The Best Standing Desks in 2024, Tested in Our Home Offices

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Whether you're fully remote or working a hybrid schedule, the best standing desks have become an essential component of the (home) office for those looking to introduce more productive and healthy habits into their day. It's been proven in studies that staying seated throughout the workday can have some pretty detrimental effects on our health and workflows.

Experts say standing desks can increase productivity and reduce sedentary behavior, even easing aches and pains. However, recent research shows that it's about finding a happy medium between sitting and standing, not just standing for long periods of time, which can lead to circulation issues.

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 seated.

Our team tested dozens of standing desks and converters and considered factors like height range, noise and speed, desktop size, and design customizations. Our best overall pick is the Uplift V2 Standing Desk; its various heights, vast customizations, and add-ons make it a great well-rounded desk for multipurpose use. If you are looking for an option that won't break the bank, Flexispot is our go-to for budget options, whether you like the basic, yet effective Flexispot E2 Essential Standing Desk style or the heavy-duty E7 Pro with a mighty 440-pound lift capacity.

Read more about how Insider Reviews tests home products.

Best overall: Uplift V2 Standing Desk - See at Uplift

Best budget: Flexispot E2 Standing Desk - See at Amazon

Best for cable management: Secretlab Magnus Pro - See at Secretlab

Best heavy duty: Flexispot E7 Pro Standing Desk - See at Flexispot

Best for small spaces: Branch Duo Standing Desk - See at Branch

Best with drawer: Burrow Copilot Standing Desk - See at Burrow

Best converter: Vivo K Series - See at Amazon

Best for tall people: Autonomous SmartDesk 2 - See at Autonomous

The Uplift V2 is a highly customizable standing desk that can meet almost any need. It can be ordered at a variety of price points with a large number of optional accessories. It’s also relatively easy to assemble, with an impressive maximum height and quality construction.

Specifics

The Uplift V2 Standing Desk is easy to use, highly customizable, and encourages productive behavior, making it the best standing desk you can buy. With various options available, from desktop material to frame type and keypad functionality, most people will be able to find the size, look, and functionality they need. There are also a variety of price points, but each upgrade does add to the cost. Uplift also gives three free gifts with purchase. If you're overwhelmed with options, Uplift offers a few pre-configured options.

Tester Jamie Davis Smith said, "I feel like they anticipated my every need. The Uplift looks great, has every accessory I could want to maximize space and boost productivity, and I can move the accessories around to meet my needs."

The Uplift is fairly easy to assemble, taking about an hour and a half. This isn't necessarily a short amount of time, but the process went pretty smoothly thanks to pre-drilled mounting points and the inclusion of all the tools you need. We did run into a hiccup, however, when trying to add an optional drawer accessory that required the use of a drill.

The advanced keypad lets you see the table's exact height as well as set presets for sitting and standing. An optional Bluetooth adapter lets you control the desk with your phone, as well as track the time sitting and standing, plus send reminders to stand up. Adjusting positions is swift and easy; the motor is overall pretty quiet, and didn't disrupt during video meetings. At raised heights, it didn't wobble and felt stable, with the ability to support and lift over 300 pounds.

Senior reporter James Brains has also been using a Uplift desk since 2018, a testament to its durability. "With my normal usage, it never seemed to strain. There was no wobbling either, I never had any concern that it might fall over," he said.

Since adding the Uplift to her workflow, Davis Smith has added a second monitor and a walking pad to her setup. "I've been more productive and feel healthier since using the Uplift. I can't imagine ever going back. My husband is thinking of ditching his desk to get an Uplift, too."

Read our full Uplift Standing Desk review.

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.

Specifics

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.

Specifics

The Secretlab Magnus Pro is a desk designed for gamers, but you don't need to be one to love it. 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. — Sarah Saril, deals editor

Read our full Secretlab Magnus Pro Standing Desk review.

Flexispot's most premium and heavy-duty offering, the E7 Pro has a powerful motor, greater adjustability, and a semi-C Leg structure for added stability and comes with a 15-year warranty.

