How to Stay Warm in a Cold Office

Last updated: 15 October 2026.

If you are the person in a coat at your desk while colleagues are in shirt sleeves, you are not imagining it and you are not alone. Offices are routinely set colder than a large share of the people in them would choose. This guide covers why, what the rules say, and eleven fixes that work at a desk.

Why the office is cold for you specifically

• The standard was built for someone else. The metabolic model behind most office temperature standards dates from the 1960s and is based on a resting man. A 2015 paper in Nature Climate Change (Kingma and van Marken Lichtenbelt) found it can overstate a woman's metabolic rate by up to 35 percent, which is the difference between comfortable and cold.
• You are sitting still. The body produces roughly half as much heat sitting as it does walking slowly. Eight hours at a desk is eight hours at your lowest heat output.
• Air conditioning moves air. Moving air strips heat from skin faster than still air at the same temperature, so a vent overhead feels several degrees colder than the thermostat says.
• Floors are cold. Cool air sinks. Your feet and ankles sit in the coldest layer of the room.

What the rules say

UK: the Approved Code of Practice for the Workplace Regulations 1992 says indoor workplaces should normally be at least 16°C, or 13°C where the work involves rigorous physical effort. There is no legal maximum, and 16°C is a floor, not a comfortable target.

US: OSHA has no specific office temperature rule but recommends 68 to 76°F with humidity between 20 and 60 percent.

If your office is below those figures, raise it with your manager or facilities in writing.

Eleven fixes, from the floor up

1. Get your feet off the floor. A footrest lifts them out of the coldest layer of air. A folded towel on a box works.
2. Wool socks, not cotton. Cotton holds sweat and goes cold; wool insulates when damp.
3. Keep a pair of desk shoes that are warmer than your commute shoes.
4. Cover your legs. They are a large share of your skin and usually the least covered part under a desk.
5. Wear a long layer that stays put. A cardigan stops at the hip and a throw slides off when you lean forward. A wearable that pulls on over the head and reaches the ankle stays where it is. Enfold has open sides, so your arms come out to type and go back in during calls.
6. Fingerless gloves for typing hands.
7. Move your desk if you can, away from vents, external doors and single-glazed windows.
8. Hot drinks in a lidded insulated mug, so they are still warm forty minutes later.
9. Stand up every hour. Two minutes of walking raises heat output more than any drink.
10. A scarf or neck layer under air conditioning; the back of the neck is often directly under the airflow.
11. Check before plugging anything in. Many workplaces ban personal heaters for fire-safety reasons. USB hand warmers and heated mouse pads are usually allowed.

If you work from home

The same physics, plus a heating bill. See how to stay warm working from home and what heaters cost to run.

Common questions

How can I stay warm in a cold office without a heater?

Lift your feet off the floor, wear wool socks, cover your legs with a long layer that will not slide off, wear fingerless gloves for typing, drink hot drinks from an insulated mug, and walk for two minutes every hour.

What is the minimum temperature for an office in the UK?

The Approved Code of Practice for the Workplace Regulations says at least 16°C for most indoor work, or 13°C where the work involves rigorous physical effort.

Why are offices so cold for women?

Many office temperature settings rest on a 1960s metabolic model based on a resting man, which can overstate a woman's metabolic rate by up to 35 percent, according to research published in Nature Climate Change in 2015.

Can I wear a blanket at work?

In most offices, yes, if it is practical and does not create a trip hazard. A long, matte, sleeveless wearable looks more like a coat-cardigan than bedding, and keeps your hands free.