Last updated: April 19th, 2026
I’m guilty. I’ve been known for spending upwards of $2,000 on a standing desk, packed with features an accessories that seemed like a good idea at the time.
Truth be told, I didn’t use most of those features.
Standing desks cost between $300 and $3,000, with most top brands pricing theirs a just above $950. But you can easily get carried away, choosing more expensive models and ticking options – until you spend as much as originally did.
Let me help you build the ultimate standing desk – without blowing your budget.
Here are 9 features you actually need. (By the way, here are 10 standing desk features that are a total waste of money).
Above: The Secretlab Magnus Pro in all its glory. Notice how the cable plugs into the bottom of its leg (then read my point about advanced power systems below).
1. Excellent Back-To-Front Stability.
Most standing desks in Australia are surprisingly stable. As long as you don’t buy yours from Officeworks, or something for under $300 on Amazon, you’ll be fine.
A 100% wobble-free standing desk is a myth.
Even my UpDown Pro and Desky Dual sway a decent amount when extended to typical standing (~100-105cm) height.
Push them to their limits (about 120cm), and they sway like trees in the wind.
This happens because telescopic legs must have tiny gaps between sections to enable movement. But as the desk rises, the distance between points of contact inside the column changes – which you experience as wobble.
Most people don’t realise that “stability” can mean two things – back-to-front and side-to-side.
If you have a lot of equipment on your desktop, this is the part you need to pay close attention to:
- Side-to-side wobble is annoying – and is often a great measure of the desk’s overall build quality – but harmless.
- Back-to-front wobble, however, is dangerous – because it is likely to throw your monitor(s) off the desktop. It’s also easier to induce, as your hands are far more likely to push on your desktop in the front-to-back dimension.
2. Advanced Power Systems.
Above: A quad pack of integrated under-desk powerplugs on my Stando Pulse.
Your $1,500 standing desk will look terrible until you tidy up its cables. Unfortunately that’s easier said than done.
Most standing desks will offer a complimentary (or cheap) cable tray.
It’s much better than leaving all your cables hanging under the desk, but isn’t very useful if you tend to add or remove cables often.
As soon as you have to unplug one, you’ll need to spend 15 minutes under your desk with a flashlight, banging your head on things, unplugging everything – just to get to the powerplug you need.
Integrated power boards solve this problem.
Yes, they’re not cheap (expect to pay $150-250, depending on whether you choose 4 or 8 sockets), but they’ll save you a lifetime of frustration.
If you want to get really advanced, choose a desk with a power socket at the bottom of its leg. At this stage, only Stando Pulse and Secretlab Magnus offer this feature.
This removes the need to run an ugly power cable up the desk leg, or buy a bulky cable spine.
3. OLED Controller.
Above: My Secretlab Magnus Pro has an integrated controller. Very sleek and modern. Massive thumbs up from me.
This is a purely aesthetic detail.
But a nice-looking controller adds a noticeable amount of gravitas to your standing desk.
A cheap-looking controller can make a premium desk look underwhelming (looking at you, Robin Pro).
Pay attention to two things:
- Screen. Make sure it’s OLED. Everything else looks dated.
- Plastic. Make sure it’s hard, expensive-looking plastic. You don’t want your #1 touchpoint with the desk to feel like it was made by Toyota. In 1995.
Expert Tip.
Premium brands include a USB-C charging port on the controller. It’s good in theory, but useless in practice – it just adds cable clutter in the worst possible spot. I prefer to plug my USB-C peripherals straight into my computer or monitor.
4. Dual Motors.
This is a controversial one. Some desks I recommend (e.g., UpDown KLIK) have one motor – but they’re a rare exception.
The KLIK’s columns are built by Linak in Europe, and the single motor design isn’t a cost-saving measure.
Whatever the company saved by not installing a second motor, it spent creating a clever gearbox that distributes the load evenly between columns.
The single motor has to work harder, which means it’s more likely to fail faster. Stay away – unless you plan to use your desk very infrequently.
Don’t have much money? You can can get a dual-motor Artiss for around $300.
5. Long Warranty.
Above: The UpDown KLIK has a 10 year warranty on frame and electrical components, and 5 year warranty on the desktop.
Let me make this easy for you – buy a premiun desk (i.e. one that costs more than $1,000), and it will last you for 10-20 years.
These things really are bulletproof. The premium models are usually covered by a 10+ year warranty.
I promise you’ll get bored of it long before it dies.
Ha. Yep, dark humour.
Buying a cheap standing desk (less than $500) is a roll of the dice. You may get lucky, and it will last longer than you expected.
But it’s also entirely possible it will break soon after its short (usually 1-2 year) warranty expires.
And because cheap desks are not designed to be repaired, you may need to throw the whole thing out after the controller fails.
6. 3-Stage Legs.
Above: 9am Home desks have excellent 3-stage legs. The round shape is also a welcome deviation from ubiqutous (and increasingly boring) square leg designs.
Who doesn’t love nice, long legs?
Stay away from 2-stage legs. Like single motors, they’re usually a symptom of a cheap build.
They’re usually made form pressed sheetmetal (instead of cast iron), making them more flexible (read – wobbly).
7. Threaded Inserts.
Look out for this little detail. It strongly suggests that the desk is made to last.
It also makes the assembly of your desk far less painful – especially if you have a hardwood desktop.
Driving screws into hardwood with a manual screwdriver is not my idea of fun. But I had to do it 4 years ago when my first UpDown Pro arrived.
Thankfull, the company has upgraded to threaded inserts shortly after.
8. Great Assembly Instructions and/or Pre-Assembly.
Why is it so hard for many standing desk brands to provide a legible, large assembly manual?
No – it’s not a deal breaker.
You only have to assemble the desk once, so I wouldn’t rule out a desk I like because of substandard assembly instructions.
But as Apple has figured out a long time ago, every touchpoint with a brand matters. Even the packaging and the assembly.
They colour every subsequence experience you have with the product.
- Some brands (e.g., Desky) have outstanding assembly instructions. You get an easy-to-digest, large booklet that always gives you just the right amount of information, one step at a time.
- Other brands (e.g., 9am Home) take this a step further, and ship the desk partially pre-assembled. The desktop is already pre-wired, with the crossbar attached – you just have to click the legs on. Brilliant.
9. Monitor Riser.
Above: I bought this monitor riser from Desky. See how it creates a storage space below the monitor?
This is technically an accessory – not a feature. But it’s a must-have.
The name is misleading, as its most useful function isn’t to elevate your monitor.
It’s to increase the usable surface area of your desktop, which you will run out of sooner than you think.
It’s also instrumental in keepng your desktop tidy. Buy a few trays and boxes on Amazon, stick them under your riser, and you can stick all your loose knick-knacks there.
Steven
