The Best Standing Desks for Working From Home

Buying Guide

“Sitting is the new smoking,” Stephanie Mansour, a certified personal trainer and the founder of fitness brand Step It Up Steph, says. “Being sedentary has horrendous health effects. Standing up, moving, getting your blood pumping and improving your circulation while at work is a huge benefit to health.”

Enter the standing desk.

Standing desks have become increasingly popular in recent years. You may even see a few at work. Today’s standing desks can adjust your monitor from a sitting position to a standing position, letting you switch back and forth throughout the day.

When you start looking for a standing desk, though, there are a few things to keep in mind. One is whether you want to use your standing desk with an existing desk, or you need an all-in-one unit. Some standing desks are built to stand on top of the desk you already have, making them a modification for an existing office. Some others provide a stand or cart that you can move around your home as needed.

No matter which desk you choose, though, consider the ease of lowering and raising the desk. If you plan to move from sitting to standing and back again throughout the day, you won’t want to stop everything you’re doing to manually make the adjustment. Some desks even require two people to switch the height, making those a better choice for someone who plans to rarely change the desk’s position.

Assembly is another consideration. Some standing desks arrive preassembled, while others will require some work. Make sure you check before you order so that you’re prepared with the tools and additional manpower you might need when your new item arrives.

Price will also be a factor. All-in-one desks won’t require you to have an existing office setup, and they may be more affordable than the ones that require a desk.

Mansour, the fitness expert, points out that some employers will subsidize or cover the costs for employees to purchase standing desks — so it’s definitely worth checking with your own employer.

MORE: 6 exercises you can do at your desk

• Before you start shopping for a standing desk, take a moment to think about what exactly you want. If you have a desk already, you’ll probably get more bang for your buck with a model that is designed to rest atop the desk or table you already have. Other models give you a compact cart with a standing desk that provides the flexibility to move it around your home or office. You may, instead, choose to go for a treadmill desk, which lets you trade in standing for walking at a slow pace while you work.
• With many standing desks, you’ll have to put at least some of the parts together before you can get started, so you may want to have a couple of tools on hand in case you need to tighten something.
• If you’re concerned about your office décor, you may want to consider a desk with a polished, professional design. Another option is to go with a desk that will blend easily with any décor, taking up little space.
• Standing desks also need to be built for durability. Look for a company that has multiple certifications for its desk to help assure you that you’re getting the best. Some models may have a keyboard tray that shakes a little or one that arcs and sticks out more than you want
• One feature to prioritize while you’re looking is adjustability. You may be fine with setting up your standing desk in one position and leaving it. But if you plan to even occasionally sit, you’ll probably want an easy way to make that change. Look for a model with an adjusting mechanism that allows you to both move it up and down and rotate the monitors as needed for the perfect fit.
• Some desks are easy to adjust, but they do make some noise while you’re moving them, including a loud clicking sound when you press the adjustment panels, as well as a squeak from the springs. Other models make the adjustment complicated, requiring you to unscrew parts to change the height. Even when you’re at the desired place, the seated position isn’t as comfortable as with other models.
• Some standing desks have a PowerHub that you can use to make your desk more convenient for a small extra expense. This power strip allows you to plug all of your devices into one easy, discreet place.
• One issue you’ll find with standing desks is that it’s tough to get the monitor and keyboard at comfortable levels at the same time. Look for a desk that has a two-tier shelf that allows you to get your monitor and your keyboard at the perfect level.