Office Furniture Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right Furniture

Choosing the right office furniture can improve comfort, productivity, space efficiency, and your workplace’s overall look. Whether you’re furnishing one office or an entire building, choose furniture that fits your space, employees, and budget.

Office furniture includes chairs, desks, workstations, tables, storage, and other furnishings designed for professional workplaces.

Common types include:

• Office chairs
• Desks and sit-stand desks
• Workstations
• Conference tables
• Storage
• Reception and lounge furniture
• Office pods and privacy furniture

Visit our product page to see current options.

Consider five things before buying:

1. Space: Measure the room and allow room for chairs, doors, storage, and walkways.
2. Employees: Consider how many people you need to accommodate now and in the future.
3. Ergonomics: Prioritize adjustable chairs, appropriate desk heights, and comfortable working positions.
4. Durability: Commercial-grade furniture is designed for frequent workplace use.
5. Budget: Compare long-term value, not just purchase price.

New office furniture offers more choices in finishes, sizes, and configurations.

Used office furniture can provide commercial-grade quality at a lower cost while extending the useful life of existing products.

Used furniture from manufacturers such as Steelcase, Herman Miller, Knoll, Haworth, Humanscale, and Allsteel can be especially valuable because these products were designed for commercial environments.

Browse our used office furniture or learn more about used Steelcase office furniture.

A good office chair should support comfortable sitting while providing enough adjustment for the individual user.

Look for:

• Adjustable seat height
• Lumbar support
• Adjustable arms
• Seat-depth adjustment
• Recline or tilt
• Commercial-grade construction

Browse available office chairs.

Choose a desk based on available space, equipment, storage needs, and how you work.

Straight desks save space, L-shaped desks provide additional work surface, U-shaped desks work well in larger private offices, and sit-stand desks allow users to alternate between sitting and standing.

For smaller spaces, read our guide to the best office desks for small offices.

Workstations create defined individual work areas and can provide privacy, storage, power, and acoustical separation.

Benching systems use shared or connected work surfaces to create more open, space-efficient layouts.

Browse office workstations and benching to compare configurations.

No single brand is best for every workplace. Established commercial office furniture manufacturers include Steelcase, Herman Miller, Knoll, Haworth, Humanscale, and Allsteel.

When comparing brands, consider durability, ergonomics, replacement parts, adjustability, and expected lifespan.

Is Used Office Furniture Worth It?

Yes. Quality used commercial office furniture can provide excellent value because many products are designed to withstand years of daily workplace use.

What Furniture Does an Office Need?

Most offices need desks or workstations, ergonomic chairs, storage, and meeting furniture. Larger workplaces may also require conference tables, lounge seating, reception furniture, training tables, and office pods.

What Is Commercial-Grade Office Furniture?

Commercial-grade office furniture is designed for frequent use in professional environments and generally emphasizes durability, ergonomics, adjustability, and long-term performance.

Where Can I Buy Office Furniture?

You can buy office furniture from manufacturers, retailers, and commercial furniture dealers. For larger projects, consider inventory quantities, space planning, delivery, installation, and availability of matching furniture.

For more than 45 years, Conklin Office Furniture has supplied new, used, and remanufactured office furniture for workplaces of all sizes.

Browse our current office furniture inventory to find chairs, desks, workstations, tables, storage, and more.