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Is the motorized standing desk worth it?

20 May.,2024

The Pros and Cons of Height Adjustable Desks

Height adjustable desks (or sit stand desks) allow workers to shift easily from seated to standing positions. They promise healthier, more comfortable and productive workspace settings for those who use them. In recent years, they have gone from office novelty to a permanent fixture in many modern workplaces.

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But what are the pros and cons of height adjustable desks? Are they worth investing in for your office? And what are the best products out there?

First, let's look at how the trend started.

The rise of height adjustable desks

Some of the earliest adopters of height adjustable desks include Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway and Charles Dickens, who were all known to be fans of writing at standing desks. But in the office design world, they are a relatively new trend.

We know that sitting at a desk for seven or eight hours a day, five days a week, can leave workers prone to aching shoulders, back problems and chronic joint pain - even when sitting in a healthy ergonomic posture.

Beyond aches and pains, sitting all day can impact workers’ overall health. When Dr James Levine said, “sitting is the new smoking”, it seemed like a dramatic statement. But many medical experts now believe it to be accurate. Multiple studies report that sitting for long periods of time can increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer.

So it’s no wonder height adjustable desks have become a popular office furniture solution.

The charity Get Britain Standing has long been campaigning for employers to offer sit stand workstations to employees. Their mission to stop workers from prolonged sitting has been supported by Public Health England.

In Scandinavia, sit stand desks have become ubiquitous. Pre-pandemic, over 90% of workers using computers in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark were working at sit stand desks. In fact, in Denmark, it is a legal requirement for companies to offer employees the opportunity to use one. Could this be yet another reason Scandinavian countries regularly top lists of the happiest places on the planet?

The WELL certification, a building standard that focuses on enhancing people’s health and wellbeing through the built environment, also advocates for height adjustable desks. One criteria states that for at least 25% of workstations, employees should have the ability to alternate between sitting or standing, either through height adjustable desks or desktop height adjustment stands.

As more organisations’ embrace more ways to support employee wellbeing post-Covid, we’re likely to see more height adjustable desks in the workplaces across the UK and the globe.

But furnishing your workplace with a whole set of new workstations is a big investment. Are height adjustable desks really worth it?

The pros:

What are the benefits of height adjustable desks?

Height adjustable desks improve workers' health and wellbeing and increase productivity. They also give workers' more control over their environment and help to support a dynamic, agile workforce. And research shows that workers do use them.

1. Improved employee health and wellbeing

The health benefits of height adjustable desks have been well documented. One study that stands apart is the year-long study “Stand Up to Work”, which is the first longitudinal study into the impact of using sit stand desks.

Here are some of the key findings:

47% of people with height adjustable desks reported a significant reduction in upper back, shoulder or neck discomfort.

65% of people said height adjustable workstations positively impacted their health outside of the workplace.

In another study, users of height-adjustable desks were said to have experienced less stress and fatigue compared to those who worked seated every day. 87% said they felt more energetic overall.

“Focusing on physical wellbeing is one critical part of designing workplaces that help people move, think and feel better. Research such as “Stand Up to Work” continues to demonstrate that height adjustable desks can be an important part of a strategy to design for the holistic wellbeing of people.” Steelcase

What’s more, the pandemic has made people more aware of their need for comfort, and expect their employers to address this in the workplace. Introducing height adjustable desks is one way to do just that.

An example is Steelcase's Migration SE height adjustable desk, which is designed to offer a true ergonomic solution to maximise user wellbeing. What's more, its modular build means it can be easily updated and reused.

2. Increased productivity

Beyond the health benefits, height adjustable desks are also believed to increase workers’ productivity.

According to the Stand Up to Work study:

65% of people with height adjustable desks reported increased productivity after one year and also reported better concentration ability.

In addition, they said they were more active, refreshed, awake, limber and energetic.

