Best Birch Standing Desks and Converters

May 5, 2023

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Birch standing desk imovr captains desk

Birch: The New, New Thing in Solid Wood Standing Desks and Converters

With the popularity of natural hardwood standing desks on the rise—for those who can afford the very finest things in life—adjustable height workstations made with birch plywood have been rushing to market of late to create a more affordable alternative. So much so that we were compelled to create a separate reviews round-up category for them.

These birch sit-to-stand desks and converters have a distinct Scandinavian design look to them, particularly around the edges where the multi-ply construction is visible, but on the top surface, they look very similar to much pricier maple. Because of how the wood panels are constructed they’re also extremely strong and stable, meaning they won’t have as much natural movement with changes in temperature and humidity, and are generally less prone to warping or cracking compared to some of the lower-quality, albeit less expensive imported solid wood desktops out there. (See our primer on solid wood desktops to learn more.)

Caveat Emptor: Not Every Birch Standing Desk Is The Same

Like any product, you’ll find variations in quality and price among birch, with the price and quality not always going hand-in-hand. With birch desks and converters, you’re looking for a couple of key identifiers. The first is whether or not the birch is true Baltic birch. The second is the grade of the birch. If a manufacturer doesn’t mention these details or is vague about them, it likely means they’re using a cheaper grade.

For fine furniture, and especially anything you’re going to put on a pricey height-adjustable base, the top grade of Baltic birch (B/BB) is of course going to be the most aesthetically pleasing and the strongest. The grading refers to the exposed surfaces (listed as “face/back” quality), so if you’re comparing apples-to-apples you will want to be cognizant of the exact grade being used by the desk manufacturer, as quality (and cost) varies widely.

Again: if the grade isn’t mentioned in their marketing materials it’s probably a cheaper grade. Lower-grade panels can have voids in the core that could become problematic later, for example.

Here’s the official guide to these grading codes:

  • B/BB: The face and back veneers are both single pieces. Face veneers are free of defects, clear and of uniform color. Back veneers can have 3-6 color-matched patches.
  • BB/BB: The face and back veneers are both single pieces. Face and back veneers can have 3-6 color-matched patches and some light streaks. There may be tight pin knots.
  • BB/CP: The face and back veneers are both single pieces. CP back veneer can have unlimited patches and knots, but can’t have open defects.
  • CP/CP: The face and back veneers are both single pieces. Face and back veneers can have unlimited knots, repaired splits and patches.
  • C/C: Front and back veneers can have patches, open knots, small splits. Voids are allowed in the core. This grade is not sanded and would be used for structural purposes.

Why Is ‘Baltic’ Important?

iMovR Captain's Desk, a Baltic birch standing desk A top-grade (B/BB) 12-ply Baltic birch shown on an iMovR Captain’s Desk.

Baltic birch has been used for hundreds of years by European makers of fine cabinetry and musical instruments because of how durable, stable and precisely machinable it is. It also takes stains as well as any solid hardwood plank does. (But beware of some cheap simulations out there; real Baltic birch is sourced from the second-largest sustainable forest in the world, along the shores of the Baltic Sea in Russia and Finland.)

Baltic birch fits next to solid wood in regards to quality but is significantly less expensive, which is why we’re starting to see so many new standing desks offered with various types of birch tops. While technically a “plywood” this is not the same animal as you’ll find in the bins at Home Depot.

The birch plywood panels are made up of some number of 1.5 mm-thick sheets of veneer that are bonded together in alternating grain direction. This makes for a very precisely machinable piece of lumber that is exceptionally strong and stable, much more so than a plank of natural hardwood of the same thickness. It has the advantage of being much less susceptible to flex and movement from changes in temperature and humidity.

A 12-ply panel comprised of a dozen 1.5 mm veneers will measure out to about 0.70″ thick—as in the example of an iMovR Captain’s Desk pictured here—and is actually stronger and more stable than a 1.25″-thick slab of real solid maple.

Baltic birch also stands out with its lower environmental impact compared to natural hardwoods like maple, cherry or oak. It grows quickly and takes less than half the raw wood material to match the strength and rigidity of a natural hardwood plank.

Long story short: Over hundreds of years, Baltic birch has been proven to be the best variety, and also it’s the most sustainable.

Even if all desks and converters are not top-grade Baltic birch, regular birch plywood is still a solid option since it is attractive and strong enough to add stability to desk bases that otherwise aren’t known for it. Some vendors use a lower quality birch with a laminate on the facing, just to show off the ply wood edging of the core slab.

