Best Foot Hammock for Desk UK

A foot hammock for a desk is a fabric sling that hooks over the front edge of your desk so your feet hang instead of sitting flat on the floor. The ones you can actually buy in the UK are hook and strap slings, mostly sold as travel kit, and they cost between £3.99 and £15.09. We compared the seven worth buying on strap range, whether the sling keeps its shape underfoot and how easy each one is to hook onto a normal desk edge. The one we would pick first is the PATIKIL foot hammock at £15.09.

Most lists you will find on this subject are written for American shoppers, quote dollar prices for clamp-mounted hammocks that never reach Amazon UK, and describe routines nobody can check. This one sticks to what is on sale here, in pounds, with the measurements the listings actually publish.

Before you spend anything, know which problem you have. If your feet reach the floor and you simply want to change position through the day, a sling is a cheap way to do it. If your feet hang above the floor because the chair is set high enough to reach the desk, a sling makes that worse and a rigid footrest is the fix. The HSE guidance on display screen equipment asks for a workstation where your feet rest flat on the floor, or on a footrest when they cannot reach it.

Quick comparison

1. PATIKIL Foot Hammock Under Desk Adjustable Foot Rest Sling with Hooks, £15.09

The PATIKIL is the closest thing here to a hammock designed for a desk first and a plane second. The sling measures 650 x 170mm in polyester cotton, which is long enough to take both feet side by side without them stacking on top of each other, and it ships with two hanging hooks and an adjustable buckle on each strap.

The buckle is the part that matters. It lets you shorten each side independently, so if your desk edge sits at an angle, or one hook lands on a thicker part of the frame, you can level the sling instead of hanging it lopsided. The listing describes looping the straps through the hooks and tightening until the sling is secure, which is a two minute job with no tools.

There is no rigid insert, so the middle dips under your heels. That is fine for resting and swinging, and less good if you want to push down against something solid. The fabric is also the plainest of the group, without the bamboo boards that the pricier models use to hold their shape.

Verdict: the one we would recommend for a normal desk, because it is the only pick here sold with the two hooks and the buckle adjustment that a desk edge needs, at £15.09.

2. PENGARO Airplane Foot Hammock with 4 Hooks, £8.99

PENGARO packs more into a smaller price than anything else on this list. The sling is wider than the travel norm at 10.5 x 8.25 inches, and it comes with a removable rigid support plate, which is the cheap answer to the sagging-middle problem. Four hooks are in the box, so you can leave two on the desk and keep two in a bag.

The straps run from 13.3 inches to 33.4 inches, which is a wider range than most of the office style slings manage and covers a tall desk without leaving a loop of spare strap dangling by your shins. PENGARO also markets it for gaming and home office use as well as flights, and the grey fabric hides desk dust better than black.

At this price the plate is thin and the stitching is basic. It is also the model most likely to feel the stretch after a few months of daily use, so check the strap tension every couple of weeks and take up the slack.

Verdict: our value pick, and the one we would hand to someone who wants to try the idea without spending much, at £8.99.

3. SEANSELO Travel Foot Hammock with Memory Foam and Bamboo Support, £13.99

SEANSELO solves the two complaints that come back most often about fabric slings. The removable bamboo board keeps the platform flat so your ankles do not roll inward, and the memory foam layer on top stops the board feeling like a shelf against bare heels. It is the most comfortable of the seven for a long afternoon.

The straps use reinforced triangular anchor points and extend from 50cm to 92cm, which is roughly 19.7 to 36.2 inches. That range suits a desk as easily as a tray table, and you can set it short for typing and let it out for a break without unclipping anything. It folds flat into a carry bag that will sit in a laptop rucksack.

The foam holds warmth, so bare feet get clammy in a warm room. The bamboo board is also heavier than a plain sling, which means more swing when you shift your legs.

Verdict: the pick for anyone who wants a firm, padded surface rather than a loose sling, at £13.99.

