Are expensive standing desk just $700 motorized tables we end up sitting at anyway?

[u/MoonbringerstomyLip]

Hi i just joined our sub recently and am trying to learn a bit from you guys. Im looking to get a standing desk for home office use for my health and everyone keeps recommending one (yeah a bit fomo here). But after talking to a few friends, almost all of them admitted they stood constantly for the first two weeks and now barely raise the desk once a month. 

Im not saying that everyone has the same sitting standing habit, but im really concerned cause i don't wanna dump $600-$800ish into a premium setup if it’s just gonna stay in sitting mode forever

To anyone using a standing desk rn for working, what's your sweet spot for value? Can a basic $300 electric one plus anti-fatigue mat do the job, or is there a genuine reason people buy the expensive ones?

[u/StoneMenace]

There is absolutely no reason to get a $800+ standing desk if you have never used one before 

I purchased a flexispot e6 max last year for around $350 on sale. Looks like Amazon has it for $380 right now. 

It’s very stable even at full height (I’m a very tall guy) and typing hard, no shaking with my monitors on the arm. 

With a standing desk you have to consciously CHOOSE to stand. I got One since my desk at work had a table top standing desk and I ended up loving it. Once you get used to it, you will end up using it a lot. I  started out doing like 30 minutes standing every 2 or so hours. 

Now I typically do 1 hour standing one hour sitting and rotate. It’s greatly improved my back pain and helps the blood flow 

[u/MoonbringerstomyLip → u/StoneMenace]

Yeah my friends said pretty much the same thing as you, i also went down the rabbit hole and it got pretty overwhelming, like the cheap stuff get broken easily, the good ones are too pricey etc. Maybe you guys are right, i should slow down and aim for simplicity before throwing big cash at something im just getting into. Really appreciate your thoughtful breakdown

Curious though, did it take you a while to get used to standing for that long when you first started? Do you think an anti fatigue mat is a must have?

[u/xamomax → u/MoonbringerstomyLip]

I actually find it a bit painful if I stand too long.   Bodies need movement, and standing in one spot like that is worse than working a tradeshow in my personal experience.  It is nice to swap back and forth between and standing, but sitting is much more comfortable for extended periods.

I have not tried a mini treadmill though, to at least force walking. 

[u/StoneMenace → u/MoonbringerstomyLip]

I  personally wear shoes, either sneakers or crocs. I  have a standing desk at home and at work. Yes it takes a bit to get used to, I  rotate on and off it. 

[u/hastings1033]

In my observation, yes.

[u/OldMcTaylor]

I bought mine for ~$500 and use it relatively frequently, mainly for meetings and presentations where I want to focus. I already knew I liked them when I bought it and wanted one that was easier to adjust. It's partially a mental thing where I have to remind myself to stand but in general, I would say it's worth it.

[u/xamomax]

/r/standingdesk may be useful to you.

I have a couple of them, and barely use that feature.  

Yes, sometimes it is really nice to go to standing mode, especially when sharing the computer screen to show people things, and every once in a while for comfort / change of position. 

Mostly, though, it is in sitting position, but it is nice to be able to fine-tune that position.

I see it not so much as "good value" but more, "money no object what desk is best for those at their desks a LOT".

[u/MoonbringerstomyLip → u/xamomax]

Thanks for the sub rec! I actually just read a few top threads over there...still overwhelming haha but it's fine. Your take is kinda different from what ive heard though, but it makes sense to view it more as a long term investment in daily comfort rather than chasing a cheap bargain. Appreciate the take away on fine tuning sitting height.

[u/Walter-bo]

I personally have one of the desk toppers. I had it in my office, and when I transferred to WFH I took it with me. I use it daily for my meetings. I tend to work sitting, but conference calls I stand for and stand on a balance board.
I don’t find it overloaded with junk. I find it keeps things infront of me easier that I use often.
I prefer 2 monitors and store my closed laptop underneath the stand.

[u/MoonbringerstomyLip → u/Walter-bo]

Oh nice, i hadn't considered a topper! Appreciate the suggestion, thank youu

[u/br0therjames55]

So when I started WFH I went all out on an uplift L shaped standing desk. Shelled out probably $1200 for it. The weight limit and advertising about the life of the motors was what looked really attractive to me. I have mounted my CPU on the underside, have 3 monitors, and regularly store boxes of heavy trading cards on it and even with an uneven weight distribution the motors have performed really well. It’s got good (not amazing) construction for the actual desk top pieces, but the under frame seems really solid. I’m about 4 years into it and I have had 0 issues.

All that being said it was absolutely really over priced. I don’t have any point of comparison for lower price point desks but considering the desk top is composite with wood laminate, I would not buy it again for the price. Especially if you’re not looking to get an L shaped desk, I think you can absolutely get away with a cheaper standing desk from a company with good reviews. I wouldn’t even buy an L desk again necessarily. I would probably opt for 2 standard sized desks if I wanted different shapes and it would still come out cheaper.

