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Staying seated throughout the workday can have some pretty detrimental effects on our health and workflows. A standing desk encourages you to alternate between sitting or standing, which experts say can ease aches and pains and may even make you more productive. The best standing desks are customizable, comfortable, and accommodate different heights — allowing you to feel better and work more efficiently. You will want to optimize your experience with the best standing desk mat to avoid fatigue and cushion your joints while standing and one of the best ergonomic chairs for keeping posture in check when you are seated. Stand For Desk
Our team tested dozens of standing desks and converters and considered factors like height range, noise and speed, desktop size and design customizations, and more. Our best overall pick is the Fully Jarvis Standing Desk; its various heights and add-ons make it a great desk for multipurpose use. If you are looking for an option that won't break the bank, Flexispot makes a great budget pick that also accommodates various heights and table finishes.
Read more about how Insider Reviews tests home products.
Best overall: Fully Jarvis Standing Desk - See at Herman Miller
Best budget: Flexispot E2 Standing Desk - See at Amazon
Best for cable management: Secretlab Magnus Pro - See at Secretlab
Best with drawer: Burrow Copilot Standing Desk - See at Burrow
Best smart: Autonomous SmartDesk Connect - See at Autonomous
Best converter: Vivo K Series - See at Amazon
Best for small spaces: Ergotron Mobile Desk - See at Amazon
Best for tall people: Autonomous SmartDesk Pro - See at Autonomous
The Fully Jarvis Standing Desk provides the right amount of customizations for style, height, and accessories to create an ideal desk for many people.
The Fully Jarvis Standing Desk is a great desk with a good height adjustment range, an easy-to-use mechanism, and the ability to accommodate different setups. It's reasonably priced and has a strong warranty — 15 years on the mechanical and electrical components, while the bamboo worktop has a five-year warranty.
The Jarvis has excellent stability. I have two 27-inch monitors on dual gas-powered monitor arms attached to my desk. It moves easily, and I can lean on the desk without fear. There is a wobble at higher levels, and the monitors sway slightly when bumped. The adjustment is quick but has a high-pitched noise as the motor works. It's not terribly loud, but you won't want to adjust it during a call.
The desktop is available in varying sizes and rectangular or contoured options. You can use your own accessories, but Fully has some as well. These options cost extra, and some require additional assembly. The most essential is the programmable memory panel, which saves four height presets; a useful add-on if you share a desk. Fully also offers an extended range for an extra $50, enabling the desk to go from 25.75 to 51.25 inches for shorter and taller heights.
I've been using the Fully Jarvis for a few years, and the mechanism still works smoothly. I have the older control panel with physical buttons; the newer version is a touch-sensitive OLED, which may not be quite as responsive, according to some reviews.
The no-frills Flexispot Standing Desk moves quickly, smoothly, and quietly to reach your desired height. It's an affordable option for people who need a basic standing desk.
There's no way around the fact that standing desks are more expensive than traditional desks, but FlexiSpot's budget-friendly offering comes in at around $200, which is about as low as you'll find for a motorized standing desk that is still spacious and sturdy. Flexispot makes a confusing and dizzying array of models, but the E2 is its least expensive option. The E2 Pro is the exact same desk but with a slightly more robust control panel that has USB ports and can be programmed for four presets. The difference between the models is $50. On Flexispot's website, you can customize the desk with a range of desktop materials and accessories, but if you suffer from decision fatigue, you can just buy the whole thing pre-configured on Amazon.
We tested the Pro version of the E2 and found the overall desk quality comparable to some of the more expensive models we've tested. The desktop has enough space for two monitors and other items like supplies. With a simple two-button push system, it lifts to your desired height at a smooth and quiet rate of one inch per second. Importantly, it doesn't look cheap, which is an issue we've seen with other budget-standing desks.
The biggest drawback of the desk is that the assembly instructions aren't clear and some parts don't fit together as well as they should. Fortunately, assembly is usually a one-time task; since putting all the pieces together, our desk has run smoothly, quietly, and without issue.