4. OOGEILRA Bamboo Foot Hammock, No-Collapse, £11.99

The OOGEILRA takes a different route to the same end. A thickened natural bamboo panel runs through the sling to keep your feet apart and stop the middle bending, and the fabric around it is waterproof Oxford cloth. That last detail is worth more than it sounds if you drink coffee at the desk or sit barefoot.

The straps are rated from 50cm to 92cm too, so the height adjustment matches the SEANSELO. The listing is honest about the intended use as well, naming classrooms, buses and trains alongside desks, which tells you the hardware is built for hooking over a lip rather than bolting to a frame.

It is a firmer, flatter feel than foam, and the edges of the panel are noticeable through thin socks. If you want cushioning, the SEANSELO is the better buy at two pounds more.

Verdict: the one we would pick if your feet slide together in a soft sling, at £11.99.

5. LICQIC Airplane Footrest, Adjustable Foot Hammock, £5.59

The LICQIC is the plainest product here and that is the point of it. Soft fabric, an adjustable strap, a drawstring pocket for storage, and no rigid parts to lose. It hooks over a desk edge in seconds and folds smaller than a paperback.

Because there is nothing stiffening it, the sling cups your heels rather than supporting your arches. That suits a short spell with your feet up and grates after a long session, particularly if you like to press your feet down while you think. The fabric is thin enough that the strap anchors pull visibly when the sling is tight.

For £5.59 it is the cheapest honest way to find out whether the whole idea works for you before spending three times as much on a padded version.

Verdict: the trial buy, and the one we would suggest for a second desk or a shared office, at £5.59.

6. Yotako Foot Hammock for Flight, £14.99

Yotako is the travel specialist of the group and it shows in the hardware. The support plates are memory foam over bamboo, removable so the sling can be washed or packed flat, and the straps use the same reinforced triangular anchors as the SEANSELO. It arrives with a storage bag and folds into something the size of a folded jumper.

The pitch is long haul comfort, which means the sling is shaped to hold your feet at a raised angle rather than dead flat. Under a desk that angle works well if your chair is already at the right height, and feels odd if you are used to resting your feet on the floor between tasks.

It is the dearest of the slings here at £14.99, and for desk use only the SEANSELO does the same job for a pound less. Buy the Yotako if the same sling is going in a carry on.

Verdict: our pick for anyone who wants one sling for the desk and the plane, at £14.99.

7. ASREJUR Black Airplane Footrest with Breathable Mesh, £3.99

The ASREJUR is the cheapest thing on the page and it does the basic job. Breathable mesh instead of woven fabric means your feet stay cooler, which matters in a small room with a warm laptop, and the adjustable strap covers the height range you need under a desk.

Everything about it is light. The mesh has some give, the strap is thin, and the storage bag is basic. That is not a complaint at £3.99, but it does mean this is a sling to keep in a work bag for occasional use rather than the one you leave hanging under your main desk for a year.

Mesh also means no padding at all, so long sessions need socks or a break.

Verdict: the spare to keep in a bag or take to a hot desk, at £3.99.

If a sling is the wrong answer: HUANUO Ergonomic Footrest, £24.69

Here is the point most lists skip. A hammock raises your feet into the air, so it cannot help if your feet already hang above the floor. That happens when you raise the chair so your forearms sit level with the desk, which is the right way to set up a workstation, and it leaves shorter people with nothing under their soles.

The HUANUO foam footrest at £24.69 is the product for that problem. It measures 17 x 10 x 7 inches, it is a wedge rather than a rounded arch, and you can flip it over to use as a rocker. A platform under your feet gives you something to push against, which is what restores the flat-foot position the HSE guidance asks for.

It takes up floor space, it is the dearest thing here, and it does not swing. None of that matters if your feet do not reach the floor, because a sling will not fix it.

Verdict: the one we would buy instead of a hammock if your feet dangle, at £24.69.

Measure the desk edge before you order

Every product here hangs from hooks or straps over the front edge of the desk. That single detail decides whether a hammock works in your room, and it is the reason some people buy one and find it slides off within an hour.

