Top-Rated Standing Desk Reviews

2. iMovR Lander Adjustable Height L-Desk

Experts’ Rating: 5-Stars

Pros: More size/color combinations than any other standing L-desk, literally thousands. Tops are made with advanced Surf(x) 3-D laminate, ergo-contoured and ultra-durable. Wood grain runs in same direction for the entire desk surface, uniquely among electric L-desk offerings. Also now available in 36 species/stain combinations of solid wood. Arrives 90% pre-assembled, requiring less than 15 minutes to put together. High-tech features like Bluetooth-enabled height control paddle that connect to smartphone app; users can store their own height preferences and health coach settings in their phones.

Cons: With the 3D-laminate desktops there is a very slight groove between the two tabletop sections, but it does preserve ergo-contouring all around every edge of the desk (not found on any other sit-to-stand L-desk) and makes it possible for the side table to be easily swapped from left to right anytime. In solid wood versions the joint is flush, no groove.

Price: $2,148

iMovR Lander U-Shaped Standing Desk in Obsidian Oak

3. iMovR Lander U-Shaped Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 5-Stars

Pros: The first true U-desk we’ve seen where all three surfaces lift in unison. It has more size and color options than any other standing desk we’ve ever seen, with nearly 15,000 possible combinations. It also has more work surface area (44.4 sq. ft.) and lift capacity (720 lbs) than any other standing desk. The tops are made with gorgeous Surf(x) 3-D laminate that is ergo-contoured and ultra-durable. Woodgrain runs in the same direction for the entire desk surface, something that’s virtually impossible to find among L-desks, let alone U-desks. The desk arrives 90% pre-assembled, requiring only 13 minutes to put together (we timed it). There are high-tech features like a Bluetooth-enabled height control paddle that connects to a smartphone app where users can store their own height preferences and health coach settings.

Cons: It’s much cheaper than other U-desks made by manufacturers of console workstations, but still very expensive because it is a U-desk with three integrated desk surfaces and four lifting columns. At the interface of the 3D-laminate desktops, there is a very slight groove between the individual sections, but it does preserve ergo-contouring all around every edge of the desk.

Price: $3,072

4. iMovR Ensign's Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 5-Stars

Pros: As a piece of designer furniture, like the other limited edition models in iMovR’s nautically-themed Baltic desk line, the Ensign is sure to turn heads in any office setting. The optional Fly Deck provides some extra storage and helps you achieve decent monitor ergonomics in great style. Or you can go without and completely dial in your ergonomics the conventional way using a monitor arm. Assembly is extremely easy since it comes 95 percent factory pre-assembled, and you won’t even need to break out the toolbox; we’re talking no more than 8 minutes to put it all together by yourself. The desktop craftsmanship quality, precision robotics-built Lander Lite lifting base and industry-leading warranty are top-tier. Plus, it’s ready for the future with a built-in health coach and Bluetooth-connected smartphone app.

Cons: The Baltic birch look is clearly coveted from a style standpoint and is incredibly rigid for how thin it is (0.7”), but there’s one drawback to it specifically for our treadmill desking audience. While the extensive height range of the Lander Lite base is usually great for treadmill desk users, the lack of a SteadyType keyboard tray option prevents us from giving it the highest score available for the office treadmill application, versus other iMovR desks that have thicker desktops that can support SteadyType.

Price: $1,720

5. iMovR Captain's Desk

Experts’ Rating: 4.5-Stars

Pros: The Captain’s Desk appeal as a feature piece of furniture and talking point is unmatched. This desk just looks cool. The Baltic birch is appealing, so strong that it adds to the desk’s stability, and good for the environment. The drawer helps you reclaim some desktop real estate and declutter your desk. 95% factory pre-assembled means a simple assembly of a few minutes with a provided tool. Made-in-USA quality and an excellent warranty. Built-in health coach reminders result in 117% increase in use at standing height, according to studies. Controlled by the same smartphone app as the original Lander, via Bluetooth link to the sleek and intuitive “DPG style” height control paddle.

Cons: It’s not compatible with a keyboard tray and not easily compatible with a monitor arm, so it’s more ideal for laptop users and those who simply do not intend to have either a monitor arm or keyboard tray on their standing desk. There are only two sizes available, targeting primarily the home office user. While the extensive height range of the Lander Lite base is generally great for treadmill desk users, the lack of a SteadyType keyboard tray option and monitor arm mounting challenges prevent us from giving it a high score for the office treadmill application; other iMovR desk models are better suited for that.