Read our full Flexispot standing desk review.
The Magnus Pro has incredibly thoughtful cable management and supportive add-ons that make it a great choice for gamers, streamers, and anyone who uses multiple monitors and accessories.
The Secretlab Magnus Pro is a desk designed for gamers, but you don't need to be one to love it. Packed with features, it offers tons of customization options so you can make your desk setup perfect. The metal desktop comes in two spacious sizes, with over a dozen different leather Magpad Desk Mats to choose from. These magnetic leatherwork surfaces sturdily roll out over the metal surface to provide a matte, non-skid workspace that didn't budge during hours of testing. From there, you can add accessories like cable management sheaths, monitor arms, RGB lighting, and PC mounts.
Though its smooth motor, stable desktop, and vast customization options are huge selling points for the Magnus Pro, where this desk shines is its cable management. Pesky cables are the standing desk user's worst enemy, and this desk tames them with a hidden channel at the back of the tabletop for extension cords, chargers, and power cables. The desk itself acts as a power hub of sorts by plugging into your power socket from the leg's base, then rerouting power to an outlet at the top of the desk for you to plug all of your electronics into. It means that all of your cords are connected to the top of the desk, so when you raise or lower it, nothing gets tugged or tangled with the movement.
During testing, I found this to be a flawless solution in motion. After days of usage, I was blown away by how freely I could move my desk without fretting about yanked cables. Really, the Magnus Pro is everything it promises to be: a stable base with unrivaled cable management and premium add-ons that just make it better.
Rather than suffering from typical standing desk fallbacks, the Magnus Pro's main setback is just how difficult it is to assemble. Like Ikea furniture on hard mode, this desk arrives in pieces, all of them flat-packed in separate boxes. Though the instructions are detailed, putting it together is a real project that involves a fair amount of crawling around and heavy lifting. It's an incredible desk that I highly recommend to everyone, but you need to be ready for some difficult assembly.
Read our full Secretlab Magnus Pro Standing Desk review.
Burrow’s attractive CoPilot Standing Desk features a hardwood top with a drawer compartment that’s roomy enough to fit a 17” laptop and easily adjusts to your desired height, up to 48” whether sitting or standing.
Burrow is perhaps most notably known for its modular and easy-to-assemble sofas. The brand recently ventured into the home office category with the Copilot Standing Desk, which was designed following feedback from a customer survey about the ideal aesthetics, interior storage, and cord management for a standing desk. As a result, the Burrow Copilot Standing Desk features a stylish hardwood tabletop (available in oak or walnut), adjustable and stable steel legs, and, most notably, a built-in drawer with a luxe soft-close mechanism and amply sized to hide away a 17" laptop, extra papers, or small office supplies.
Beyond being incredibly functional, the Copilot caters to my need for something beautiful too. Very few standing desk brands offer any sort of built-in storage, let alone one that blends into a home office setting. Other design considerations include a hidden monitor mount and a cord organization compartment.
The desk incrementally adjusts from 28.5" to 48" inches. The control panel displays the exact height and has buttons to program three pre-set options. It is situated on the right side, which is convenient for right-hand users, but perhaps less so for lefties. When I'm ready to shift between sitting and standing, the desk smoothly lifts with a low hum to my desired height. I'm comfortable leaning into the desk with my weight at taller heights, but it may wobble if you try to force it.
The Burrow Copilot desk shipped in two packages and included all the necessary tools and instructions for assembly. With the help of another person, I attached the legs, added the motor components, and flipped it right side up, which took me about 40 minutes.
Burrow also sent me a power block that tucks into the cord storage compartment to limit the number of wires I had stemming from the desk, but I found its boxy design kept my laptop brick charger from letting the lid sit flush. I had better luck turning a traditional surge protector on its side. — Jaclyn Turner, senior home editor
If you think you'll struggle with remembering to use the standing features, the Autonomous SmartDesk Connect pairs with an app to automatically adjust the desk's height on a schedule of your choosing.