Staying fixed in one position can cause brain function to slow down, which makes us less productive over time. But alternating between sitting and standing gets your body’s largest muscle groups working, which increases blood flow to the brain. Workers often report having more energy and less fatigue from using sit stand desks, which enables them to be more productive.

3. Gives employees more control over their working environment

Now people have experienced the autonomy of working from home, they are demanding more control over their working environment. In fact, Steelcase research revealed this is one of five critical factors that when addressed, will improve how they feel about their company. Workers who have more control over their experience at work are more satisfied with their workplace and more engaged.

Height adjustable desks give workers complete freedom to adjust their workspace throughout the day to suit their needs and preferences. Some will even enable workers to save their favourite settings so as to avoid them having to spend time fiddling with it every time they move from seated to standing and vice versa. And in offices with a hot desking system in place, app-powered height adjustable desks means workers can arrive at a desk set to just the right height for them.

Steelcase’s Ology desk and Ology bench make it easy to change height of the work surface and posture with its convenient controls. ‘Active Touch’ motion sensors remind users to change posture throughout the day. It also allows them to create a profile with preset desk heights and preferred intervals of sitting and standing.

4. Supports a dynamic, agile workplace

Height adjustable desks support agile working, by helping to create a dynamic and more collaborative environment. Increased standing and more movement can lead to more interaction and engagement throughout the workplace. This will encourage people to come back to the office as they increasingly look for more flexibility.

For example, Steelcase Flex height adjustable desks can be pushed together for collaborative work, or moved to a quiet area for focused work. And Frovi’s Relic Project Table can be electrically adjusted at the flick of a switch to create the ideal workstation for any task, including both collaboration and focused work.

5. People actually use them

The Stand Up to Work study found that height adjustable desks reduced the amount of time people spent sitting down in the office:

“People who received height adjustable desks reported a 17 percent reduction in sitting three months into the study, a trend that remained at the one year mark.”

Some desks come with tech integrations that make them even more effective and efficient for those who use them. The Steelcase Rise app syncs with height adjustable desks and reminds workers to sit, stand and move throughout the day with gentle desk movements set at an interval of the users choice.

The cons:

What are the drawbacks of height adjustable desks?

The risk is your workers don't end up making the most of their height adjustable desks. Because either they aren't given any direction on how to use them or because they don't meet workers' needs.

1. Giving them to people without any direction

Dr April Chambers at The University of Pittsburg warns of the dangers of giving height adjustable desks to workers without any guidance or instruction on how to use them to their advantage:

“There are basic ergonomic concepts that seem to be overlooked. Many workers receive sit-stand desks and start using them without direction. I think proper usage will differ from person to person, and as we gather more research, we will be better able to suggest dosage for a variety of workers.”

Fortunately, most sit stand desks are incredibly easy to use. 88% of people who took part in the Stand Up to Work research found they were easy and convenient to use.

2. Is it really a priority?

Furnishing the workplace can be expensive. If your current workstations are working well for your employees and the business, sourcing sit stand desks for your office may not be a priority.

You could get sit stand desks for just some of your employees, but this could lead to tensions within the workforce. If you’re considering trying out height adjustable desks, why not purchase two or three for the office and create a hub where people can come and try them out? If people love them, then you can consider buying more.

Prototyping and piloting new furniture solutions is becoming more commonplace as employers’ navigate the changing landscape post-Covid. Testing some out will ensure you don’t make costly mistakes.

Or, if you are wanting to reuse your existing workstations, you could look at purchasing stand up desk converters. These sit on top of the desk and can be moved up and down to find the most comfortable position.

So, are height adjustable desks worth it?

Height adjustable desks have clear health benefits, can improve productivity, and give employees a sense of control over their working environment. But it's important to educate your employees on how to use them and the benefits of using them if you want to make the most of your investment.

If you’re unsure whether to invest in height adjustable desks, talk to your workers. How do they feel about their current workstations? Would they like the choice of being able to move between sitting and standing? How might it help improve their comfort and ease of completing tasks?