Price: $2,324

Read our full review Buy on Smart Furniture

Humanscale Float Table Stand Up Desk Review

6. Humanscale Float Adjustable Height Desk

Experts’ Rating: 4-Stars

Pros: No plodding electric motors or crank handles – a counterbalance system gives the Float Table as seductively quiet and smooth gliding adjustment in the blink of an eye. Extremely well designed; users have praised the wide desktops (customizable) and uncluttered foot space. Made with sustainable practices for the green-conscious consumer. Very popular with the high-decor lot like law offices and financial firms.

Cons: High quality, high cost. The Float Table is brilliant piece of work, but standing and treadmill deskers on a budget may balk at the price tag. The “removable crank” option is a pain to adjust – we strongly recommend the built-in crank option for resetting the weight settings on the counterbalance mechanism. The Humanscale aesthetic, while beautiful, can be tough to match unless your office has modern solid-color decor. If you’re looking for woodgrain colors in the same league of a adjustable height desks check out iMovR’s Thermodesk line.

Price: $1,635

7. Fully Jarvis L-Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3.5-Stars

Pros: For $100 more Fully will upgrade you to old-school HPL tops in maple, oak or walnut; or for $200 more you can get it in whimsically named “Spacestation Black.”

Cons: Disparagingly known as “shin crushers” in the industry, low crossbars are usually a sign of insufficient stability in the linear actuators—the lifting columns—which is particularly curious in this case given that two-legged L-desks are inherently more stable than 2-legged desks.

Price: $1,190

8. UpLift L-Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3.5-Stars

Pros: Three different L-desk models across the budget spectrum. At the moment, the only vendor offering real wood options on L-desk (though competitors are rumored to be bringing out their natural wood offerings soon).

Cons: Jiecang base (made in China) has some drawbacks in stability, reliability and performance. Some of the real wood tops offered would seriously challenge the ability to lift your stuff.

Price: $1,473

Read our full review Buy on Smart Furniture

9. Herman Miller Motia Sit Stand Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: Made in the USA from generally high-quality components.

Cons: Because these desks are really for commercial offices a professional installer with a full toolbox is required, so an in-home installation adds another $199 or $299 (depending on “distance from the hub”) and you have to wait around for someone to show up and then work in your home office to assemble the desk – no DIY option. Extremely limited options in size and color, and a very limited height adjustment range that’ll leave shorter and taller people unable to use this desk ergonomically. Short warranty on the base. Low-quality desktop construction. Low lift capacity and other specs for a desk in this price tier. Chevy desk at a Cadillac price. 7-week ship time.

Price: $1,205

10. Herman Miller Renew Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: Made in the USA from generally high-quality components.

Price: $1,575

Read our full review Buy on Smart Furniture

11. MultiTable Mod-E Pro Electric L-Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: As cheap and simple as it gets in this category. Few choices in colors and sizes make this one for people who suffer from “the paradox of choice” and may be budget constrained.

Cons: HPL tops are only ¾” thick, where most of the competition offers 1” to 1.25” thick tops. Asian-made base, not known for being of the highest quality. Difficult assembly. Weak motors are slow (1.4″/sec) and light duty (330 lbs).

Price: $778

12. Fully Jarvis Albright Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2-Stars

Pros: One of the few “designer” standing desks on the market, the Albright is indeed quite pleasing to the eye. If you like the solid wood secretary desk look, this is one of the few in the market.

Cons: Only one size (30″x60″), only one wood species (maple). A very pricey, American-made hand-crafted desktop that’s planted on a commodity-grade Chinese-made lifting base that’s hard to assemble and not of the nicest quality, so a bit mismatched. Drawers are very small (only 7″ wide) and take up a lot of the desk surface area; especially if you want to be able to open them without clearing things out of the way each time. Non-adjustable built-in shelf makes it impossible to mount an ergonomic monitor arm.

Price: $1,954

Premium Standing Desks Under $1,100

In this price tier you’ll find a lot of the premium-grade standing desks, including made-in-USA models like iMovR’s Lander Lite and Jaxson, Herman Miller’s Nevi and Floyds’ birch desk. Nearly every adjustable height desk in this price category includes a digital hand controller and many come equipped with advanced safety and reliability features that give them longer warranties than the average.

1. iMovR Lander Lite Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 4.5-Stars

Pros: Takes just five minutes to put together with only one (provided) tool as 95 percent is factory preassembled. Offers the same features as its parent Lander from made-in-USA, to warranty, to the smartphone app with Bluetooth connectivity link, to the sleek height-control paddle. Built-in health coach reminders result in at least twice as much use at standing height, according to studies. A plethora of 52 color choices in both Surf(x) 3D-laminate and solid wood species, mean just as many desktop options as with the original Lander.

