You may have noted a number of your colleagues making the switch to a standing desk in the last few years. With recent reports on the importance of minimizing prolonged sitting in the news, it should be no wonder that standing work stations are experiencing such a boom in popularity. If you’re interested in finding out more about the pros and cons of standing desks, check out our full article, “Should I use a standing desk?”.
If you’ve already decided you do want a standing workstation, your work is unfortunately only half done, as they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with many different options. One of the first things you need to think about, is whether you went to buy a full stand up desk, or whether you’re happy with your current desk, and just want to buy an elevated working surface for it.
For both options, you then need to consider whether you want it to be adjustable or fixed. This will depend a lot on how you work, and how you intend to make use of your stand-up desk. If you will be wanting to switch between sitting and standing, or if you’re unsure at what exact height you want to be working, then an adjustable table is definitely required.
Next up you will have to look at the different ways in which an adjustable table can be lifted or lowered. If you’re willing to cough up a bit extra for convenience, you get ones that have built-in motors to control the height of your table. Others use mechanical cranks, or gas-springs to control the elevation. On the cheaper end, you will find ones where you manually lift the desk to the desired height, and can lock it in place.
We’ve collected a selection of the top 5 standing workstations, covering various requirements and options. Whatever you’re looking for, we’re confident that one of them will be suitable for you.
Top 5 Standing Desks
Stand Up Desk Store 60” Crank Steel | Top Full-size Desk
The Stand Up Desk Store sell an amazing variety of stand-up desks, as well as accessories. This 60” offering from them refers to the width of the table, giving you ample space for anything you could wish to scatter on your work surface. It is also a standalone work station, and not just an elevated surface.
This model’s design splits the work surface into two parts, a lower surface for your keyboard and mouse, and an upper surface to place your monitors. This makes working while both sitting and standing easier, minimizing neck strain. The upper surface is 14” deep, with the lower surface a wider 16”. They sit around 5” apart in their height, and overlap each other slightly.
The design of the table is extremely sturdy, if a bit industrial. With an upright on either side, and a large cross beam. When at its lowest position, the desk surfaces sit close to 29” and 34”, the lower and upper surface respectively. When elevated to its maximum, the surfaces sit at 38” and 43” respectively. Some customers have complained that the lowest position is too high for them. Compare it to your current desk to be sure.
The height of the desks is fully adjustable, and is completed by turning a hand crank on the side of the desk. The desk automatically locks the height at the position when not cranking. Several different color options are on offer, each one made out of steel with a heavy-duty powder coat finish that is long lasting. Work surfaces are conventional laminated chipboard. The entire desk weights 90 lbs, and when shipped requires some assembly, although still rather large.
If the hand cranking is too much for you though, they do also offer it in an electrically adjustable mode. Otherwise the Stand Up Desk Store 60” desk is a great offering. Solid in design, it is sturdy and reliable, allowing you to sit or stand, with plenty of surface area.
Standing Desk X-Elite Pro Converter
The standing desk X-Elite Pro from Stand Steady, is an adjustable platform which can turn any normal desk into a standing desk. The intended use is for you to place your laptop, or monitor and keyboard on the platform, elevating it to use as a standing desk, or dropping it to use as normal.
The work surface provided is a manageable 28” by 20”. Large enough for just the essentials. When completely flat the surface will sit 2.5” above your desk. This may be a concern for some users when using the desk while seated.
Expanded though, the table goes up to 16”. Elevation is controlled by a premium pump assisted lift. The innovative air pump system lets you choose any height between 7” and 16”, and it takes only 3 seconds to go from completely flat to completely elevated. To ensure stability, the standing desk converter makes use of steel legs, supported by a large 25” by 17” base.
The desk itself weighs 27 lbs, which means it can easily be removed and replaced on your desk if necessary. The strong design can support weights up to 20 lbs, and comes in your choice of four different colors. Furthermore, no assembly is required, so you can start using it straight out of the box.
This product comes highly rated from customers, and is a great option if you’re interested in converting your current environment to a standing one. The table fits comfortably on any desk and is straightforward to use.
Halter ED-258 Height Adjustable | Top Standing Conversion
The Halter ED-258 is a stand-up desk conversion that is both stylish and practical. Featuring a similar two level design to the Stand Up Desk Store products, this product lets you retain your original desk, giving you up to 16” of extra height when you need it.
The standing desk is fully adjustable and features two complementary surfaces. A lower reverse T-shaped platform for your mouse and keyboard, with a size matching inverted U-shaped upper level that has space for multiple screens and more.
