Humanscale is a long-time manufacturer of chairs, ergonomic keyboard trays, monitor arms and, as of the past few years, standing desks and desktop converters. They are known for their top-of-the-line industrial design, blending into the most elegant offices with the highest investment in fine décor. As such they tend to score highest in the looks department, but not necessarily in the ergonomics department.
When it comes to standing desk converters Humanscale has had a mixed past. Their lead-in product in this category was the QuickStand Workstation, one of the pricier units on the market. The product has been [...]
Fully.com, known for their popular Jarvis standing desk, has entered the arena of standing desk converters with the Cooper—and it’s a handsome kid, indeed. While their design doesn't necessarily break any new ground, the Cooper exemplifies how far converters have come since the introduction of the Varidesk in 2013. There’s no one key feature, chart-topping spec, or any specific innovation that we can single out, but rather the overall package that makes the Cooper a very viable stable mate along with other popular incumbents in the X-Lift and Z-Lift standing desk converter [...]
In the same way that roll-up car windows have fallen by the wayside, we might someday live in a world where manual standing desk converters are a thing of the past. As manufacturers become more efficient and electric designs improve, prices can start to go down, and popularity will go up. It’s simply easier to push a button than it is to physically lift your monitor, laptop, keyboard, and whatever else goes on your tabletop—the heavier your work station becomes, the more an electric converter makes sense.
Of course, the big way in which manual converters are still superior is speed—it takes no time at all to lift up [...]
Disclosure: iMovR and WorkWhileWalking have mutual ownership interest*
iMovR’s top-selling sit-stand converter, the ZipLift+, has long been at the top of our list of best standing desk converters for a variety of reasons. There's no assembly required, its easy to use, durable, silent, and features infinite stops plus a tilting keyboard tray so you can find the perfect ergonomic position. Like all the most popular Varidesk alternatives (and including Varidesk) the ZipLift+ is made in China to keep its pricing competitive.
Having made the switch to 100% made-in-USA for their full [...]
The Vivo standing desk converter caught our attention with its exceptionally low price point of $180 (for the manual version). As always with popular, low-costed products, we approach with a healthy mix of skepticism and hope. What costs were cut in order to arrive at such a price, and were those cuts reasonable? Sure, the keyboard tray does not feature ergonomic tilt, and its max height of 16” will not be suitable for taller users, but these are concessions that many are willing to make to save a couple hundred dollars. While we stress the importance of ergonomics for better long term health, increased affordability means an [...]
Stand Steady’s X-Elite Pro differs from most other standing desk converters in that it does not feature a keyboard tray—it’s a bold design decision with important implications for ergonomics. The X-Elite Pro is simply a (rather small) rectangular surface that can be raised up to 16” over your desktop. It’s lightweight, sleek, and cheaper than fancier converters like the Varidesk.
We’re always interested in exploring and testing different approaches to office ergonomics. However, part of the reason we do so is to highlight shortcomings that first-time buyers might never consider—and the X-Elite is, [...]
The Halter ED-258 standing desk converter is a popular option in the sea of low-cost competitors that distinguishes itself with a wood grain HPL (high-pressure laminate) top and an extra-deep keyboard tray. It’s a hard product to ignore when you’re searching for a converter to buy—on paper, it seems like a sweet deal.
Halter ED-258
Alas, the adage that “if it seems to be too good to be true, probably it is” applies to the Halter converter all too well. We found too many fundamental problems with this converter to recommend it to anyone but a niche audience. Inexcusably shoddy quality means [...]
Editor’s Note: The following is a “forensic” review. We have not yet had the opportunity to test the Ergotron WorkFit-Z Mini in our labs. When we have been unable to obtain a review unit from the manufacturer and when there is demand from our readers for information on the product, we evaluate publicly available information that the manufacturer and users of the product have provided online. We then apply our extensive experience evaluating standing desks and make an informed projection of how well this product will stack up against other products in its category. As soon as we are able to conduct a hands-on evaluation of the product or learn new information about it, we [...]
Editor’s Note: The following is a “forensic” review. We have not yet had the opportunity to test the Ergotron WorkFit-TLE in our labs. When we have been unable to obtain a review unit from the manufacturer and when there is demand from our readers for information on the product, we evaluate publicly available information that the manufacturer and users of the product have provided online. We then apply our extensive experience evaluating standing desks and make an informed projection of how well this product will stack up against other products in its category. As soon as we are able to conduct a hands-on evaluation of the product or learn new information about it, we [...]
Editor’s Note: The following is a “forensic” review. We have not yet had the opportunity to test the Ergotron WorkFit-TLE in our labs. When we have been unable to obtain a review unit from the manufacturer and when there is demand from our readers for information on the product, we evaluate publicly available information that the manufacturer and users of the product have provided online. We then apply our extensive experience evaluating standing desks and make an informed projection of how well this product will stack up against other products in its category. As soon as we are able to conduct a hands-on evaluation of the product or learn new information about it, we [...]
Editor’s Note: The following is a “forensic” review. We have not yet had the opportunity to test the High Supply in our labs. When we have been unable to obtain a review unit from the manufacturer and when there is demand from our readers for information on the product, we evaluate publicly available information that the manufacturer and users of the product have provided online. We then apply our extensive experience evaluating standing desk converters and make an informed projection of how well this product will stack up against other products in its category. As soon as we are able to conduct a hands-on evaluation of the product or learn new information about it, we will update [...]
Editor’s Note: The following is a “forensic” review. We have not yet had the opportunity to test the Vivo Electric Converter in our labs. When we have been unable to obtain a review unit from the manufacturer and when there is demand from our readers for information on the product, we evaluate publicly available information that the manufacturer and users of the product have provided online. We then apply our extensive experience evaluating standing desk converters and make an informed projection of how well this product will stack up against other products in its category. As soon as we are able to conduct a hands-on evaluation of the product or learn new information about it, we [...]
Editor’s Note: The following is a “forensic” review. We have not yet had the opportunity to test the Table Jack in our labs. When we have been unable to obtain a review unit from the manufacturer and when there is demand from our readers for information on the product, we evaluate publicly available information that the manufacturer and users of the product have provided online. We then apply our extensive experience evaluating standing desk converters and make an informed projection of how well this product will stack up against other products in its category. As soon as we are able to conduct a hands-on evaluation of the product or learn new information about it, we will update [...]