Cons: Because of the thinner tops, you can’t get the SteadyType option on this model (iMovR’s patented, built-in ergonomic keyboard tray), but the tops are still pre-drilled for a trackless under-desk keyboard tray. The L-desk option will not be available in the Lite model. The slimmer height control paddle on the Lite desk doesn’t have the multi-color hi-res display we’ve come to love on the original Lander but you can access all the same features through the smartphone app over the Bluetooth link.

Price: $900

iMovR Jaxson standing desk with computer setup by an office window

2. iMovR Jaxson Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 5-Stars

It’s hard to say what we like the most about the Jaxson desk, it has so many distinguishing features over the dozens of “ordinary” commodity-grade standing desks we’ve lab tested over the years. The ultra-reliable brushless motor technology in the base is obviously a standout, the Jaxson being the first standing desk in 24 years not to be built with brushed motors. The unobtrusive yet sleekly contoured handset is as “space age” as it gets in standing desk controls, with built-in Bluetooth, an infrared presence sensor and NFC. But it’s the overall styling that really grabs us, from the chamfered square columns to the ergo-contoured 3D-laminated tops, there are no hard edges to this desk. Where many standing desks have an industrial equipment aesthetic, the Jaxson with its warm colors and softened edges just looks nicer in any home or commercial office environment. And the industry-leading 15 year “top to bottom” warranty and 100-day satisfaction guarantee is classic iMovR. At only a slight premium in price to the most popular standing desks out there today (all of which are made in China), this American beauty is likely to massively disrupt the competitive landscape and finally give consumers the impetus to ditch the cheaply-made foreign goods.

Price: $760

3. iMovR Cascade Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 4.5-Stars

Pros: 100% American-made quality, built-in SteadyType™ ergonomics, PerfectPaint glide system, easy assembly (as well as a factory pre-assembly option), low cost, extra base color options (black, silver, and white), industry-leading warranty, extremely quiet operation. Also comes in eight varieties of standing corner desk models.

Cons: Users over 5’11” should upgrade to the XT base (+$75) for extra height range. Note: users over 6’2” can also add 6” height extenders (+$59) to the XT base, a very popular option for extra-tall users that is only offered on iMovR electric standing desks. SteadyType™ removes desk space for the rare user with lots of paper flow.

Price: $1,093

Read our full review Buy on Floydhome.com

4. Floyd Birch Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: Because of its compact dimensions (26″ x 54″), the 1.26″-thick birch plywood top lends rock-solid stability to Fully’s Jarvis (Jiecang) base, which isn’t otherwise known for its stability. A lot of people like the plywood look around the edges of the desktop, and not many standing desk makers have offered it in the past (although this is changing rapidly).

Cons: This is a “filler” product for Floyd, which sells everything from sofas to beds to storage shelves. There is only one style and size of top, in just three top finishes, on top of a Fully Jarvis base (which they’re not hiding from anyone). The birch that is used is not top-grade Baltic birch as you’d expect on a desk at this price point. Support is a question mark since the base comes from Fully but this home furnishings e-tailer is not experienced at making or supporting sophisticated electromechanical products.

Price: $829

Herman Miller, Steelcase and Knoll standing desks

5. Herman Miller Nevi Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2-Stars

Pros: The least expensive standing desk you can buy as a consumer from Herman Miller’s e-commerce store. Oddly, it’s the only one of the three Herman Miller desks (the others being the Motia and the Renew) that offers a full ANSI/BIFMA range base, meaning it can be upgraded (+$50) to work well for shorter and taller users as well.

Cons: Stripped to the bones in features and quality, the Nevi is built with low-end componentry and is offered in an extremely limited range of sizes and colors. Dramatically more expensive than other standing desks of similar quality, and even ultra-premium American-made desks. Shipping and in-home installation adds $199 to $299 per desk and isn’t a good experience. DIY assembly is not an option due to the fact that these desks were designed for professional installation, not assembly by the consumer. Disappointing warranty.

Price: $995

Read our full review Buy on Design Within Reach

6. Eureka E60 Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3-Stars

Pros: High-tech, high-quality base with many state-of-the-art features. Five year warranty.

Cons: Only one desk size and two color schemes. For $899 you could do much better—including having all the size and color options you can desire and double the warranty with a top-rated American-made standing desk—so it feels highly overpriced for what you’re going to get.