If you won't be motivated to adjust your desk on your own, the Autonomous SmartDesk connects via WiFi to an app on your phone so you can set a schedule. I set my desk to adjust to standing for most of my meetings, which helps me focus better during them.
The app integration is pretty basic. I set all my schedules manually, but I hope a future update will include integration with Google Calendar so I don't have to add a new event to the app every time there's a new meeting on my calendar. Fortunately, onboard controls allow you to still raise or lower the desk on demand. The desk moves smoothly and quietly, and as a tall person, I really appreciate the wide adjustment range of 23.6 to 49.2 inches, which gives me plenty of room while both sitting and standing.
This desk has a stellar 350-pound weight limit; a large adult can sit on the desk, and it will still adjust smoothly (though I don't recommend doing this). When I piled 100 pounds of books onto the desk to stress test it, the tabletop still glided up and down with ease. The desk doesn't wobble or shake even with mountains of books on it; it's extremely sturdy.
The desk design itself is very simple and clean. You can choose a range of top and leg colors, but the overall feel is industrial minimalist. The desk is pretty large; the smallest size is about 4.5 feet long. It was also a beast to put together; it took me about two hours on my own and required a power drill, and I had to consult various assembly videos and online guides to get it right.
The Vivo K Series balances comfort, stability and portability for an all-around great work setup.
If you already have a desk that you like, a standing desk converter gives you the option to adjust your workspace to a height of your liking without buying a whole new desk. The Vivo K Series is the best overall pick from our guide to the best standing desk converter and offers a full range of customization both in height and width. This model is available in six different widths, from 26 to 42 inches. Our tester used the 32-inch version, which boasted plenty of space for a laptop and an additional monitor.
Unlike other converters, the Vivo K Series has an x-shaped frame (similar to an ironing board), so the height adjustment goes straight up and down. This is ideal for small desks and workspaces. Our tester noted that the converter fit on her own desk with a width of only 16 inches and that it was easy to tuck away when she wanted a more traditional workspace.
This converter was comfortable to use and visually pleasing, with rounded edges and a curved keyboard level. You can choose from six color options to match your workspace.
The only issue we faced was with the assembly. This small converter took around 15 minutes to assemble, and though the process was intuitive, the instructions were not entirely clear.
Ergotron's Desk is great for people who want a sleek desk that they can wheel from room to room.
Ergotron's Mobile Desk is perfect for people who like to work from various areas in their homes or live in small spaces that don't have room for a large, static desk. The wheels on this desk make transitioning from working in your kitchen to your bedroom a breeze. We loved the portability of this desk and how easy the wheels were to move across floors and carpets. The Scandinavian design and simple finishes make this desk visually unobtrusive, and it can be tucked away quickly when not in use.
Putting this desk together took roughly three minutes — about a minute per part. The assembly didn't require any additional tools; you only had to snap each part in place. At its lowest setting, the desk was fully functional at the average couch height. For standing, it reaches a max height of 45 inches, which some taller individuals may find too short for comfort (the other desks in this guide reach a maximum of 48 to 51 inches). As such, we don't recommend this desk for folks over 6'2" tall
This small desk is best suited for laptop users who don't need additional monitors and keyboards. We also thought the included cup holder was an unnecessary use of a small space and didn't fit many cup sizes.
Read our full Ergotron Mobile Desk review.
The Autonomous SmartDesk Pro adjusts to 52 inches for people up to 7'1" tall. It also has the fastest height adjustment speed we tested and the lowest noise.
If you're under 6'7", the other picks in this guide should accommodate you just fine, but if you're any taller, you may want to consider the Autonomous SmartDesk Pro, which adjusts to 52 inches for people up to 7'1" tall. It also has the fastest height adjustment speed we tested, at 2.3 inches per second, and the lowest noise at 40 decibels. In comparison, our top pick, the Fully Jarvis, moves at 1.3 inches per second, with a noise level of 50 decibels. The SmartDesk Pro has the longest warranty of any of the other desks in this guide at 20 years. These factors are important if you adjust often.
