last verified September 30, 2026.
What we did and did not do
Units we claim to have tested: 0. Everyone in this category says they tested twenty chairs. We have not sat in any of these, and we say so.
What we did instead: compiled every figure each manufacturer publishes, computed the fit ranges from a cited anthropometric table, and linked the source for each number so you can check the arithmetic. Where a manufacturer does not publish a figure, we say that rather than filling the gap. The full method, including what we cannot assess, is here.
A footrest is the most underrated product on this site, and the fix for the most common ergonomic problem there is. Here is the problem: your desk is a fixed 29 inches, set for a 5 ft 10 in user. If you are shorter than that, you can either set your chair low enough for your feet and reach up to type, or set it right for your elbows and leave your feet dangling. Neither is correct and both are common.
A footrest resolves it. Set the chair for your elbows, then put your feet on something. It restores the knee angle OSHA describes - the entire sole of the foot resting on a surface with the back of the knee slightly higher than the seat - and it gets your weight off the front edge of the seat, which is where the pressure complaints come from.
It also costs a fraction of a chair and works with the chair you already own, which is why we point at it from the petite-user page rather than telling people to buy a chair that does not exist.
Measure your gap first. It takes a minute.
1. Set your chair so your forearms are level with the desk and your elbows at roughly a right angle. That is your correct seat height, whatever it does to your feet.
2. With your knees at a right angle and your lower legs vertical, measure from the sole of your foot to the floor. That is your gap.
3. Buy a footrest whose published platform height brackets your gap. Everything below publishes one, which is why it is the criterion we rank on.
If your gap is under about 2 inches, lower the chair instead - you do not need a product. If it is over 10, your chair is a tall chair or a stool and you want a foot ring, not a footrest.
Quick picks
Ranked on the published rubric. Tap a row for the full write-up; the price button goes straight to Amazon. Every figure in the write-ups is the manufacturer's own published specification, linked at the source. We have not sat in any of these.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  HUANUO Adjustable Footrest Best Overall | Three heights plus 30-degree tilt | 8.2 | $35.99 - View on Amazon #ad disclosure · September 30, 2026 |
| 2 |  Mind Reader Height-Adjustable Foot Rest Best Continuous Adjustment | A short gap, 3.25 in up | 7.4 | $26.99 - View on Amazon #ad disclosure · September 30, 2026 |
| 3 |  Nockovi Rocking Footrest Best for a Chair That Is Too High | Gaps of 6 to 7 in | 6.8 | $29.99 - View on Amazon #ad disclosure · September 30, 2026 |
| 4 |  StrongTek Wooden Rocking Footrest Best Published Capacity | A rocker that publishes a rating | 6.6 | $39.99 - View on Amazon #ad disclosure · September 30, 2026 |
| 5 |  LUE BONA Adjustable Saddle Footrest Best for a Drafting Chair | Gaps of 15 in and more | 7.2 | $46.99 - View on Amazon #ad disclosure · September 30, 2026 |
| 6 |  ErgoFoam Foot Rest Best Fixed Wedge | A 5.9 in gap exactly | 5.2 | $41.95 - View on Amazon #ad disclosure · September 30, 2026 |
| — |  Everlasting Comfort Memory Foam Foot Rest Skip This If You Are Short | Very little | 4.2 | $37.99 - View on Amazon #ad disclosure · September 30, 2026 |
01 · Best Overall
HUANUO Adjustable Footrest
8.2/10 · scored on the published rubric
Three published heights and a 30 degree tilt range - the most adjustment of any footrest here, and the reason it is the pick for a chair you cannot lower far enough.
Why you might not: The three heights are fixed positions, not a continuous range, so if your gap is 4.6 in you are choosing between too low and too high.
| Platform height | 3.9-6.5 in |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 17.3 x 13.1 in |
Adjustments published (2): three platform heights: 3.9, 5.3 and 6.5 in; tilt 0-30 degrees.
Not published by the manufacturer: rated capacity; warranty term. We have flagged these rather than guessed.
How this score was built
- Fit range9/10
- Adjustability10/10
- Size & footprint8/10
- Materials & warranty7/10
- Spec coverage7/10
The overall is the mean of these, rounded to one decimal place. Each criterion is computed from a published figure - the rubric is here.
