A good desk is essential to every workplace and PC battlestation, but if you want to take your setup to the greater heights (both figuratively and quite literally) you're going to need a standing desk. Standing while your work and play is a great way to keep mobile and stretch your legs. Afterall, it's a known fact that sitting for too long can be bad for your health no matter how comfy your office chair or gaming chair is.
We've picked out a variety of adjustable standup desks that'll help you keep moving throughout the day, whether you're working or playing. Each one is a sturdy platform for all your gear, even the biggest of gaming monitors, plus a standing desk will help you dial in the perfect ergonomics for your setup so your keyboard and mouse are a just the right height – and click here to find them in the UK.
TL;DR – These are the Best Standing Desks:
- Vari Electric Standing Desk
- Autonomous SmartDesk Core
- FlexiSpot Seiffen
- Jarvis L-Shaped Standing Desk
- Herman Miller Motia Gaming Desk
- Uplift V2 4-Leg Standing Desk
- ApexDesk AirDesk
- Ergotron WorkFit-T Standing Desk Converter
- Xdesk Flex
- EvoDesk Pro Aviator
1. Vari Electric Standing Desk
Best Standing Desk
For a standing desk option that's well balanced in what it offers, the Vari Electric Standing Desk is at the front of the pack. Starting at $650, you'll be getting a sizable desk surface that measures 60 inches wide and 30 inches deep and features chamfered edges for comfort. Meanwhile, the base its constructed with steel that gives the Vari Electric Standing Desk a strong foundation. The sturdy metal base and T-style legs will help keep this from being a shaky desk, and they allow the desk to support up to 200 pounds.
When it comes to standing, the Vari Electric Standing Desk has an electric lift that can raise the desktop up to 50.5 inches or lower it down to 25.5 inches, giving you plenty of height flexibility. It includes a digital display to let you know what the height is, and it can store several height settings into memory if you'll have multiple people sharing the desk. Depending on the model you choose, you can also get a crossbar for increased stability and you can add on cable management system made specifically for the desk.
2. Autonomous SmartDesk Core
Best Budget Standing Desk
If you don’t have $1000 for a cream-of-the-crop standing desk, Autonomous can get you well equipped for under $500. The Autonomous SmartDesk Core (recently rebranded from the SmartDesk 2) is a classy, simple number. It stands firm on thick, T-shaped legs. For the price, you’ll be getting a strong, stable design. The system runs dual motors, giving it enough power to lift up to 265 pounds, so you won’t have to worry about not being able to accommodate a three-monitor setup and a beefy desktop PC. Those motors also allow the desk to go from a height of 29.4 inches for seated work up to as high as 48 inches for a comfortable standing position. You can store preferred heights in settings to quickly switch between them as well.
The SmartDesk Core provides a large desk space at 53 inches wide and 29 inches deep. And Autonomous will make it easy for you to get a style that matches your office aesthetic, as there are three frame colors and 11 different desktop styles — some pretty far-out ones included.
3. FlexiSpot Seiffen
Ultra Cheap Standing Desk
Electric desks are definitely a perk, but that extra functionality doesn't have to come at a huge price. FlexiSpot's Seiffen standing desk brings the flexibility of a sit-stand desk at a much more affordable price point. For about $250, you'll be getting a spacious desk at 42 x 24 inches, though FlexiSpot doesn't charge extra if you want to go with a 48 x 24-inch model or even a 48 x 30-inch one. The desk surface of the Seiffen is an inch-thick laminated chipboard that's made to hold a heavy load.
This desk is built on FlexiSpot's EC1 frame, which offers a lifting capacity of up to 154 pounds. The frame is made of steel for a sturdy and steady desk. With this basic kit, you'll get an electronic control panel for easy raising and lowering the desk. FlexiSpot also offers an upgraded control unit that includes a display and can have a number of programmed heights saved for you. Either way, the desk can adjust from 27.9 inches tall to 47.6 inches, giving you considerable range to get the most ergonomic height for you.
4. Jarvis L-Shaped Standing Desk
Best L-Shaped Standing Desk
For many of us, a nice long desk alone may do the job. But, for the ballers with a ton of gear, multiple monitors, a gaming PC, a laptop, and some consoles to boot, more space may be required. Enter the L-shaped desks, with the Jarvis L-Shaped Standing Desk showing off a supreme amount of space, a worthy max load, and the muscle it takes to lift it all.