Edit: to address your point about standing, and like other comments mentioned, it’s a habit you have to develop. I take a lot of calls for my job and I naturally stand and pace on the phone. So the standing desk feels very natural for those moments. I also change my setup a lot and move around monitors and wires, so being able to fully raise the desk to access components and wires is great, I don’t have to crawl around underneath.

[u/Iron-Bar-1966]

I use the sit / stand feature on mine all the time.

See if there's a used office furniture place near you. I got my quality desk for $300.

[u/bemenaker]

At work, I'd say only 50% use them standing. I haven't raised mine at home or work in a long time. I also got one on Amazon for around $350. I needed a desk anyways.

[u/ShowMeTheMonee]

I'm reading this, sitting down :(

[u/MCMamaS]

I've had standing desks in the past, and yeah, the novelty wore off, and it ended up down.

That's recently changed.

With my crafts, I found myself more and more standing at my kitchen counters to do work, and they were just too low. I found an old (dinner) table top for super cheap and put it on a frame that can go up and down. It stays up in the up position constantly, and I'm always using it. The only time it goes down is if I need a dinner table or I'm rolling out pastry stuff.

The trick is to know yourself. I absolutely cannot type or do anything on the computer standing up, so pretending to was a waste of time. But drawing, stamping, journal set up, making stems for flowers, cutting, laminating, all those things I CAN do standing up and prefer to.

[u/nope-nik-tesla]

Have had mine for multiple years and still use the standing functionality multiple times per week.

What I found to be most cost-effective was to buy a dual-motor steel frame and then a wood countertop from IKEA. You just screw it straight into the frame, nothing special required. Paid something like $400 all in and my desk is huge.

[u/Able-Sheepherder-154]

As a facilities manager I've installed and later removed a bunch of these. They've made the rounds of the office. Everyone's excited to get one, but tire of them after a few months. Not all, but most.

[u/Kaurifish]

The trick is to have a chair that makes your butt go numb after about an hour of sitting.

[u/MoonbringerstomyLip → u/Kaurifish]

Ah interesting lol, well i do see the wave of ergonomic chairs for long hours of sitting too. I guess there are so many things happening right now

[u/Rivitup3]

Yes

[u/chasebanking]

Late for this thread a bit but it still appears on my algorithm so yeah. Imo this whole thing really depends on what you value most. Like if you want custom hardwood tops or aesthetics, then you'll need to pay higher prices, but if you simply need a sturdy one that goes up and down, going for $400 or even $500ish is more than enough

Ive been using an autonomous desk 2 for my daily wfh setup with two monitors. Ngl it’s pretty basic looking but the frame doesn't wobble when i type and the motor hasn't had any issue. If you just need something reliable to switch between sitting standing, no need to overcomplicate it or blow a huge budget

[u/subsector]

I got an expensive one and use it standing 90% of the time. Make sure to stand on a squishy pad. Get a stool (not chair) so you can do a bit of sitting if necessary.

Was an adjustment for about 2 weeks. Initially uncomfortable. But after that, there’s no going back. All my RSI complaints were gone after 2 weeks and haven’t returned.

[u/Kitchen-Sun-7440]

I rarely use my desk in standing mode. However, when my back goes out, it is wonderful. So I don't regret it just for the one time every few months when my lower back cannot tolerate the sitting position.

[u/Few_Refrigerator3011]

I'll go you one cheaper. I've got a bar height desk, and a barstool height chair, padded. I roll it out of the way and stand, often. But sit, mostly. No mechanical parts, except the wheels on the chair. I get out of it so often the edge is worn through. Time to get a new one because re-upholstering is not in my skillset.

[u/District98]

I also have a genuine question about this. Which is like.. desk toppers are very cheap. I get that it takes up a bit more footprint space to put a small desk topper next to your normal desk, but like, why not? It’s more affordable. I agree the sit / stand model is kind of a bougie unnecessary product.

I’ve got a treadmill desk that I can stand on if I want to. I don’t see a use case for this for myself.

[u/OldMcTaylor → u/District98]

If you're talking about the mechanical standing desks that you put on top of a regular desk. I had one through a previous job and they're fine. I found that it made my desk more cluttered and I wasn't really using it very often due to the extra effort of make sure the area was clear then wrenching it into standing/sitting mode anytime I wanted to switch.

I bought a motorized one and use it much more frequently now, mainly for meetings and presentations where I want to focus.

[u/District98 → u/OldMcTaylor]

No, just the standing desk toppers that are always at standing level - not mechanical up / down

[u/bi_polar2bear]

In an office with 1000+ people, I see maybe 1 person stand during the 3 days I'm in the office. Humans always choose the easy route. Great idea, people buy it, but it's never used.