The thing nobody mentions about footrests is that the height matters more than the look, and you won't know if you got it wrong until you've sat with it for a few weeks. Too low and you're still hunching to compensate. Too high and your knees end up somewhere near your chest, which is its own kind of uncomfortable. The good ones get the proportion right relative to an average chair seat, and that's not something you can judge from a photo.
Construction is where the cheap ones give themselves away first. A footrest takes a strange kind of pressure, feet pressing down and shifting around, sometimes a full body weight when someone decides to stretch out, so the legs and the joints where they meet the frame need to be solid, not just glued dowels that start to wobble after a season. Look for actual joinery or a solid base if it's upholstered, and check that the padding has some density to it rather than a thin foam that goes flat within a year. On a wood one, solid legs with a proper finish will outlast a stained veneer by years, and you'll feel the difference the first time you rest a heel on the edge.
Color and finish decisions here are lower stakes than most furniture, which is part of the appeal. A neutral upholstered top in a weave that hides use, something like a soft gray or a warm oatmeal, blends with almost anything and doesn't show the wear that a pale linen will. If you're going with wood, a medium or dark tone hides scuffs better than a pale, raw finish that marks the second a shoe grazes it. Leather or a faux leather in a brown or black tone ages well and actually looks better with a little character over time, unlike fabric that just looks tired.
These earn their keep most in living rooms next to a favorite chair, in a reading corner, or tucked under a desk in a home office where you're sitting for hours at a stretch. They're especially good in smaller homes where a full chaise or recliner isn't realistic, since a footrest gives you the stretched out feeling without eating the square footage. Where they don't make sense is in a high traffic path or a room with little kids running through, since they become a tripping hazard fast, and they're also not much use if your seating is already low to the ground, where your feet end up at an odd angle instead of a restful one.
Whatever chair you already love, this is what finally makes it feel like somewhere you'd actually stay for a whole evening.
Aisha's pickLeather Footrests With Real Back Support
Aisha's pickWide Footrests That Are Easy to Keep Clean
Aisha's pickLong Footrests That Look Good From Every Angle
Aisha's pickOur Shortlist of Wooden Footrests
Aisha's pickLow Footrests That Do the Job Right
Aisha's pickShopping for Luxury Footrests? Start Here
Aisha's pickMetal Footrests That Earn Their Keep
Aisha's pickAdjustable Footrests That Are Easy to Keep Clean
Aisha's pickModern Footrests That Earn Their KeepAlso worth a lookBenchesMy first bench was a flat pack thing I grabbed for the entryway, pine veneer over particleboard, and…See the collections →
Aisha's pickAdjustable Leather Footrests for Long Sunday Afternoons
Aisha's pickNon Slip Footrests That Are Easy to Keep Clean
Aisha's pickBlack Footrests That Do the Job Right
Aisha's pickPlastic Footrests That Make a Room Feel Finished
Aisha's pickContemporary Footrests That Work in Old Houses and New Ones
Aisha's pickPortable Footrests for Long Sunday Afternoons
Aisha's pickErgonomic Footrests That Keep the Desk Clear
Aisha's pickSimple Round Footrests Done Well
Aisha's pickFabric Footrests You’ll Sink Into at the End of the DayAlso worth a lookStorage BenchesThe first thing I do is lift the lid and check how it holds itself open.See the collections →
Aisha's pickSmall Footrests We Keep Coming Back To
Aisha's pickFootrests Comfy Enough for a Movie Night
Aisha's pickSteel Footrests With a Bit More About Them
Aisha's pickFootrests for Desk That Make the Spare Room Feel Like an Office
Aisha's pickUnder Desk Footrests for a Home Office That Works
Aisha's pickFootrests for Living Room That Look Good From Every Angle
Aisha's pickUpholstered Footrests Without the Silly Price Tag
Aisha's pickFootrests with Storage That Seat Guests Without the Squeeze
Aisha's pickVelvet Footrests That Won’t Let You DownAlso worth a lookModern StoolsI avoided modern stools for years because I kept picturing the ones with the chrome legs that wobble the second you lean on them wrong.See the collections →