Price: $899

7. GeekDesk Max Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: The vintage classic electric adjustable standing desk, GeekDesk has been around a long time, is solidly built, affordably priced and loved by their users. Admittedly, GeekDesk users tend to be – you guessed it – a bit on the geeky side (including some of our staff here at WWW who fondly remember the days when GeekDesk was pretty much the only available option.)

Cons: Despite being one of the first kids on the block GeekDesk is today a boutique-y, lifestyle manufacturing company that has not stayed on top of its game, and lacks the vast array of color and size options and the adjustable-width bases that other manufacturers now offer. Assembly takes longer than most other desks. The crossbar is necessary for lateral stability but can be a bit of a knee crusher for the individuals with long legs. It’s the turtle of the pack, with a lifting speed of only 1.1″ per second, compared to the speedy 1.5″ – 2.0″ per second of its competitors. Persistent production delays usually mean the desks can take as long as five to eight weeks to arrive, longer than most people are willing to wait.

Price: $849

Read our full review Buy on LifespanFitness

8. Lifespan Fitness Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 1.5-Star

Pros: The singularly unique aspect of this standing desk is that it runs the desk’s power cord through one of the lifting columns. However, your treadmill controller cable, monitor cables and all other cables will still need to be cable-managed somehow, so this doesn’t really buy you anything practical.

Cons: Severely overpriced for the quality, features and capabilities it offers, as compared to almost any modern-day standing desk. Short two-year warranty. Extremely limited in desktop colors and sizes. With no leg extensions available this desk would be too short for taller users working on top of a 6.5-inch-high Lifespan treadmill base.

Price: $949

Value Standing Desks Under $800

Mid-tier standing desks offer the best combination of features and value. More function than form, these desks may lack some of the bells and whistles of the fancier desks on the market: their table tops may be thinner and less exotic, and their electronic controllers may be simpler two-button devices. But make no mistake, these adjustable height desks give you the most bang for your buck and can handle nearly anything your workday can dish out. They come in a variety of sizes to fit any office environment, and most come with hefty lifting capacities upwards of 200 lbs.

This price tier is where the meat of the market is in dollar volume, and where many of the popular ecommerce standing desk brands like Uplift, Fully, Flexispot, Autonomous and Vari generally focus. These products are more likely to be purchased off the brand’s website than through Amazon. Many are actually American companies, but note that most of them make their products in China. The quality is going to be better than the sub-$500 tier, but never as good as actual American-made standing desks. By and large we still consider the majority of desks in this tier to be “commodity grade,” even though they may come with longer warranties. We say virtually all because there are just a handful of American-made standing desks in this category now, for example the iMovR Jaxson Compact Desk, iMovR Energize, and ZipDesk are all near the top end of the $800 range.

1. iMovR Jaxson Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 5-Stars

Price: $760

2. iMovR Energize Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 4.5-Stars

Pros: All the benefits of the Cascade minus the SteadyType™ keyboard tray. Comes in even more custom tabletop size options, including 24″ and 30″ depths, and 3/4″ and 1-1/8″ thicknesses. Also available in eight varieties of standing corner desk models.

Cons: For those over 5’11”, upgrading to the XT base (+$75) will deliver extra height range. Those over 6’2” can add 6” height extenders (+$59) to the XT base, an option only available on iMovR electric standing desks. For treadmill desk users especially, there is not the ergonomic benefit of the SteadyType™ keyboard tray.

Price: $718

All the easiest desks for standing desk assembly

3. ZipDesk Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 5-Stars

Pros: Designed and built in the USA. Top-quality base technology and excellent warranty. Unique in the industry as the first “desk in a box” we’ve ever seen. And that means it can ship fast (even same-day through Amazon Prime in some markets) or even be picked up at a retail store. Plus it’s one of the fastest desks to set up, being almost completely factory pre-assembled (8 minutes, no extra tools required). This is also a great desk to be able to break down just as easily, transport and set up again in your next office – maybe after you’re done working from home and want to go back to the corporate campus. ANSI/BIFMA and NEAT Certification are a solid indicator of the ZipDesk’s durable and reliable componentry and stable user experience, matching up with our lab-test results.

Cons: The trade off is color and size options. The ZipDesk comes in three base colors (black, white and silver) but only two top colors (black and white for now, more “swatch colors” coming soon), and two sizes: compact and standard. Since these are shipped from stock there’s a practical limit on versions as compared to parent iMovR’s made-to-order desks that come in tens of thousands of size, shape and color combinations. The powder-coated tops are not as nice as iMovR’s 3D-laminate and solid wood tops offered on the rest of their products, but they are 3D-ergocontoured and a great value at this price point.