Specifics

In terms of crowning a best overall, it was a toss-up between the Uplift and Flexispot's E7 Pro.

Uplift had a slight edge in terms of total customization and ease of installation. However, Flexispot is remarkably budget-friendly, and its pro model can lift upward of 440 pounds. This makes it ideal for people with heavy gear to load up the desk and provides added peace of mind if leaning on the table with body weight.

"I couldn't believe how well it did during the weight testing process — lifting and lowering my entire body with ease," said tester Alex Temblador.

The Flexispot is another heavily customizable option available in multiple sizes and desktops, including chipboard, wood, bamboo, or as a frame-only option. Of the control panel, Temblador liked that it was easy to program the standing and sitting heights with four presets and a digital height display. Push one button and watch it reach your desired height in less than 8 seconds, moving an inch in less than two seconds. "I liked that the control panel had a USB port, as it made charging my phone while I worked much easier."

With a maximum standing height of 50.6 inches and a minimum height of 25 inches, it's well-suited to people of varying heights. The C-Frame has a solid carbon steel base that provides stability and a three-stage lift system. It also comes with an extended cord management tray. However, it's not as quiet as some of the other models we tested, hitting about 61 decibels, but not disruptive either.

Assembly can be a little difficult with the instruction manual and tools provided, but it's hard to beat the price of this standing desk, especially when you compare it to others on the market.

Read our full Flexispot E7 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.

Specifics

Burrow is perhaps most notably known for its modular and easy-to-assemble sofas. The brand 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 needs 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

Branch’s standing desk is simple to set up and easy to move up and down throughout your workday. It comes in 3 different sizes and its sleek design makes it a good option for small spaces.

Specifics

Our search for a compact desk led us to the Branch Duo Standing Desk, an easy-to-use option that moves seamlessly and quietly to reach your desired height. It's available in three different sizes: 36 x 24 inches, 48 x 24 inches, or 58 x 27 inches, but the smallest option is sized well to fit into a tiny office or apartment.

It's customizable with three different leg options and five different tabletops, so there's bound to be an option that will fit in with your decor. You can choose to make the desk monochromatic or add a wood tone to the top. This desk also comes with multiple add-ons, including a front drawer for extra storage and cable management.

Our tester Rebecca Shinners lives in a studio and appreciates the desk's sleek, modern design with rounded edges and that the control panel isn't overly technical-looking. Yet, it wasn't super intuitive from the get-go. To raise the desk to your desired height, you hold the control panel up or down, but programming took getting used too. It moves quickly and smoothly and is stable at all heights, supporting up to 275 pounds of weight. Plus, you can set it with two presets, one for sitting and one for standing. There's also an option to set a reminder to stand up to add more movement to your day.

Shinners noted that at 5 feet tall, the desk worked well for petite heights, but its 20-inch range of movement (from 27.8 to 47 inches) makes it a good option for users up to six-foot-one. It ships in two boxes and was mostly straightforward to set up, but some of the wiring was tricky to secure into place and required two people.

For something even smaller, we've previously recommended and reviewed the Ergotron Mobile Desk, a portable 24 by 22 inch worktop on wheels with a manual lift design that is appropriate for laptop work.

Read our full Branch Duo Standing Desk review.

The Vivo K Series balances comfort, stability and portability for an all-around great work setup.

Specifics

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.

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.

Specifics

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 2, 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 45 decibels. In comparison, our top pick, the Uplift, moves at 2 inches per second, with a noise level of 48 decibels.

Former reporter Jada Wong tested this desk over six months, adjusting the height several times a day, and never worried that 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 Uplift. Customizations include 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 2, 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 when you lean on it with your body weight. The Flexispot E7 Pro has a 440-pound weight limit, but Uplift, Burrow, and Autonomous offer substantial limits of at least 300 pounds, too.

Length and depth: While your desk should comfortably support your laptop and monitor, you must also 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, 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 Uplift, BTOD and Autonomous provide specific settings to try for your height if you need a starting place.

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 [email protected].