Best Standing Desks of 2024 [CNET]

Our Experts

James Bricknell Senior Editor

James has been writing about technology for years but has loved it since the early 90s. While his main areas of expertise are maker tools — 3D printers, vinyl cutters, paper printers, and laser cutters — he also loves to play board games and tabletop RPGs.

Expertise 3D printers, maker tools such as Cricut style vinyl cutters and laser cutters, and traditional paper printers Credentials

• 6 years working professionally in the 3D printing space / 4 years testing consumer electronics for large websites.

$340 at Ikea

Best budget standing desk

Ikea Trotten Standing Desk

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$1,800 at Eureka

The best executive standing desk

Eureka Ark ES executive desk

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Additional 5% off CNET exclusive applied at checkout on Ark Standing Desk Models

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$949 at Secret Lab

The best standing gaming desk money can buy

SecretLab Magnus Pro XL

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If you are like many folks, you may find yourself at a desk, whether for a regular day job or a work-from-home gig. Working at a desk all day can be hard on your body and mind. It can lead to reduced productivity for many, and you may even find yourself experiencing back soreness or feeling like you constantly need to get up and stretch your legs. A standing desk eliminates many of these issues, letting you switch up your position throughout the day. There are also other upsides, like health benefits.

Research has shown that sitting for long stretches isn’t healthy. It’s associated with cardiovascular disease, obesity and other potential health risks. Although many are obligated to be at their desk the whole day, using standing desks can help offset some of the ill effects. Scientists are still looking into exactly how much of a health difference standing can have against sitting, but some research shows that an average person will burn 8 additional calories per hour by standing instead of sitting. Other estimates are significantly higher.

If you’ve been wanting to stop sitting a lot and hop on the standing desk trend, here are our picks for the best standing desks, listed below. I tested popular models from several different standing desk companies to find the right standing desk for your workspace, from budget sit-stand desks to premium standing desk options.

What is the best standing desk?

Right now, the best standing desk you can buy is the Branch Standing Desk. With a mid-level price tag and high-end build quality, the Branch fits most people’s standing desk needs perfectly. It has four programmable heights, and the base is so sturdy the desk feels solid even at full extension.

Standing instead of sitting may not lead to weight loss, but it’s still shown to help moderate blood sugar faster following a meal and reduce the potential for back or shoulder pain (although you might be trading that for leg or foot pain). Check out these tips on how to position your desk for maximum comfort, whether you’re sitting or standing.

I tested a lot of standing desks of various prices, styles and options to get to this list of favorites. Each model is a little different, but they all share one key feature: the ability to raise or lower on demand to suit your specific home office needs.

Best standing desks of 2024

best office chairs list is a great combination.

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At first glance, the Branch standing desk looks pretty generic, but the level of craftsmanship is apparent on closer inspection. All of the materials feel premium, with a weight that only comes from good engineering. Putting it together was simple and only took about 30 minutes, although I think having two people would reduce that significantly. It was also extremely well packaged — something that Branch does with all its products — so it was in top shape once I had it all together.

The Branch desk can remember four separate heights and has a handy cable door at the back to keep your desk clear and tidy. While the desk can feel a little too business-like — I bought the white top and white legs — if you choose one of the warmer woods and the gray legs, it will likely fit into your home office better. If you are furnishing an office, then the Branch desk and Verve office chair from our best office chairs list is a great combination.

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I selected desks of different sizes and styles. Some are controlled manually, while others have electric motors for height adjustment. To test each standing desk, I started by building each one and noting the ease or difficulty, including whether I needed help with any of the steps. Then I spent a full day working at each one — switching between sitting and standing — making notes when something worked particularly well or caused a problem.

I tested the Seville Classics Airlift Height Adjustable Desk with Glass Top, the Seville Classics Airlift Pro S3 Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk (no longer available), the Steelcase Solo Sit-To-Stand Desk and the Fezibo Height Adjustable Electric Standing Desk with Double Drawer, but they didn’t make the cut. The Airlift with Glass Top came close to earning a spot above. It’s a beautiful, sturdy desk at a midrange price. It also features a small center drawer for holding the basics. Unfortunately, its built-in touchscreen wasn’t very responsive and the two USB-A ports, while theoretically a nice tech feature, are outdated for most of today’s phones and tablets.

The Airlift Pro S3 was a decent desk, but it was a little tougher to install than the others in its size range and it had a cheaper-looking finish than the overall winner for best standing desk (the Vari desk).

The Steelcase Solo desk was surprisingly simple to install for its size (the same as the Vari desk). Instead of using screws to install the legs, these simply lock into place. The desk is sturdy, looks nice and is quiet when raising and lowering. The Vari has a more sophisticated control panel and a nicer-looking finish and comes with desk accessories.

The Fezibo model intrigued me due to its built-in storage, but I found this model more difficult to assemble than many of the others. Still, it’s a reasonable option if you’d like storage compartments integrated into your desk and two levels: one for holding your monitor and the other for your keyboard and related accessories.

As always, consider your specific needs before you buy a sit-stand desk. Do you have a lot of space and a higher budget? Consider the Vari or Uplift models. The Ikea model is a fantastic midsize manual desk at a great price. Regardless of your home setup, one of these models is bound to suit your needs. If you aren’t sold on a standing desk, consider a standing desk converter for your existing desk instead.

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