Best Footrest for Tall People
Tall users typically don’t have a foot-floor gap problem — their legs are long enough to reach the floor at standard chair heights. But they do have a different chair-height problem that sometimes creates a footrest need: when the desk is too low, they lower the chair to match, and then their feet are flat but their knees are sharply bent upward. A footrest in this context is a secondary tool — but there’s a more relevant use case for tall users that’s worth understanding first.
When Tall Users Actually Need a Footrest
Most footrest content focuses on shorter users, and for good reason — they have the most common foot-floor gap problem. But tall users encounter a footrest need in two specific situations:
Situation 1 — Desk is too low: You’ve lowered the chair until your knees are at 90 degrees, but now the desk surface is too high relative to your elbows. To get your elbows at the right keyboard height, you’d need to raise the chair — but then your knees angle sharply downward. A footrest under a raised-chair position levels out the knee angle and makes a too-low desk workable without full posture compromise.
Situation 2 — Shared standing desk: If you share a standing desk with a shorter partner, the seated height may be set lower than your ideal. Raising the desk for your seated position is fine for keyboard height but may mean your feet now have a small gap when the chair is at keyboard height for that desk setting. A footrest closes it.
Mind Reader Adjustable Footrest
~$25–30 · Best for Tall Users Who Need One
For the situations above, the Mind Reader’s firm platform is the more practical choice for tall users. Tall users typically work with shoes on, put more body weight through a footrest when using it, and may have larger feet that benefit from a wider, more stable platform. The Mind Reader’s hard surface holds up to both shoe use and higher body weight better than memory foam does over time, and the two-height settings cover the modest elevation range most tall users need in the scenarios described above.
Best for: Tall users dealing with a desk-height mismatch who need a stable footrest to correct knee angle at keyboard height
BlissTrends Memory Foam Foot Rest
~$25–30 · Best if Comfort Is the Priority
If the footrest need is primarily comfort — you want something to rest your feet on during long sessions rather than to correct a significant postural problem — the BlissTrends’s memory foam is more comfortable than hard plastic for extended barefoot use. Tall users who simply want something soft and supportive under their feet during the day will prefer this over the Mind Reader, even if the ergonomic need isn’t acute.
Best for: Tall users who want foot comfort during long sessions rather than correcting a specific postural problem
The Bigger Fix for Tall Users
If you’re over 6 feet and consistently uncomfortable at your desk, the more impactful fix is usually the chair — specifically, finding one whose seat height goes high enough for your inseam and whose backrest is tall enough to support your spine. A footrest is a useful complement, but chair fit is the primary issue for tall users.
→ Read: Best Ergonomic Chair for Tall People
→ Read: Best Footrest Under $30