How to Use a Footrest Correctly
A footrest placed incorrectly provides no benefit — and can actually worsen posture by encouraging your feet to push back and your hips to slide forward in the chair. Here’s the exact setup sequence and the common mistakes to avoid.
Set Up Your Chair Before the Footrest
The footrest height depends on your chair height — which means you have to set the chair correctly first. Don’t adjust the footrest and then try to fit the chair around it. Always start with the chair.
Set chair height for keyboard, not for floor
Raise or lower your chair until your elbows are at roughly 90 degrees with your forearms resting on the desk or armrests. This is the correct keyboard height for your body. At this height, your feet may or may not reach the floor — note the gap if there is one.
Measure your foot-floor gap
With the chair at Step 1 height, measure the distance from the floor to the bottom of your feet. If it’s zero (feet flat on floor), you don’t need a footrest. If there’s a gap — even half an inch — that’s the minimum footrest height you need. Most people find it’s 3–5 inches; shorter users or users with taller desks may find it’s 5–6 inches.
Place the footrest and set height
Slide the footrest under your desk so it sits directly below where your feet hang. Adjust the height setting until your feet rest flat on the surface with no gap and no downward angle at the knees. Your thighs should now be roughly parallel to the floor. The thigh pressure you may have felt from the seat edge should largely disappear — if it doesn’t, try the higher setting.
Check pelvic position
Sit all the way back in the chair with feet now resting on the footrest. Your lower back should feel the lumbar support (if the chair has one) without effort — you shouldn’t have to arch or lean to maintain contact. If you still feel your lower back rounding, the footrest may be slightly too low — raise it until the pelvis sits neutral and the lumbar curve is natural.
Common Mistakes That Cancel the Benefit
Footrest too far from the chair: Forces your legs to extend to reach it, pulling your hips forward and away from the chair back. The footrest should be close enough that your knees stay at roughly 90 degrees.
Footrest too high: Pushes knees up above hip level, which tilts the pelvis forward and creates a different type of lower back strain. The goal is thighs parallel to the floor, not angled upward.
Using footrest but lowering chair to compensate: If you add a footrest and then lower your chair so your feet press flat on the footrest AND the floor, you’ve defeated the purpose. The chair should be at keyboard height; the footrest brings the floor up to your feet, not the reverse.
Only using it part of the time: The ergonomic benefit of a footrest is cumulative — it’s about correcting your posture for hours, not minutes. Use it consistently throughout the day.
Footrests That Make Setup Easy
BlissTrends Memory Foam Foot Rest
~$25–30
The two height settings cover the range most users need, and the rocking design naturally encourages slight foot movement that keeps you from locking into a static position. Easy to slide in and out, easy to adjust, and the memory foam surface gives you instant tactile feedback about whether your foot position is correct — soft surfaces under your feet make it more obvious when you’re compensating with an awkward position.
Best for: Most users setting up a footrest for the first time — two settings, clear height adjustment, comfortable for barefoot use
Mind Reader Adjustable Footrest
~$25–30
The hard platform with two height settings covers the same range as the BlissTrends, with the non-skid base preventing the footrest from sliding away from the chair during the day — a common frustration with lighter foam footrests that move on hard floors. For users with shoes, the textured surface provides good foot grip in either height setting.
Best for: Shoe-wearers or anyone whose footrest keeps sliding away on hard floors
ComfiLife Memory Foam Footrest
~$35–40
If Step 2 revealed a gap of more than 5 inches, the ComfiLife’s taller profile is the right choice — the BlissTrends may not provide enough elevation to reach the correct position. The larger surface also gives more room to shift foot placement during the day, which is a practical benefit for long sessions where static foot position becomes uncomfortable.
Best for: Users with a foot-floor gap over 5 inches who need more lift range than standard footrests provide
→ Read: Best Footrest Under $30
→ Read: Best Ergonomic Chair Under $200