Price: $729

Read our full review Buy on SteelcaseStore

4. Steelcase Solo Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3-Stars

Pros: For a big-name office furniture brand like Steelcase, a $600 standing desk looks like a real bargain, at least compared to what they usually sell standing desks for to commercial customers. The Solo is targeted specifically at the home market, however. Despite the 25-page assembly manual and lack of an assembly video guide, this desk comes together much faster than most due to the use of Linak’s new “Desk Frame 2” base design, made in Thailand. Full ANSI/BIFMA height range. Decent lift capacity (350 lbs) and transit speed (1.5 ips).

Cons: To meet e-commerce sellers at their price point Steelcase went to Thailand to source cheaper components and circumvent Chinese tariffs. The desktop quality is very basic. The subpar 5% duty cycle and the reliability of the drive shaft mechanisms do give us some pause, especially when coupled with a complete lack of a defined warranty. A very limited number of size, shape and color options of the HPL desktops and only two base color options. Compared to other offerings in this price range from digitally-native sellers the selection range is very limited, and the price is close enough to premium made-in-USA desks to be a challenging sell.

Price: $679

5. Fully Jarvis Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3-Stars

Pros: The Jarvis is a low-cost adjustable standing desk with a good warranty. It comprises a commodity Jiecang base which normally exhibit poor performance stats, but uses some customized components that – according to the company – give it better stability than the stock base product.

Cons: The Jarvis desktop is an ordinary high-pressure laminate, lacking the improved durability of 3D lamination. Additionally, its motors move at a crawl, with a 1.25″ per second adjustment rate that’s on the low end of the spectrum for mid-tier bases. (ErgoDepot, the ergonomics retailer that exclusively makes and sells the Jarvis Desk, has elected not to submit their their product to our testing lab.)

See also our reviews of the Jarvis L-Shaped Standing Desk.

Price: $484

6. UpLift V2 Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3-Stars

Pros: The UpLift adjustable standing desk is low-cost, and features a digital controller with four memory presets. 15-year warranty on frame and desktop, though it does have many exclusions.

Cons: UpLift uses a run-of-the-mill high-pressure laminate desktop. While it does feature some modifications to the base, the UpLift’s commodity, Chinese-made, Jiecang base is notorious for being unstable at taller heights. (HumanSolution, an ergonomic retailer that exclusively makes and sells the UpLift, has elected not to submit their desk with the WWW labs for testing.)

See also our reviews on the UpLift L-Shaped Standing Desks and the UpLift “Curved Corner” Standing Desk.

Price: $599

7. Ergoprise Uprise Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3-Stars

Pros: The Uprise is Ergoprise’s newest line, an improvement over their aging S2S model. It is quieter and stronger than a number of desks on the market, clocking in with a 42 dB noise signature during adjustment and a rated lift capacity of 360 lbs. The base adjusts at a rate of 1.7″ per second, faster than the majority of desks out there.

Cons: Everything above the Uprise’s base is plain-Jane. Its standard, high-pressure table top isn’t as durable as 3D lamination and is susceptible to moisture damage and delamination. Bamboo tops are available for the Uprise, but the added cost would put the desk well above the mid-range category.

Price: $788

UpLift V2-Commercial desk with gray frame and no desktop

8. UpLift V2-Commercial Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3-Stars

Pros: The V2-Commercial will fit some very short users that couldn’t make the standard V2 work. The crossbar adds a great deal of lateral stability at lower heights. There are many different desktop options to pick, from the inexpensive (rubberwood, bamboo, HPL) to expensive solid hardwoods. In a competitive marketing move UpLift has recently upped their warranty to 15 years on frame and desktop, though it does have many exclusions.

Cons: The crossbar is ugly and cumbersome, without providing any useful longitudinal stability improvement. This desk won’t work for many taller users and isn’t practical for use with an under-desk treadmill. Issues with the Jiecang base remain as not everything fits quite right, leading to a difficult assembly that will take most users more than an hour. While the longer warranty is a great marketing move to try and keep up with the Joneses (chiefly American-made standing desks), UpLift hasn’t fundamentally changed its frames or its desktops, so caveat emptor, it doesn’t mean the product is suddenly more durable than it was before.

Price: $679

Varidesk ProDesk 48 and ProDesk 60 Electric Standing Desk Review

9. Vari ProDesk 48 and ProDesk 60 Standing Desks

Experts’ Rating: 3-Stars

Pros: Varidesk, known as a pioneer in the standing desk converter industry, has finally entered the ring of full-size electric standing desks. Varidesk has one of the strongest brand names in the industry due to its immense advertising budget. The ProDesk60 comes about halfway pre-assembled, so putting it together should be easier than most standing desks (though not the “5 minutes” claimed by Varidesk, more likely 30 minutes.)