Price as of September 30, 2026. #ad how this is funded
02 · Best Continuous Adjustment
Mind Reader Height-Adjustable Foot Rest
7.4/10 · scored on the published rubric
A 3 in continuous adjustment span from the lowest published start height here (3.25 in), which is what a short gap actually needs.
Why you might not: No published tilt, so the platform angle is whatever it is - and angle is half of what a footrest does.
| Platform height | 3.25-6.25 in |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 17 x 13 in |
Adjustments published (1): platform height 3.25-6.25 in.
Not published by the manufacturer: rated capacity; tilt range; warranty term. We have flagged these rather than guessed.
How this score was built
- Fit range10/10
- Adjustability7/10
- Size & footprint8/10
- Materials & warranty6/10
- Spec coverage6/10
The overall is the mean of these, rounded to one decimal place. Each criterion is computed from a published figure - the rubric is here.
Price as of September 30, 2026. #ad how this is funded
03 · Best for a Chair That Is Too High
Nockovi Rocking Footrest
6.8/10 · scored on the published rubric
The tallest published pair of heights here (6.1 and 7.3 in) with a 15 degree angle built in - the right shape for a chair that is genuinely too high for you.
Why you might not: Two positions only, and 6.1 in is its floor. On a chair you can lower, it will be too tall.
| Platform height | 6.1-7.3 in |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 15 x 12.6 in |
Adjustments published (3): two heights: 6.1 in and 7.3 in; 15 degree fixed tilt; rocking base.
Not published by the manufacturer: rated capacity; warranty term. We have flagged these rather than guessed.
How this score was built
- Fit range8/10
- Adjustability8/10
- Size & footprint6/10
- Materials & warranty6/10
- Spec coverage6/10
The overall is the mean of these, rounded to one decimal place. Each criterion is computed from a published figure - the rubric is here.
04 · Best Published Capacity
StrongTek Wooden Rocking Footrest
6.6/10 · scored on the published rubric
350 lb published capacity - the only footrest here that publishes one at all - on a wooden rocker rather than plastic.
Why you might not: Fixed at 4.4 in. It rocks but it does not adjust, so it only works if 4.4 in happens to be your gap.
| Thickness | 4.4 in |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 17.7 x 10.5 in |
| Rated capacity | 350 lb |
Adjustments published (1): rocking motion.
Not published by the manufacturer: height adjustment; warranty term. We have flagged these rather than guessed.
How this score was built
- Fit range5/10
- Adjustability6/10
- Size & footprint6/10
- Materials & warranty9/10
- Spec coverage7/10
The overall is the mean of these, rounded to one decimal place. Each criterion is computed from a published figure - the rubric is here.
Price as of September 30, 2026. #ad how this is funded
05 · Best for a Drafting Chair
LUE BONA Adjustable Saddle Footrest
7.2/10 · scored on the published rubric
Adjusts from 15.35 to 19.29 in, which puts it in seat territory rather than footrest territory - genuinely useful under a tall drafting chair where your feet are a long way off the floor.
Why you might not: At that height it is not a footrest for an ordinary desk chair. If your gap is four inches, this is entirely the wrong product.
| Platform height | 15.35-19.29 in |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 3.5 in |
| Footprint | 16.93 x 12.6 in |
Adjustments published (2): height 15.35-19.29 in; saddle-shaped top.
Not published by the manufacturer: rated capacity; warranty term. We have flagged these rather than guessed.
How this score was built
- Fit range7/10
- Adjustability8/10
- Size & footprint7/10
- Materials & warranty7/10
- Spec coverage7/10
The overall is the mean of these, rounded to one decimal place. Each criterion is computed from a published figure - the rubric is here.
Price as of September 30, 2026. #ad how this is funded
06 · Best Fixed Wedge
ErgoFoam Foot Rest
5.2/10 · scored on the published rubric
A 5.9 in foam block, which is the tallest fixed footrest here and the most generously sized top surface.
Why you might not: No published height adjustment. A foam wedge either matches your gap or it does not, and there is no second position.
| Thickness | 5.9 in |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 17.3 x 11.5 in |
Not published by the manufacturer: height adjustment range; rated capacity; warranty term. We have flagged these rather than guessed.
