I've been researching a stand up desk for about a year. Every one I found was too expensive, too big, too electric (just one more thing to break), etc. Finally I found this one on Amazon and let me just say that for the money this desk is awesome. It's very sturdy (and I have it all the way up, more on that later), it looks good (ordered the wood laminate) and it works very well (had it for a month or so). I also love that it rolls, very easily BTW. I'm planning on attaching my surge protector to it so I can simply unplug one cord and move it wherever. The manual crank works great, easy up and down, but I leave it up mostly. The desk was packaged very well and assembly went smoothly. I put it together myself in about an hour. It would have been easier with two people but not bad if you just balance one side up against a wall when you start putting the two sides together. Here's my one word of advice, if you are 6' or taller, definitely make sure you check all your measurements. I'm 6' 1" and I checked my measurements with the desk height diligently. I knew when I ordered it that with a cushion gel mat I'd probably want it to be an inch or two taller for a perfect fit, and I do wish it was an inch or two taller. That said, I obviously ordered it anyway because this is exactly what I was looking for and honestly, if I really decide that extra inch is necessary, I can probably just get some longer bolts and shim up the bottom level. Read more
A little backstory. When I worked in an office, I had a 48" Varidesk for my Macbook Pro and 27" Thunderbolt and it was very nice, quick up and down and was very sturdy, but it took up most of my desk and was impossible to move without taking everything off it. I wanted a standup desk for my 60" desk at home and started to get another Varidesk, but I didn't want to give up the majority of my desktop. I did a search and found a nice looking adjustable desk that attached to my desk with a hydraulic arm that had the two tiers and a mount for my monitor. I can't remember the brand, but it would swing out of the way to the side of my desk when I wanted to use the desk for writing. The hydraulic arm allowed me to quickly change the height and swivel the desk to any angle I wanted. However, it was a bit flimsy and had a slight wobble when I typed, especially when standing up. It only lasted about 18 months before the hydraulic arm went out and was stuck in the down position. I went back and forth the the company for months and tried fixing it myself and no luck. I was sitting around 10 hours per day and I was really starting to feel the stiffness hitting me from sitting too long so I went on another search. This time I found several great options, but what really caught my eye with the StandUpDesk is the wheels on the desk. I can literally roll this desk anywhere in the room I want. The only limitation are the power cords. If I want to move across the room, I have to unplug the power strip and plug it back in on the other side. In any position, you cannot feel any movement in the desk. It's the best desk of all three I've had and tested. The only "negative" which is also why I bought this desk is that you have to crank it about 30 times from the lowest position to the highest position. I chose this option over the electric motor version because I figured the hand crank would last longer and I'll have less issues with any breakdowns. It takes less than 30 seconds to raise or lower the desk. I have a pc laptop, my 24" widescreen monitor and a macbook pro sitting on an aluminum stand on the top tier and two keyboards on the lower tier and still have space between them to write. There's plenty of room, but would probably be a little tight if two people tried to sit side by side. It looks great too. I love the dark walnut and silver color. It has a very high quality look. Oh and the wheels are very sturdy, not those flimsy kind you find on stuff like wet/dry vacs. Read more
End of day 3 of use, and I'm so happy I purchased this. This desk is much sturdier and nicer than I expected for the price. The two levels put my monitor and laptop at the right height for viewing on the upper level while my keyboard, mouse, and trackpad sit on the lower level. (But it's also nice that they offer a model that is all one big flat surface.) You do have to crank quite a bit to raise and lower it, but the motion is very smooth. As others have said, the crank handle does have a tendency to slip out of the hole if you crank vigorously, but a slight inward pressure while cranking takes care of that. The plastic-y desk surface does have a bit of texture to it, as another reviewer mentioned, so if you're going to be writing on single sheets of paper with nothing under them, you might consider getting a piece of glass cut to cover the lower level so you have a smooth surface (a local glass shop can do this pretty inexpensively). I write mostly in notebooks, so it's not a problem for me. The surface seems like it will be really durable. It is a little bit on the slippery side, so if your laptop and desktop detritus don't have nonslip pads on them, you might want to consider cutting some of that nonslip shelf liner stuff to go under things you don't want taking a dive. Assembly wasn't any more difficult than any other assemble-it-yourself furniture I've put together over the years. The instructions that came with mine had a revision date late in 2014, so maybe they're better than they used to be, based on other people's reviews. I did it by myself in a bit more than an hour without rushing. It would be faster and easier with a helper to hold things in alignment at a couple of the steps. One slip-up I made and had to redo: It's not super clear that two of the casters have locks on them and two of them don't. Ideally, you want a locking caster on the front of each leg. I wasn't paying attention and put them both on one side. Duh. It's really nice that they thought to include four predrilled holes on the crosspiece and loops for cord management. I opted not to use the loops they included for this purpose, but will be using the holes to attach a narrow shelf to hold my power strip and backup drive. Do yourself a favor and order an anti-fatigue mat at the same time. After day 1 with this desk, it became clear I would need one, so I just picked one up at Costco, but it would have saved time and a rough day on my feet if I had ordered it at the same time as the desk. Read more