Cons: The other side of the Varidesk brand name is inflated price, and the ProDesk 60 Electric is no exception. At $699 (down from an initial price of $995), it is simply outclassed by competitors with made-in-America desks, much less competition from China (where this desk is made). The outdated “knee crusher” crossbar is a no no for a standing desk in this day and age, and the lack of customization options (only one size is currently available) means you won’t be able to customize it to ideally fit your space.

Price: $699

StandUpDeskStore dual motor desk shown with walnut solid wood desktop

10. StandUpDeskStore Dual Motor Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: The solid wood desktops are much cheaper than competitors. The frame is stable and has a good range of height adjustability.

Cons: The solid wood desktops are of poor quality and will be susceptible to moisture damage because there are so many seams and the underside is not finished. A 5-year warranty falls well behind competitors. There’s no Bluetooth connectivity. There aren’t many size options. Assembly on solid wood desktops is a pain because the desktops are not pre-drilled.

Price: $899

Read our full review Buy on Knoll.com

11. Knoll Hipso Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: High-quality base components robotically manufactured in Lithuania.

Cons: Very limited height adjustment range that’ll leave shorter and taller people unable to use this desk ergonomically. Only three smallish desktop sizes offered in three colors. Very basic desktop quality. Relatively short warranty.

Price: $595

ModTable Mod E Powered Stand Up Desk Review

12. MultiTable Mod-E Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2-Stars

Pros: The Mod-E is the fastest adjustable standing desk in the West, with a 2.0 inch-per-second transit speed.

Cons: The Mod-E only comes with a simple up/down controller. It’s also on the louder end of the desk noise spectrum, and at 75dB sounds like a coffee grinder during adjustment. A low max height of 47 inches may be too short for taller deskers and most treadmill desk users. Made in Malaysia, the Mod-E’s tabletop is not of the most impressive quality, and its design is somewhat dated.

Price: $668

13. Fully 'Remi' Budget Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: If evaluating versus other sellers of even cheaper Chinese-made standing desks (especially on Amazon), the Remi is probably about as cheap as you want to go. While the quality, adjustment range, and selection of colors and sizes leaves a lot to be desired, (Fully offers the Jarvis in way more configurations) at least you can get domestic customer support from the Portland, OR company. A 15-year warranty backs that up. The desk ships out quickly from inventory because of the limited options.

Cons: Because it uses only a 2-segment (dual-stage) lifting base, the Remi is suitable for medium-height individuals. It is unable to reach a usable range for shorter or taller individuals. The desktop is made of cheap particleboard with a cheap laminate that not only shows fingerprints and dirt badly, but is so brittle that Fully instructs you not to use a cordless screwdriver to assemble it. Thus you’re looking at around 45 minutes of assembly with a Phillips screwdriver and a hex key. Only three odd desktop sizes are offered, in only three colors (and two base colors).

Price: $479

Read our full review Buy on Branchfurniture.com

14. Branch Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2-Stars

Pros: Has a very heavy base leading to good stability at top-end heights. The maximum height range of 52″ makes this a good option for taller users.

Cons: The base is the slowest we have ever seen in a decade of reviewing electric standing desks, moving at transit speed of only one-half inches-per-second and featuring no standard features you’d expect at this price range like anti-collision or anti-tilt. The desktop is made of extremely cheap particleboard and melamine laminate that gets easily damaged in shipping and quickly starts to droop in the middle, delaminate and get dinged up. Poor quality control makes assembly difficult. Poor design makes it hard to mount certain ergonomic accessories or manage cables.

Price: $699

ApexDesk Elite Standing desk in office setting

15. ApexDesk Elite Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 1.5-Star

Our ApexDesk Elite Standing Desk review revealed that it is constructed much like the majority of its commodity-grade peers that are manufactured in China. While it does come with some decent perks like an included cable management tray and having decent height range for taller users, it suffers from a lower quality of materials and construction that is typical of desks sold at this price. If this is the desk you are going for, you will also likely get better customer service and return privileges if you order through Amazon. Inadequate packaging does lead to a fair amount of shipping damage, but they’re quick to send replacement desktops. The thinly-laminated, particle board desktops are probably the weakest aspect of the product. To keep the price down, like most desks in this tier, expect to do a lot more assembly yourself as compared to finer alternatives.