The lower surface measures 17” deep at its maximum and 36” across, while the upper level has a matching width, while being 20” deep on the sides. Coming in at 47 lbs, the desk provides a stable surface, supporting up to 44 lbs of weight.
The standing workstation comes pre-assembled, and to get it working, all you have to do is place it on your existing desk. Switching from flat to elevated takes just a few seconds, all one needs to do is gently squeeze the handles on either side of the desk, and move the table to the desired height. Lift is supported by gas-springs, and the system automatically locks in at the desired height.
When flat the lower surface comes almost completely down, limiting any interference with how you normally operate your keyboard while seated. When elevated the upper surface sits 16” above your desk.
The Halter ED-258 is mostly well-reviewed by customers, with only the very tall complaining that it can be too short at times. Otherwise it’s a lovely addition to any desk, perfect to get you standing.
Stand Up Desk Store 48” Crank
Another offering from the voluminous reserves of the Stand Up Desk Store, this one having the 48” demarcation. Much like it’s 60” bigger brother, the 48” refers to the width of the desk’s working surface. In the same fashion as the 60” version, the surface is split into an upper and a lower working surface.
The upper surface sits about 4.5” above the lower surface, and both surfaces move together when adjusting the table’s height. At 47” wide, the lower surface is 16” deep, and the upper surface 14”. Adjusting the height is easily achieved by making use of the built-in crank. This allows for 14” of movement, with the lower surface’s range from 29” to 43” and the upper surface moving from 33” to 47”.
To round up the design, the entire platform is supported by four large castor wheels. Two of them lock, ensuring the desk remains still, but the wheels do give the desk a useful amount of maneuverability, especially for something as large and heavy as a standing desk. The structure of the desk makes use of the same steel frame and laminated shelf as the 60” variant, available in similar color options.
Another solid offering. These standing desks are able to support far more weight than the converting options. The elevating mechanism works well and it is well worth the price you pay for it, if you’re looking for a complete standing desk option. It is also available in an electrically adjustable version, making using it that little bit easier. An electric mounting location can be provided as an option, to help manage the wires to your computer and other devices on the desk.
Stand Up Desk Store 40” Mobile | Top fixed height standing desk
Rounding off Stand Up Desk Store’s offerings in our top 5 list, the 40” variant of their stand-up desk is not only smaller, but has a different design too. As with their other products the 40” refers to the width of the desk surfaces. And we say surfaces (plural), because the desk is split into an upper and lower surface, helping you get the most out of your standing workstation experience, allowing a head-height sitting screen, while your keyboard and mouse remain at a comfortable operating position.
The biggest difference in this offering is the adjustability, gone is the cranking mechanism of its bigger brothers, this variant is intended to be set at a comfortable height, and not regularly altered. The height is adjustable in 1” steps, and a pair of screws on either side is used to keep the desk at the desired height.
The upper and lower surfaces have a height difference of 5”, with an overall movement range of 12 inches. For the lower surface this means a minimum height of 28” and a maximum of 40”, and for the upper surface, a range from 35”-47”. The upper surface has a depth of 14”, while the lower surface spans 16”.
The lack of adjustability means that you can’t use this table if you’re wanting to switch between sitting and standing while working at your desk. It is intended for someone who has made the commitment to the standing desk approach to work. Besides that, it is offered at a competitive price, sports four castor wheels for moving around, and is suitably sturdy and hard wearing for its intended use.
Mobile & Compact Complete Workstation
We said that this was a top 5 standing desk article, but we decided we couldn’t let you go without rounding off the list with a cheaper option. If you’re, understandably, not able to afford one of the conventional standing desks or converters, maybe this offering from Techni Mobili will fit your budget and your needs.
The table is not particularly tall, and would probably find better use a sitting desk, but the inclusion of a removable monitor stand brings the height of that platform to 35”. The desk has multiple platforms at different heights, all composed of the same MDF with PVC laminate. The frame is made from steel with a scratch resistant powder coating.
The desk also features lockable castor wheels, a pull-out keyboard tray with safety stop as well as a side mounted CD rack. Additionally, an impressive 5-year warranty is provided.
Really a product on the very entry-level, this product is advised only for those who are unable to afford a more appropriate product, preferably from our true top 5 list.
Conclusion
Everyone is going to have their own expectations for a standing desk. No one person has the same work schedule, and as such standing workstations are designed to be adaptable to as many people as possible. As such we can’t select one to say it’s the best, however our list of the top 5 standing desks aims to show you some of the top products from each segment, ensuring there’s an option for you, and that it’s one of the best.