We tested this desk over six months, adjusting the height several times a day, and never worried our monitors would fall off (though they wobbled at the highest height). The frame is sturdy, and the XL table length comfortably accommodates two 32-inch monitors and two office chairs. However, it's not as customizable as the Fully. Seven top-and-frame combinations are available, and further customization includes a selection of two top lengths, five top materials, and three frame colors.
Each Autonomous standing desk comes with one or two grommets (holes for passing cables through) for a standard or XL top. There's a programmable control panel to adjust preset heights for different users easily. There are other add-on accessories that cost more, including monitor arms and trays.
Setting the desk up took about an hour and a half and required two people. The instructions are clear, but watching a video was easier and more efficient.
Height range: Finding the best standing desk height for you will take some trial and error, so we prefer models with a large range between minimum and maximum heights. This is especially important if you're sharing the desk with multiple users of different heights. Every pick in our guide will accommodate users up to 6'7", but if you're taller, you may want to consider the Autonomous SmartDesk Pro, which will fit users up to 7'1" or a combination of a standing desk with a standing desk converter on top to lengthen the height range.
Maximum weight supported: If your desk is laden with heavy monitors and other equipment, it's important to get a sturdier desk. You'll also want to make sure the desk doesn't feel wobbly or sway should you lean on the desk with your body weight. Our top pick, the Fully Jarvis, has a 350-pound weight limit.
Length and depth: While your desk should comfortably support your laptop and monitor, you also need to ensure it fits within your office space. Several of our picks offer customizations for tabletop dimensions.
Electric vs manual: Electric standing desks are faster and sleeker but are much more expensive. Some manual options are laborious to adjust, so it's unlikely you'll want to do so every day.
Noise and speed: If you're working around other people, you want a desk that quickly and quietly adjusts to minimize disturbances. All the desks we recommend fall at or below 50 decibels when adjusting, which is comparable to the sound of an AC unit running.
Over the past three years, we've tested over two dozen standing desks and converters. Every one of our picks was tested in real-life conditions for several months at a time. Here are the main criteria we use to determine the best standing desks:
Setup: We built each desk ourselves using only the included instructions and timed how long it took us. We considered the clarity of the instructions, whether you needed help to unbox and assemble the desk, and any other hiccups that might come with setup.
Height adjustment: We adjust the desks several times from their minimum to their maximum height, both empty and with 100 pounds of weights or books laid on top, noting how smoothly the desk adjusts and whether the desktop feels sturdy or wobbles. We dial in our own ideal desk height for both sitting and standing and then time how long it takes for the desk to make the adjustment and how loud it is in decibels. During the testing period, we adjust the desk daily in everyday use, changing from standing to sitting positions several times throughout the day.
Customization: If a desk offers the ability to program presets or a schedule, we evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of those features. We also note the available customizations for the desk design, including materials, finishes, sizes, and accessories like cable management, drawers, and monitor arms.
During the workday, you should be doing a mixture of standing, sitting, and moving, if possible, said Alan Hedge, a certified ergonomist and professor emeritus in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University. "Mixing things up reduces any negative effects [of sitting or standing] in terms of musculoskeletal discomfort, your level of alertness, or productivity," Hedge said. Standing desks make it much easier to transition from sitting to standing while still keeping proper posture and ergonomics in mind.
According to experts, using a standing desk can reduce neck and upper back pain, help you burn more calories than sitting, and potentially lower blood sugar levels.
A standing desk alone isn't going to improve your occupational health. According to Hedge, people tend to hunch over their standing desks after just 10 minutes. Mix sitting, standing, and moving throughout the day for the biggest impact.
Hedge suggests a 20-8-2 pattern based on his research and real-world testing: Sit for 20 minutes, stand for 8, stretch or walk around for 2, and repeat. These numbers aren't absolute, but what's most important is not to stay in one position for too long, Hedge said.
In general, you know you're at the right standing desk height when your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle and your shoulders feel relaxed when working at the desk. These charts from BTOD and Autonomous provide specific settings to try for your height if you need a starting place.
Adjustable Standing Computer Desk You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here. Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.