Price: $600

Read our full review Buy on ApexDesk

Budget Standing Desks Under $500

Bargain desk hunters will find the cheapest deals for their sit-to-stand offices here. Budget adjustable standing desks come with small price tags, sometimes cheaper even than the better standing desk converters. In this price tier is where you’ll find 95% of the standing desks that are sold primarily on Amazon. These are, to a one, made in China, and truly “commodity grade.” Even if the maker has an American-looking website it’s a Chinese company behind it, and often completely without any physical presence in the US. This is the stuff where if it breaks you just toss it and buy a new one because the warranties are generally worthless; these desks generally have a low useful life expectancy, high rates of out-of-the-box failure and shipping damage, and put the greatest amount of assembly burden on the consumer.

1. FlexiSpot Esben Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3.5-Stars

Pros: It has two built-in drawers with generous proportions. The appearance of a very thick desktop and drawers is unique. It’s cheap. Assembly is quick and easy. The hand controller upgrade is cheap ($30) and adds several important features to the desk.

Cons: Because of the thick desktop, it won’t work with a keyboard tray or ergonomic monitor arm, so it’s more ideal for a laptop user who’s not concerned with fine-tuning ergonomics. There’s only one size and color available. The 99-lb weight capacity is on the lower end, but since it’s intended for laptop users it’s not a huge concern. The desk’s minimum height will be too tall for short users. The warranty is short. If you don’t upgrade the hand controller, it doesn’t have a height readout, memory presets or anti-collision. It’s not very stable at maximum height.

Price: $500

FlexiSpot Theodore, a standing desk with drawers, FlexiSpot reviews

2. FlexiSpot Theodore Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3.5-Stars

Pros: It has a built-in drawer with fairly generous proportions. You might like or dislike the appearance, but it’s at least something unique and matches a more traditional decor. It’s cheap. The three built-in USB ports will be very handy. The assembly process has only a few steps and should go very quickly.

Cons: Because the desktop is so thick it is decidedly not compatible with a keyboard tray or ergonomic monitor arm, so it’s more ideal for laptop users and those who simply do not intend to have either a monitor arm or keyboard tray on their standing desk. There’s only one size and color available. The 99-lbs weight capacity is on the lower end, but since it’s intended for laptop users it’s not a huge concern.

Price: $499

3. Eureka i1 Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3.5-Stars

Pros: Relative to other products in this price range the iMovR+Eureka i1 Standing Desk offers better reliability, durability, tech features and ease of assembly. Arrives in one box, unlike any other electric standing desk we’ve seen so far.

Cons: Only one size, only two desktop color options. We’d love to see more options.

Price: $339

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4. Autonomous SmartDesk First Class Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 3-Stars

Pros: A step above earlier SmartDesk models, the First Class uses more reliable linear actuators (desk legs) and electronics from Taiwan. Assembly is about 20% faster than other SmartDesk models, and it looks to be faster, quieter, and stronger than their other standing desk products.

Cons: Still a commodity product made as cheaply as possible—not deserving of a “premium product” classification. Only 1 desktop size and 2 colors options for the desktop and base, so it could be difficult to match to your desk to your office decor.

Price: $449

5. FlexiSpot Comhar Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: The built-in drawer is fairly large and will definitely help. It has three built-in USB ports accessible from the front of the desk. The assembly is quick and easy, with only three steps and one included tool required.

Cons: There’s an unappealing crossbar down by the feet that definitely gets in the way. The thick desktop that has a built-in drawer doesn’t allow for a keyboard tray or ergonomic monitor arm, so it’s best for laptop users. There’s only one size available. With all the heavy hardware in the desktop the remaining weight lifting capacity is low for a modern-day standing desk.

Price: $340

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ApesDesk Lumi Glass-top standing desk in an office

6. ApexDesk Lumi Glass Top Standing Desk Review

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros:The Lumi does have a classy-looking glass top when in ideal conditions. And the included USB port and drawer add some convenience that not every desk has. The unique touch-sensitive controls in the glass desktop also try to keep the appearance of a clean and modern workspace. It is also a pretty easy desk to assemble and shouldn’t take users around 15 minutes to be up and running.

Cons:Quality control is a real issue, given the damage on our desk when it arrived. Some of the damage was likely caused by shipping in poor packaging, while other marks had to have been caused during manufacturing. While the touch controller is unique, it does come with some annoyances. The tall frame around the edge of the desktop also prevents clamping, not to mention that you wouldn’t want tight clamps on a glass top. The motor is also super weak and slow compared to the majority of modern standing desks.