See the best birch standing desks and converters below:

 

The Best Birch Standing Desks

1. iMovR Captain's Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 4.5-Stars

If you’re tired of the typical “two legs and a slab of wood” standing desk design, the Captain’s Desk is a breath of fresh air. Packaging that design with the technological features of the Lander Lite base makes for an exceptional desk. You get the warranty, assembly, stability, height range and quality you would expect from a premium, American-made iMovR desk, plus a stunning design and the strong Baltic or Red River birch desktop.

Price: $2,450

Read our full review Buy on iMovR


2. iMovR Ensign's Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 5-Stars

Perfected ergonomics and designer furniture panache combined? This desk brings it all together like no other we’ve seen because it allows you to pick the configuration that best fits both your sense of style and your ergonomic needs at the same time. The Scandanavian-styled Red River or Baltic birch top, curved edge option and optional Fly Deck monitor stand together to form one of the most beautiful standing desks we’ve seen. Plus, it has the trusty Lander Lite base beneath it. It’s a desk that forces you to make very few compromises.

Price: $1,720

Read our full review Buy on iMovR


3. Floyd Birch Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

With only a quick look, you can tell the only reason to buy this desk over another is if you love the birch top. Unfortunately for Floyd, there are a variety of birch standing desks (with even higher quality tops) out there that have better lifting bases, especially for that much money. This being their only sit-stand desk option, it would be smarter to go with a manufacturer that specializes in ergonomic office furniture.

Price: $780

Read our full review Shop Similar Desks on Amazon


4. IKEA Knotten Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 1-Star

The IKEA Knotten is great at what it is: A piece of furniture designed for storage in a foyer. The issue is when IKEA calls it a standing desk. It comes in one size and can’t handle either monitor arm or keyboard tray installation, so it’s in an ergonomic barren space. The desktop surface is very small. It is still an IKEA product, so installation is going to be a chore.

Price: $159

Read our full review Buy on Amazon


5. ecotribe Stand Up Desk

The ecotribe Standing Desk is a unique form of workstation that is primarily meant for working while standing. It offers slots for inserting different working surfaces at a variety of heights.

Price: $447

Read our full review Buy on Amazon


The Best Birch Standing Desk Converters

1. Original Well Desk

The Original Well Desk converter lets you set your keyboard and monitor at a variety of different heights to make standing work more comfortable and ergonomic.

Price: $160

Read our full review Buy on Well Desk


2. Harmoni Standing Desk Converter

The Harmoni Standing Desk is an different kind of portable converter to give a sit-stand workstation that is relatively simple to break down and transport between office spaces.

Price: $129

Read our full review Buy on Amazon


3. Readydesk 2 Standing Desk Converter

The Readydesk 2 Standing Desk converter can is a portable standing workstation option with wide platforms for keyboards and monitors that can be set at different heights.

Price: $160

Read our full review Buy on Amazon


Discontinued Standing Desks

At WorkWhileWalking we’ve been lab testing and writing reviews of ergonomic office furniture and accessories for over a decade. In that time, we have seen many of the products we reviewed fall by the wayside. This is inevitable due to the cycle of continuous improvement, with new models supplanting their predecessors. Of course in some cases products weren’t as competitive as they needed to be, or their manufacturers ran into financial challenges (which very much accelerated as a result of the post-pandemic economy).

For whatever reason, these products now fall into the discontinued category, but we will still keep their reviews published and available to read. Whether you want to know more about the desk, monitor arm, etc. that you bought years ago, need more info because someone is selling one second hand, or just want to compare current offerings with what was available in the past, these reviews will remain here for your reference.

1. Floyd Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 2.5-Stars

With only a quick look, you can tell the only reason to buy this desk over another is if you love the birch top. Unfortunately for Floyd, there are a variety of birch standing desks (with even higher quality tops) out there that have better lifting bases, especially for that much money. This being their only sit-stand desk option, it would be smarter to go with a manufacturer that specializes in ergonomic office furniture.

Price: $780

Read our full review Shop Similar Desks on Amazon


2. IKEA Knotten Standing Desk

Experts’ Rating: 1-Star

The IKEA Knotten is great at what it is: A piece of furniture designed for storage in a foyer. The issue is when IKEA calls it a standing desk. It comes in one size and can’t handle either monitor arm or keyboard tray installation, so it’s in an ergonomic barren space. The desktop surface is very small. It is still an IKEA product, so installation is going to be a chore.

Price: $159

Read our full review Buy on Amazon



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