The Jarvis L-Shaped Standing Desk is offering a primary surface measuring 60 inches by 30 inches, and it tags on a second section 30 inches long and 27 inches wide. That's a ton of space, though there are even larger options available. All of that desktop sits on a height-adjustable base that can lift 535 pounds from 23 inches up to 48.5 inches, giving you a ton of range as well. You might worry about a desk that big getting shakey, but the Jarvis L-Shaped desk has a stabilizer bar that can go a long way to keeping your gaming/working surface stable.
5. Herman Miller Motia Gaming Desk
Best Standing Desk for Gaming
Gamers don't get left out when it comes to standing desks. As long as you can get your monitor high enough, it's actually reasonable to game while standing at a desk, as it allows to you keep your body moving a little bit more, especially between rounds of competitive games. And, of course, you can always lower it back down for more relaxed or seated play.
The Motia Gaming Desk from Herman Miller is built to deliver the premium sit-stand desk experience for gamers. It has an easy-to-use lever that will raise or lower the desk surface with a powered lift, letting you dial in the height anywhere from 27 inches up to 46 inches. At 30 inches deep and 60 inches wide, that's a lot of adjustable desk space. You don't have to worry about how much you put on it either, as the lift can handle 250 pounds, so you can comfortably mount a couple of monitors or even a modest gaming TV on the desk. The desk even includes cable management to help you keep the space tidy.
6. Uplift V2 4-Leg Standing Desk
Best High-Performance Standing Desk
Two-legged standing desks are nice an all but there's always going to be some inherent wobble even with a crossbar. If you want a standing desk that's basically solid as a rock you're going to need the Uplift V2 4-Leg Standing Desk. this is one of the few standing desks on the market that comes with four motorized legs.
All that extra support kills any rocking from happening either side to side or from front to back. Another bonus of having a standing desk with four motorized legs is it can lift way more, up to 535 pounds to be exact.
7. ApexDesk AirDesk
Best Pneumatic Standing Desk
Standing desks are nice but if you're not a fan of slow and loud electric motors, then maybe a pneumatic-assisted desk is the best option for you. Of all the pneumatic standing desks we've seen the ApexDesk AirDesk hits the best balance of features to price. Instead of using motors, a pneumatic system uses springs and counterweights to help you lift and lower your standing desk between 29 and 48 inches high.
You'll have to put in a bit more effort to adjust your desk, but it's also a lot quicker, quieter, and not to mention cheaper. At roughly $400 for a 59-inch wide tabletop, this standing desk is fairly affordable. This model also features a sturdy steel frame complete with a crossbar for added stability, and it can hold up to 180 pounds of weight.
8. Ergotron WorkFit-T Standing Desk Converter
Best Sit-Stand Desk Converter
You’ve already made a decent investment in your office desk, so why toss it out? Ergotron has a desk add-on that lets you convert your existing desk to a standing model while simultaneously adding a ton of utility to it. With a 35-inch work surface, the WorkFit-T Standing Desk Converter can easily accommodate dual-monitor setups and it doubles as a screen riser. Meanwhile, the lower deck is more than large enough to accommodate a full-sized keyboard and mouse.
Unlike the standing desks on this, this sit-stand desk converter requires no setup at all, you just need to plop it down on top of your desktop. After you've placed all your gear on the Ergotron WorkFit-T, give the two side paddles a good squeeze and you'll be able to lift up your whole setup with ease and give it an extra 15-inches in height.
9. Xdesk Flex
Best Couch-Side Standing Desk
The Xdesk Flex brings the flexibility of a standing desk to the comfort of your couch. As wild of a combo as this might seem, there are plenty of people who like working and gaming from their couch, and so a height-adjustable table can make your life much ergonomic while in the living room or the recreational area at work.
The Xdesk Flex can go from being a low-sitting coffee table to an upright standing desk in a couple of seconds. Best of all it's completely battery-powered, so you don't need to have to worry about tripping over wires constantly. It also has a weight capacity of 100 pounds, it won't collapse on you if you lean on it.
10. EvoDesk Pro Aviator
Best High-End Standing Desk
The EvoDesk Pro Aviator is the ultimate standing desk. Between its arrow-head shaped silhouette, the four motorized legs, and its immense 500-pound load capacity, there isn't a more premium standing desk than this. EvoDesk Pro Aviator's unique shape also gives it 22.7 square-feet of surface area for you to work and yet everything in that space is within easy reach since you stand or sit in the center of it all.
Where to Get the Best Standing Desks in the UK
Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam
Mark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
