Standing desks have become a popular trend and for a good reason. They help shed pounds, alleviate back pain, and improve productivity. But many of these desks will end up costing you thousands of dollars. That’s why I spent hours researching the most affordable stand desk solution for you. If you’re anything like me, you hate to sit in any one place for too long. So sitting for hours editing video can be a grueling task. It’s made even worse with an uncomfortable and boring desk.
I bought my first desk based solely on it’s price. I had just moved into a new area and needed a cheap and quick solution. I found it on Amazon for about $80 and it was a bad purchase. After 6 months, the particle board was peeling, I kicked out the back board by accident, and it felt much lower than most desks I’ve had before. It hurt my back and I began to grow a nice gut, which I wasn’t fond of either. I needed to find an alternative solution that wouldn’t break the bank. Luckily, I found StandDesk.
StandDesk began on KickStarter in response to the astronomical costs of motorized sit-to-stand desks. It’s a basic build your own package deal that begins at $399 but expect to pay an additional $100 or more for shipping costs. I went with the more expensive deluxe memory control option, a power strip, and beautiful bamboo top. With a coupon it ended up costing about $863. It wasn’t cheap, but far less than other stand desks of the same quality.
The desk came in three separate boxes each weighing a ton. Assembly was pretty standard with lots of nuts and bolts and a provided allen wrench that bent after a few tightenings. Everything was nicely labelled and there were even extra parts included. Pre-drilled holes made it easy to assemble quickly and altogether it took about an hour to set up.
At first, it was hard to notice where StandDesk cut costs to offer a more affordable product. The motor is contained within the frame and even comes with a 3 year warranty. The memory control panel comes with 4 presets which make it a breeze to raise and lower your desk at a moment’s notice. Even their customer service impressed me with how quickly they responded to the emails I sent.
It takes about 30 seconds for the desk to fully raise from sitting position and I noticed that it wobbles back and forth while in motion. It makes me nervous that the amount of movement will shake up the internal disks of my hard drive. I always make sure they are not spinning when I raise or lower my desk. Fully raised, it also has some give if you lean up against it. It won’t tip over but you may want to be wary especially if you have any precious media sitting on top.
My only other gripe with it so far is the additional power strip accessory. For $50, I basically got a glorified computer power strip that I could pick up for $25 or less. I thought it would at least come with a more secure way to attach the power strip besides using zip ties. Luckily, I was able to hide this haphazard piece within the cable management tray under the table, but it still bothers me that I could have found a better power supply for a lot less.
Altogether, I’m very happy with this stand desk. My minor gripes do not outweigh its price to performance and its a beautiful piece of furniture. After a few weeks of standing, I’ve already noticed a significant boost in focus while I edit. If I ever find myself dozing off or getting antsy, I raise this bad boy up and instantly gain a second boost of energy. This addition to my growing edit suite makes those long days spent in front of the computer much more bearable.