It’s clear that height adjustable desks are the future of the workplace. Imagine smart offices with apps giving you control not just over the height of your desk, but the temperature and lighting. This is the world we’re heading towards.

Summary

Height adjustable desks are a key part of the wider trend to improve the wellbeing and overall health of employees. But perhaps the biggest benefit is that they give workers complete control over their workspace - one thing they are telling us they need.

If you would like to chat to one of our team about height adjustable desks and possible options, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.

Is a $100 standing desk worth buying?

As someone who works at a computer more or less all day every day and has chronic back problems, a standing desk is an important part of my office setup. I’ve been using one for over ten years and back then it was something of a luxury. But lately I’ve been seeing motorized standing desks, not dissimilar in design to the one I bought all those years ago, popping up for shockingly low prices. Are these super-cheap desks worth your money?

I’ve used three different desks in the last decade of working from home and writing about technology — maybe four, depending on how you count all the various parts and components. And I reviewed another model for one of my previous employers, all from different suppliers, so I feel like I know what I’m talking about here. My latest one is something of a behemoth, to deal with my huge desktop and triple-monitor display. (Hey, I write for PCWorld, I come by it honestly.)

Between the heavy-duty, four-legged, quadruple-motor Uplift frame and the custom-made six-foot desktop I ordered from a Dallas carpenter, the whole package cost me over $1,500. And I’m sorry if that sounds like flexing, but I literally spend more time at this desk than in my bed some weeks. It’s worth making it a good one. For the sake of comparison, the previous desks I’ve used and then passed on to friends or family members when I upgraded were all $600 or more.

Looking to pick up a new monitor for your home office? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best monitors available today.

Where are all these cheap standing desks coming from?

But you don’t have to spend four figures on a standing desk, even a “fancy” one with a motorized raising and lowering action. In fact, I bought (or rather expensed for this very article) a motorized standing desk off Amazon for precisely $100. (The same model is $200 at the time of writing, but it’s easy to find alternatives.) Shipping was free, tax an additional $6. It was only the latest entry I’d seen on SlickDeals for super-low-priced standing desks, which got me wondering if they were actually worth the price, or in any way comparable to the more premium desks to which I’m accustomed.

A hundred bucks is a pretty good price for a 55-inch bamboo desk all on its own. You might be able to find a particle board version of one at Walmart or Target, for example, to say nothing of a standing version. Or at least that’s what I assumed — in fact I found a nearly identical desk, only slightly smaller and lacking the keyboard tray, for precisely $100. Even less expensive ones are available if you look around.

Walmart

So, clearly there’s been something of a race to the bottom in this market, with a hoard of overseas suppliers making desks as cheaply and quickly as possible. I suspect a spike in demand during the pandemic has created a huge surplus of these desks. But “cheap” doesn’t automatically mean “bad,” as my hard-working Kia Soul can testify.

The question I aim to answer is whether or not you should save some money on your setup by going with one of these ultra-cheap motorized standing desks or if you’re better off saving up for a more deluxe option from a reliable supplier.

Putting it together

The INNOVAR (ALL CAPS) desk arrived from Amazon in a shocking one day, and as it happened to be Saturday, I set to assembling it immediately. I’m no stranger to flat-pack furniture in the Scandinavian style, and I’ve assembled and taken apart similar desks about a dozen times, so it only took me about 45 minutes to put everything together. While there are commonalities in all of these desk designs, I spotted a few important differences.

Opening the box and starting assembly. My personal standing desk is on the left.

Michael Crider/Foundry

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Opening the box and starting assembly. My personal standing desk is on the left.

Michael Crider/Foundry

The first thing I noticed was that it was shockingly light. At 46.2 pounds (just under 21 kilograms) in the box, I was able to move it into my office in one trip, even with my back problems. Frankly this didn’t bode well: If there’s one thing I like in a desk, it’s some heft, especially when the important bits are steel. Upon opening the box, my suspicions were confirmed.