You need an edge with something for a hook to grip. A desk with a front lip, a metal frame rail or a raised trim gives the hooks a lip to sit under or over. A flush panel desk with a smooth, square front edge gives them almost nothing, and the sling creeps sideways when you swing your legs. Measure the depth of the lip and the thickness of the top before you buy, then look at the product photos to see how the hook is shaped.

Glass desks are the clearest no. There is no lip to hook onto, and hooking over a glass edge puts load on a material that is not designed for a point load. If you have a glass top on a metal frame, hook onto the frame instead, and only if the frame gives you a proper rail.

Set the height in two steps

Hang the sling so your thighs sit roughly level with the seat and your knees stay close to a right angle. That usually leaves your feet a couple of centimetres above the floor, which is the point of the product. Then sit for ten minutes and adjust.

Shorten the straps if your knees ride up, because a sling set too high pushes your thighs toward your chest and undoes the reason you bought it. Let them out if your heels press into the floor, which means the sling is doing nothing. Make the changes in small steps, two or three centimetres at a time, and do one side at a time so you can feel the difference.

Fabric stretches. Whatever you set in the first week will need taking up once, and the cheaper the sling the sooner that happens. Check the tension every couple of weeks for the first month.

What a hammock does for a long desk day

Two things, and neither of them is a cure. It takes the pressure off the back of your thighs, which is where a chair edge digs in when your feet hang or press flat for hours. And it lets your legs move, which is the part a rigid footrest cannot offer.

That movement is the honest benefit. If you fidget, swing a foot or shift position constantly, a sling gives your legs somewhere to go instead of fighting the floor. If your feet go numb, your back aches or you have pain that lasts past the end of the working day, a £10 sling is not the answer and the NHS guidance on back pain is a better place to start than a shopping page.

Frequently asked questions

Will a foot hammock fit my desk?

It fits if your desk has a front edge with a lip, rail or trim that a hook can hold. Flush panel desks and glass tops are the two common failures. Measure the lip depth first and expect to hook onto a frame rail rather than the top itself.

Is a foot hammock better than a footrest?

They solve different problems. A footrest gives your feet a platform to press against and restores the flat-foot position when your chair is set high. A hammock lifts your feet and lets them move. If your feet dangle above the floor, buy the footrest first.

How high should a foot hammock hang?

Low enough that your thighs stay level and your knees stay near a right angle, which normally leaves your feet a couple of centimetres off the floor. If your knees rise, shorten the straps. If your heels touch the floor, let them out.

Can I use an airplane foot hammock at a desk?

Yes, and most of the products here are sold for both. The travel models have longer straps, which is what you want under a taller desk, and the hooks work on a desk edge just as they do on a tray table bracket. Check the strap range before buying.

Do these work on a glass desk?

Not safely. There is no lip to hook onto and a hook puts a point load on the glass edge. If your glass top sits on a metal frame, hook onto the frame only, and skip the idea entirely if the frame has no rail.

Will a hammock stop my feet going numb?

It can help, because lifting your feet takes pressure off the back of your thighs and the nerves that run there. It will not fix numbness that comes from a chair set too high or from a medical cause. If it keeps happening, get it looked at rather than buying more desk kit.

Our verdict

Buy the PATIKIL at £15.09 for a normal desk. It is the only pick here sold with the hooks and independent buckles that let you level a sling under a real desk edge, and the 650 x 170mm fabric takes both feet comfortably.

Spend less for a reason. The PENGARO at £8.99 is the value pick and comes with four hooks, the SEANSELO at £13.99 is the one to take if you want a padded, firm platform, and the LICQIC at £5.59 is the cheapest way to test the idea.

And if your feet do not reach the floor at the right chair height, skip all of it and put a HUANUO footrest at £24.69 under the desk instead.

For the rest of the small kit that changes how a desk feels, see our guides to keyboard trays, desk mats, monitor risers and cable management boxes, or browse the latest home office reviews.

For more home office guides, visit Home Office Heaven.