What is the Best Stand Up Desk?
I am in the market to buy a stand up desk and there are many things I would like to have in a stand up desk. In this article, I am going to share with you my findings on what makes the best stand up desk.
When we discuss what is best like in desks, chairs, and furniture, it is I believe quite subjective.
There are some facts we can agree that make a desk the best but other than those few facts, it will come down to your preferences and your budget.
My budget for a stand up desk is not more than $500. I just don’t want to spend more than $500 on a standing desk that does not have storage or anything like that. Read about storage in standing desks here.
Because I know that the standing desk I am going to buy is going to have no storage in it or at the most a tiny drawer, I am going to set aside some of my budget for a white drawer set to store my office supplies and craft supplies in because I don’t like to have a messy desk.
At the end of a project or work shift, I like to have my desk all cleared off. It is the same thing in my kitchen and bathrooms. I like cleared off counters.
I know that standing desks are good for my health and I will make adjustments in my office to accommodate this purchase.
You can do some comparisons on standing desks on Amazon.
But you won’t get all of the information because there are stand up desk manufacturers who do not promote their desks on Amazon.
I did research on the desks on Amazon, Office Depot, and Wayfair.
This article will save you a lot of time and money because I did all the research already.
Here is a table I created to help you find out which stand up desk is right for you:
| Standing Desk Type | PriceRange | Pros | Cons |
| Manually height-adjustable standing desks | $180 and up | – adjustable height -various styles and shape -space for all your work things | -you need to adjust the height manually all the time -adjusting the height can be noisy |
| Electrically height-adjustable standing desks | $480 to $2,000 | -push-button height adjustment -can save height memory -very convenient to use -various styles and colors -sturdy materials -enough space for all your work things | – expensive |
| Fixed-height standing desk converter | $30 to $100 | – increase the height of your current desk -additional space -affordable | -height is not adjustable -need to DIY in case height does not suit you |
| Height-adjustable desk converter | $100 to $450 | -reasonable height options -provides more desk space -affordable | -a bit more expensive -can be bulky at times -style may not suit the theme of your workstation |
| Sit-stand-recline desk | $5000 above | -very convenient to use -more functionalities | -very expensive -needs more space than regular sit-stand desks |
The price of a standing desk will definitely influence your decision. However, you also have to consider the functionalities, design, and size of the standing desk to ensure that you will not regret your decision later on.
How To Choose The Best Standing Desk For You
Let’s go over some of the details that weighed my decision on which desk to buy.
First, I don’t like brown looking desks and furniture. I like clean, sleek lines with not a lot of bulk and mess. And I like white furniture.
It has been my goal to get a standing desk for about 3 years now.
When I first was looking a few years ago, the stand up desks were super expensive and real space wasters so I put the standing desk on my dream board for the time being.
Then I started looking into standing desk converters or desk risers. Now those seem to be even bulkier and typically they rob my office of desk space.
I am not excited at all about desk risers or standing desk converters as some call them. If you are into those I do have my reviews to help you decide on which one to get for your desk.
There are so many different options now since the standing desk has grown so much in popularity over the last couple of years. Many employers are investing in stand up desk for their employees in their office buildings.
The biggest market for stand up desks is still the home office business and entrepreneurs.
Standing Desk Options
When you have a stand up desk, you get the choice of sitting down or standing up to work. When you change the position from sitting to standing and back to sitting, it must be done somehow. The choices are:
- Manual levels
- Electric motors
- Air-powered motors
I don’t think I want the manual level. I am not sure how often I will be shifting back and forth between standing and sitting but as I age, I don’t want to be having to use the manual level.
The electric motor worries me a little. It is not going to take a lot of electricity but I would need to make sure I can place the desk close to the electrical outlet. That is going to limit placement.
I don’t like unsightly cords hanging around. I will need to find a way to hide the cord.
I really like the idea of the air-powered motor because I would not be subject to specific locations for my standing desk. I will do some more research into this form of moving my desk up and down.
I want to make sure that the power system holds up.
On Amazon I found these standing desks:
I did not like this one because it looks really flimsy and breakable.
I am afraid that my cat would just tip it over.
This one looks a lot sturdier but I don’t like the wood-style top of the desk. I would rather have it be all white.
This one is a good one if you are looking for a black stand up desk:
I am leaning more towards this stand up desk on Amazon:
This one comes in many different colors.
What I really like about this one is that it looks sturdy which is super important. It is white, YEAH!
It is also a good size at 60 inches.
It is also an electric desk and I am still thinking about whether I want electric or air-powered levers to lower and raise the desk.
What is holding me back from buying this one right now is that it is aluminum and I really would like a white veneer over wood desk.
It has a steel frame and will hold up to 225 pounds. I am not a fan of so much metal. But it does make it strong, so this desk is still on my
“Maybe list”.
Next up I was looking at the best stand up desks from Office Depot.
I saw this white one at Office Depot but it is way out of my price range of what I want to spend on a standing desk. It is $1209.99.
And it has black legs which I don’t like. I don’t like to mix up the legs and the top with different colors. So that is not worth the price I don’t think.
You can check it out here:
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/428603/Bush-Business-Furniture-Move-80-Series/
This one at Office Depot is a much better price point. It goes on sale for $299 and when it is not on sale it is $399. This is a much better price point. It is a good brand but it does not come in white. You may like the colors it comes in.
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/787781/Realspace-Magellan-Pneumatic-Sit-Stand-Height/
Lastly, I checked into Wayfair to see what their stand up desks would appear like and how they compared to the Amazon stand up desks and the Office Depot stand up desks.
It has one small drawer which is better than nothing at all which is the issue with stand up desks.
Some of the prices at Wayfair seem better than Office Depot and Amazon. But I have also read reviews where people say that their furniture from Wayfair has scratches on it when it arrives.
Related Questions
How do I start using a standing desk?
Before you buy a standing desk, make sure that the height corresponds to how tall you are.
If you will be using an adjustable standing desk, adjust the height to the height of your elbow.
You should be able to rest your elbow on the surface of the desk. Your neck and wrist must be neutral.
Once you have set the proper height for your standing desk, ease your way into your transition.
Do not overdo it. If you feel any sensation on your legs, feet or back, rest for a while and sit.
Why is a standing desk better?
The benefits of standing desks are finally getting more attention over the years.
When you use a standing desk, you are encouraged to move more and you focus more on what your body tells you.
Using a standing desk at work also helps with back pain. I can attest to that. I have been diagnosed with sciatica due to prolonged sitting at work and my chiropractor advised that I should stand and walk more.