While the bamboo top is pretty typical and appears to be fine, all of the steel parts are made from ⅛” or 2mm panels. They’re all light enough to toss around…not that you should try it. For the sake of comparison, the frame of my old Fully Jarvis desk with a similar size weighed at least twice as much.

Unlike other standing desks, there’s no bracer frame under the desktop — it merely screws right into the wood.

Michael Crider/IDG

Unlike other standing desks, there’s no bracer frame under the desktop — it merely screws right into the wood.

Michael Crider/IDG

Speaking of steel, I immediately noticed that there’s no top frame to the Innovar. All three of the previous desks I’ve used, plus one review unit, had steel crossbars that are affixed to the bottom of the desktop. The top is laid upside down on the floor, then the legs are bolted in place. Not so here: the instructions had me assemble the legs first, complete with the motor and the T-bars, then screw the entire assembly onto the bottom of the desktop, along with the included keyboard tray and plastic accessory hooks.

The desk’s frame is made out of extremely thin sheets of steel.

Michael Crider/IDG

The desk’s frame is made out of extremely thin sheets of steel.

Michael Crider/IDG

Exposed innards

Being familiar with these desk designs, I did a double-take looking at the actual motor mechanism. It’s housed in a semi-exposed barrel on one side of the frame, whereas the other standing desks I’ve used had motors hidden inside the leg pillars. Note the plural there: this desk has just one rather weak motor driving both legs at once. It does this by means of a long hexagonal steel bolt, essentially a giant Allen wrench spanning between the two legs.

Michael Crider/Foundry

The fact that this driver bolt was exposed to the bottom of the desk threw me for a loop. Not only is it exposed, just begging to get caught on cables or wires, it’s positioned on the front side of its crossbeam, facing the user. The odds of actually rubbing against your knees are pretty low unless you moonlight as an NBA player, but as someone who often runs wires all across the underside of a desk to keep the top nice and clean, it makes me nervous to see moving parts anywhere in there.

The motor drives the left leg with a simple hexagonal bar — basically a giant Allen wrench. The motor drives the left leg with a simple hexagonal bar — basically a giant Allen wrench.

Michael Crider/Foundry

The motor drives the left leg with a simple hexagonal bar — basically a giant Allen wrench.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Also, having an exposed mechanism like this means that the legs aren’t automatically level out of the box. I had to manually adjust the initial height of one side of the frame to match the other. And to get them matched on a separate hexagonal bar that I had to install myself, I had a limited choice of approximately six positions to place the “master” leg at to match it to the other side. I think I was able to eyeball it reasonably well, but this is a problem I haven’t encountered on desks with mechanisms that are less threadbare.

The Innovar desk includes a matching bamboo keyboard tray, a surprising extra at this price.

Michael Crider/Foundry

The Innovar desk includes a matching bamboo keyboard tray, a surprising extra at this price.

Michael Crider/Foundry

There are a couple of extra points in this specific desk package worth highlighting. First, it comes with a slide-out keyboard tray, something you don’t often see at any price. I prefer to raise my monitors up with VESA arms rather than lower the keyboard and mouse area, but it all achieves the same effect, so having the option without spending any extra money is a point in its favor. The cheap plastic hooks, presumably for hanging bags or headsets, I could do without entirely. I wouldn’t trust any kind of heavy bag to it (certainly nothing with textbooks inside), and second I’d rather see some more useful cable routing, like a tray for a power strip at the rear of the desk.

