Investing in one of the best standing desks could transform your workday, whether you're designing, coding or gaming. Beyond the health benefits (reduced back pain, improved circulation, and better posture), a standing desk can sharpen your focus and boost productivity during those long creative sessions.
At Creative Bloq, we've tested dozens of standing desks in real home office environments, evaluating everything from build quality and ease of assembly to motor smoothness and cable management. And our team has spent months with these desks, understanding how they perform under daily use with multiple monitors, peripherals and equipment.
The best standing desks
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Best overall
This is my current standing desk at home, and I have absolutely no desire to change it. Though the construction was a tad fiddly (though to be fair, I did it by myself, which is not advised), the finished product is both beautiful to look at, and a joy to use.
Every standing desk has a unique selling point, and if I had to chose for the Sway, I'd say it's the brilliant controls. A length-ways LED touch display, it's basically a line that you can swish your finger up and down on, and the desk moves to your pre-set hight. I also managed to set two heights without consulting the guidebook, so I'd say it's pretty intuitive.
First released in 2015, the Sway standing desk has had a couple of updates in recent years, and you really feel them in the details. The quite motors, smoothly moving the desk, the reassuring anti-collision system, and the controls that can cater for four users all stand out. Read my full Sway standing desk review.
Best L-shaped
This is another option that isn't cheap, but an L-shaped desk offers a lot more space than a conventional desk, and it can be particularly useful if you have a setup that involves more than one screen. And it's an area where there's very little competition since there just aren't many L-shaped standing desks around. Our reviewer tried out Brödan's offering for a couple of weeks in his home office and was impressed with its quality and convenience. The electric motor allows you to preset three heights, and there are some nice touches such as power outlets and cable management.
It's big and heavy and not the easiest to manoeuvre once assembled, but then much of that is because of the quality of the materials. All in all, if you’ve got the money to spend and need the flexible space that comes with an L-shaped desk, this is a great option.
See our full Brödan Electric Standing L Desk review for more details.
Best value
For my money, the FlexiSpot E9 offers some of the best value for money you can get when it comes to standing desks. Currently retailing for as little as £499 or $339, it's an eminently affordable option, and while you can drive the price up by customising with add-ons like castors, storage, power strips or even an under-desk bike, a good way to keep the desk within your budget is to simply not do that.
Our reviewer liked this desk from the moment it arrived. It's fairly heavy, but the assembly process itself is pretty easy and painless. It requires a power drill and an extra pair of hands, but the instructions are clear and all told it took less than an hour (flatpack experts will likely manage it a good deal faster). And once the desk is up, that heaviness rebrands itself as sturdiness – this is not a desk that wobbles easily.
Height can be adjusted via the LCD panel, which is useful if you want to be able to quickly switch between sitting and standing positions – and there's a built-in child lock to prevent accidents. The movement is also smooth enough that you don't have to clear the desk when you want to change positions; we found that even a full cup of tea wasn't disturbed by it. The height range is suitable even for very tall people, and the desk surface itself gives you plenty of space. It can hold a weight capacity of up to 180kg, which is plainly more than enough for even the most cluttered workspace.
For the money, this is a bargain, and I feel comfortable recommending it as one of the best-value standing desks on the market.
Read our full FlexiSpot E9 review to see more.
Best for gaming
The Secretlab Magnus Evo brings premium gaming desk features to a more accessible price point, starting at $749/£599/€699. What sets this desk apart is its ingenious magnetic cable management system – steel panels on the back and sides let you snap cable tidies and accessories into place with a satisfying click, while a concealed magnetic cable tray keeps power strips hidden from view.
Available in 150cm and 177cm (XL) widths, the Magnus Evo features dual motors for smooth, quiet height adjustment between 72-117cm. The front-mounted capacitive touchscreen lets you program three preset heights – perfect for multiple users – and includes a welcome on-off switch to prevent accidental adjustments. With a 120kg load capacity, it handles multi-monitor setups with ease.