Price: $399

7. StandDesk Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: Simple product, simple buying process. Limited desktop choices still offer a sufficient range of options for buyers who aren’t trying to match a specific decor or space. Vanity tops like natural wood or reclaimed wood are half the cost of what Fully and Human Solution charge. Ten year warranty is better than offered on any other Chinese-made base. Nice looking full-color manual with clear instructions for how to clear error codes.

Cons: Weaknesses in crossbar design lead to instability with very large desktops and for taller users. Warranty does not include desktops. Assembly is quite involved, as it is with most any Chinese base that arrives as an “IKEA kit.” Specs say it’ll lift 400 lbs but we encountered numerous faults just trying to lift 355. There is a slight sync problem between the left and right motors that causes the desk to wobble every time it starts to ascend.

Price: $754

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8. IKEA IDÅSEN Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

Pros: Simple up-down height control paddle has cleaner look than buttons and syncs to your smartphone through Bluetooth for impressive parlor tricks. Extra tubing in the leg-to-foot connection and a metal crossbar add to stability. Ten year warranty (which you’ll probably wind up needing). If your local IKEA has it in stock and you’re OK with the very limited choice in colors/sizes, it is one of the fastest desks you can buy short of using Amazon Prime.

Cons: Severely underpowered leading to concerns that it will have a similarly notorious DOA and premature field failure track record as the IKEA Bekant. Limited to only two drab colors and two sizes. Tubing in the legs are a collision hazard when swiveling out of your chair. Typically arduous IKEA assembly.

Price: $659

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Autonomous SmartDesk Core standing desk questions

9. Autonomous SmartDesk Core

Experts’ Rating: 2-Stars

Pros: The Artists x Autonomous desktops are very cool and definitely a standout feature. Even with a price increase, this is still a cheap standing desk.

Cons: It’s unstable, especially near the top of the height range. Overall quality, from the powder coat top to the thin gauge of steel, feels like the cheap desk it is. Assembly can be confusing and difficult. Even if it all goes well, there are 44 bolts and screws to work with. Desktop options are limited. The warranty is short. This is basically the SmartDesk 2, which has a very poor reputation.

Price: $439

10. Autonomous SmartDesk Pro Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2-Stars

Pros: The optional Artists x Autonomous desktops are some of our favorites out there, though there are some concerns about the details. The weight capacity is very solid.

Cons: It won’t fit short users. It’s unstable. The desktop design was poorly stretched to fit a desktop size it wasn’t designed for. Assembly is as much of a pain as any Autonomous desk has ever been — labor is definitely shifted to the consumer to keep these desks as cheap as possible. Desktop size and color selections are very limited. The whole desk has a low-quality feel, like other Autonomous desks, despite the “Pro” designation.

Price: $649

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The Flexispot Vici Quick Assembling Standing Desk in black waits in a light room with a small potted plant resting on top.

11. FlexiSpot Vici Quick Assembling Standing Desk (EC9)

Experts’ Rating: 1.5-Star

FlexiSpot uses the very use cheapest actuator mechanisms and a single-drive motor to make the Vici a bottom-dollar offering, and they only use only a single-stage base that won’t go low enough for very short people or high enough for very tall people. The Vici’s warranty is not great either (5 years for the frame, motor and other mechanisms, 2 years for the electronics, and zero on the desktop), which tells you about how much confidence they have in their own product. As for the promise of being “quick assembled” that is perhaps the most specious claim of all of FlexiSpot’s hyperbolic marketing copy (they literally put this in the product name).

Price: $299

12. IKEA Knotten Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 1-Star

Pros: The Knotten has plenty of storage in a variety of spots. The birch pieces themselves are strong and light. It’s cheap, compared to real standing desks.

Cons: This isn’t a standing desk and IKEA really shouldn’t market it as one. It’s exceptionally unlikely anyone could get the Knotten set up in an ergonomically correct position. It is available in only one size and one color. The desktop surface is very small and made smaller by the fact that there’s an ill-fitting drawer taking up much of it. The assembly is typical IKEA.

Price: $159

13. IKEA Bekant Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 0.5-Star

Pros: A constant companion in college dorms and budget-conscious homes, IKEA aims to make the sit-stand office as affordable as possible with their adjustable-height Bekant. The desk manages to come in at $489 and offers a 10-year warranty. If your office furniture is IKEA brand this desk would fit in well with the rest of the decor.

Cons: The Bekant’s low cost comes at the expense of unimpressive stats: its 154lb weight capacity is eclipsed by most desks, even manually-operated desks, and its low max height of 48″ makes it less than ideal for tall users or treadmill desk use. For a few dollars more you can get a much higher caliber desk from a manufacturer that specializes in these products. Overwhelming consumer complaints of early failing product.

Price: $469