Dell Ultrasharp U2724D

Read our review

Price When Reviewed:

$384.99

Highs and lows

There’s one point in this desk’s favor: it comes with a four-setting, programmable height controller, complete with an LED readout. That surprised me — it was a pricey little upgrade when I bought a Fully desk. I imagine that these desks have become so ubiquitous that like Bluetooth in the head unit of a budget car, it’s just standard now. It’s a nice little controller with the LED readout smartly hidden within the white plastic. It’s just a shame that the power connector pins were so bent when I assembled it that I had to manually straighten them out with a flathead screwdriver. Some more stringent QA would have caught that.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Bent pins were far from the only issue I found with the desk. While I was finishing the setup, I noticed that the front was seriously dipping down. This isn’t completely the fault of the desk, as there’s a bit of a bunched carpet pad near the wall in my office. But I never noticed it before because no other piece of furniture in my office was so light that it couldn’t press down level on this pad with its own weight. Thankfully there are plastic adjustment feet underneath the white steel legs, and I was able to juuuuuust about level the surface of the desk by putting the front ones at their maximum height.

The pins on the power connection for the desk controller were so bent that I had to jam a screwdriver in there to straighten them out.

Michael Crider/Foundry

The pins on the power connection for the desk controller were so bent that I had to jam a screwdriver in there to straighten them out.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Finally, with everything set up to my satisfaction, I tested the raising and lowering action. It works. It’s slow, especially at the start, but it works. You can program up to four positions simply by pressing and holding the corresponding buttons on the controller, and it measures height in increments of a tenth of an inch. In fact you can set the surface even more precisely, because the action of the motor is analog, even though it’s measured digitally.

Not quite a battlestation

I proceeded to set up a pretty basic workstation: small laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and mousepad. A lightweight lamp, heavy coffee mug, and a little LEGO set for flavor rounded it out, plus the various cables needed for everything with admittedly sloppy management. I’ve used it for a few weeks, but right away I could tell that this desk would be lacking in sturdiness.

To be blunt, the frame is just so light that the thing wobbles like a Weeble at the slightest touch. Every standing desk is going to have a little bit of give at the top of its height, even my massive four-poster. But this one is so unstable that I can see it shake with every single keystroke on my laptop, even when I wasn’t using any external display or keyboard, and even in the seated position.

Michael Crider/Foundry

At a lower position the stability is alright, it doesn’t feel like I could flip it over accidentally. But at the standing position it wouldn’t take more than ten or fifteen pounds of pressure to get this thing to tip either forwards or backwards. I can imagine an incautious child, a big dog, or an especially clumsy internet writer achieving this all too easily.

In the past I’ve mounted a full desktop with three monitors, lamps, and various and sundry other computing equipment to a standing desk with only a little warping of the wooden top surface to worry about. The Fully Jarvis, for example, is rated to lift 350 pounds (if not happily). Innovar claims a 198-pound capacity on this thing, and while the motor might be rated to lift that amount of weight, I have zero faith in this desk’s ability to actually stand up under that load for any amount of time. Just my admittedly “husky” desktop and 34-inch center monitor would weigh more together than the entire desk.

Save your money if you can

Is a $100 standing desk worth it? The answer will depend on your needs and your means, of course. My fellow tech writers and I often get into discussions along the lines of “how much does a budget laptop cost?” Well, if all you have to spend on a laptop is $300, then a budget laptop for you is $300 and not a penny more. If you find yourself in a situation where you simply cannot spend any more than necessary on a desk and you need a standing desk for ergonomic or health reasons, then yeah, it’s worth it.

But if you’re in this situation and you’re planning to create a workstation with a desktop PC at the center, then even that qualifier doesn’t apply to you. I can’t speak for every single desk on the market, but this Innovar model I’ve tested is so shaky and top-heavy that it can’t safely hold a big, beefy desktop. Get a regular desk or table instead. For this standing design and those of similar ilk, limit it to a small form factor PC at the absolute most, more likely a laptop and a lamp. I wouldn’t expect to pass this desk down as heirloom furniture, either.

Michael Crider/Foundry

The phrase “you get what you pay for” comes to mind, trite as it might be. If you’re in a position to invest in a more substantial desk or if you can afford to wait until your budget is more roomy, then I suggest you do so, especially if you’re working from home or otherwise planning on spending a large amount of time with it.

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