The all-black steel construction looks sleek and professional enough for creative work while maintaining that gaming aesthetic. Optional accessories like monitor arms, headphone hooks, and under-desk PC mounts integrate seamlessly with the magnetic surfaces. Check out our full Secretlab Magnus Evo review for the complete picture.
Read more: Secretlab Magnus Evo review
Best premium
If you've got a little bit of money set aside for a premium build standing desk, the Uplift V2 is a great option. It will do all the things that the number one standing desk will do, above, but with an added focus on silky smooth movement and stability. With dual motors, the Uplift V2 is also quite responsive in its movement. As with the top choice, there's also a feature that will stop the desk moving if it detects that it's 'hit' something on the way down (your chair, your knees, etc).
There are more options for attachments in the Uplift V2, allowing you to attach and hold your desktop computer, for example, under and to the side of the desk. This is particularly great if, like me, your desk is already nicely filled.
Best build quality
Constructed from recycled steel, and made without any toxic chemicals, the Humanscale Float is an environmentally sound choice of premium standing desk. It doesn't use a crank or a motor, but rather a counterbalance mechanism not dissimilar to that of a sash window, making height changes the work of effortless seconds.
It can be adjusted with one hand, even if you've absolutely laden it with heavy equipment and fat books, like we have. All you need to do is turn the weight adjustment handle a few times to compensate, press the handle under the desktop, then lift or lower it.
It's a tough desk too, just in case you do plan on subjecting it to some cruel and unusual punishment.
Standing desk FAQs
Why are standing desks good for you?
Wondering what the health benefit is to a standing desk?
The idea of standing all day may seem strange, but studies have indicated a variety of health benefits. For instance, some studies have shown that after a meal, blood sugar returns to normal levels more quickly in a standing person than a sitting person. Standing also burns more calories than sitting, even if you're standing still, and it can also be much better for your posture; sitting for long periods puts pressure on your back and discs. Standing while working may not be for everyone, but there are definitely benefits to doing so.
How high should my standing desk be?
It's all about configuring it to your specific needs.
You should set your standing desk to roughly elbow-height – to a point where your elbows can rest roughly 90 degrees from the floor. As a guide, a person of the rough average height of 5'11" (180cm) should have their standing desk at about 44 inches, or 112cm. Ideally, your fingers should lightly meet the keys of your keyboard, and your monitor should be 20-28 inches (51-71 cm) away from your face.
How do I choose a standing desk?
The first thing to think about when buying a standing desk is its height. At its full height, you'll want to be able to stand at it comfortably, without hunching over something that's too small or straining to reach something that's too high. This also means you'll have to take your own height into consideration, as what will fit a 5ft2 person, won't work for a 6ft3 person!
Next, you'll need to think about the standing desk's ease of movement and lifting mechanism, so whether you have to manually crank it up or press a button for it to rise. The speed and noise it makes is also important to consider, and you'll need to check how much weight it can take so you can fit all your equipment on it.
Once you've decided all the features and functionalities you want from your standing desk, it's time to narrow down your budget and find an option in our best standing desk guide above.
How we test
At Creative Bloq, we test a variety of products that makes artists, editors and designers lives easier and more creative. From standing desks to drawing tablets, we test everything you could possibly need to fulfill your creative dreams, and we do this honestly and expertly to give you the best recommendations.
How we test products, like the best standing desks, is we spend time with the product to test out its full capabilities. For example, when testing a standing desk, we'd look into how it sits as a normal desk and how it rises to standing, height and width, comfortability and other additional features, like price. From there, we compare each standing desk to similar models and other brand models to see which one is the best of the best.
All our reviews are written by experts in the field of art and design, and who use these products daily. We also update our reviews and guides regularly, so our readers get up-to-date information about any changes or updates on the product that we think are worth knowing before you buy.
For more information on testing, head over to how we test at Creative Bloq.