How this score was built
- Fit range5/10
- Adjustability2/10
- Size & footprint8/10
- Materials & warranty6/10
- Spec coverage5/10
The overall is the mean of these, rounded to one decimal place. Each criterion is computed from a published figure - the rubric is here.
Price as of September 30, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Skip This If You Are Short
Everlasting Comfort Memory Foam Foot Rest
4.2/10 · scored on the published rubric
A 4.75 in memory foam wedge in the middle of the fixed-height band, at a middling price.
Why you might not: Skip this if you are short. Fixed height, no tilt, and a 9.5 in depth is the shallowest here - the least room to shift your feet of anything on the page.
| Thickness | 4.75 in |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 17 x 9.5 in |
Not published by the manufacturer: height adjustment range; rated capacity; warranty term. We have flagged these rather than guessed.
How this score was built
- Fit range4/10
- Adjustability2/10
- Size & footprint4/10
- Materials & warranty6/10
- Spec coverage5/10
The overall is the mean of these, rounded to one decimal place. Each criterion is computed from a published figure - the rubric is here.
Price as of September 30, 2026. #ad how this is funded
How we ranked these
- Fit - published platform height, scored on the range covered and on how low it starts. A footrest that begins at 6.1 in cannot serve a 4 in gap, and most gaps are small.
- Adjustability - height positions and published tilt range. Tilt is half of what a footrest does: a flat platform holds your ankle at 90 degrees, and an angled one lets it move.
- Size and footprint - published length and width. A deeper top surface means more foot positions, which is the difference between resting your feet and parking them.
- Materials and build - material, base, published capacity. Exactly one product here publishes a weight rating.
- Spec coverage - how much of the rubric is answered.
Fixed, stepped or continuous
| Type | What you get | Examples here |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous | Any height within the range. Best chance of matching your gap exactly. | Mind Reader (3.25-6.25 in), LUE BONA (15.35-19.29 in) |
| Stepped | Two or three fixed positions. Fine if one of them is your gap. | HUANUO (3.9 / 5.3 / 6.5 in), Nockovi (6.1 / 7.3 in) |
| Fixed | One height. Either it is right or the product is wrong. | ErgoFoam (5.9 in), Everlasting Comfort (4.75 in), StrongTek (4.4 in) |
The practical implication is blunt: if your gap is an awkward number, buy continuous. The Mind Reader's 3.25-to-6.25-inch range covers the band most seated gaps fall in, and covers it without you having to choose between too low and too high.
Tilt, and why it matters more than it sounds
A flat platform fixes your ankle at one angle for eight hours. A tilting one lets it change, which is the same argument as every other argument on this site for adjustability over a good fixed setting.
HUANUO publishes 0 to 30 degrees, which is the widest here and the reason it ranks first despite stepped rather than continuous height. Nockovi publishes a fixed 15-degree angle plus a rocking base - a reasonable middle. Everything else publishes nothing about angle at all, which on a product whose whole job is your ankle position is a meaningful gap.
Rocking footrests: a real feature or not?
Several of these rock. The mechanism is that a moving platform means your ankle joint cycles rather than holding one position, which encourages calf-muscle activity - the same idea as an active stool, applied lower down.
It is a genuine mechanical effect and the claims attached to it are broader than it supports. What we can say: if you are the kind of person who fidgets anyway, a rocker gives you somewhere to do it. If you want a stable place to put your feet and forget about them, a rocker is a mild irritation. Neither is wrong.
The one case where a footrest is the wrong product
A tall chair. At a standing desk your seat is around 31 to 34 inches and the gap to the floor is enormous - LUE BONA's 15.35-to-19.29-inch range is the only thing here that gets anywhere near, and it is really a small stool.
At those heights what you want is a foot ring on the chair itself, which moves with the seat. That is the defining feature of a drafting chair and the reason we treat those as a separate category rather than tall task chairs. A separate footrest at 32 inches of seat height is a step stool with ambitions.
Questions people actually ask
Should I use a footrest at my desk?
How high should a footrest be?
Is a footrest worth it?
Should a footrest tilt?
Can I use a footrest with a standing desk stool?
Will a footrest help my lower back?
Read next
Sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these. Product specifications come from the manufacturer's own listing; prices come from a live lookup and carry the date they were verified.