Last updated: 16th Apr 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
Cody says:
Hi,
Do you know 9am HOME standing desks?
I want to know how about their desk.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Cody, I’ve never seen them before but I took a quick look for you and I’m 90% certain it’s another Jiecang desk. You can tell by the design of the feet and the lowest height (60cm). Desky, Omnidesk, Stand Desk are all pretty much the same.
Cody says:
Which one do you mean? Pesk or Robin series? I am interested in their Robin series, it looks unique and beautiful. I can’t find anyone like it in Desky.
Steven McConnell says:
I was talking about the Pesk Series. Robin series does look attractive and unusual, but I’m usually not a fan of tubular legs as they tend to be more prone to wobble. I can’t say whether this is the case in this instance, as I haven’t physically tested the desk myself. The 10 year warranty is reassuring, however. I wish they offered a risk-free trial to let you test out the legs!
Cody says:
Thank you very much, Steven; I will take your comments into consideration.
Erin says:
Do you know much about Kangadesks? There are Australian as well.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Erin, its another Jiecang standing desk. Same as Desky, Omni, Stand Desk etc. The design of the feet and 60-125cm height range gives it away. The desk appears to currently be currently on sale for $299, which is an absolute steal and I’m wondering why they’re selling their stock at 1/3 of RRP. Regardless, even if they’re about to go bust, I’d still buy one at that price.
EDIT: Be careful. Fakespot showed these warnings while browsing their website: “Multiple eCommerce scam experiences detected, Poor customer service”
Suzy says:
Hi – given all the desks are so similar, is it possible to mix a desk from one brand with a drawer accessory from another? I don’t like the UpDown desk metal drawer (hangs very low so likely to impede leg space) but don’t mind the Desky one – can these be mixed and matched?
Thank you for the reviews! Super helpful.
Steven McConnell says:
Yes, it’s possible to play switcheroo. But you may want to consider that UpDown design is curved, so it will hurt less if you do jam your thighs into it. Desky’s meanwhile, is quite angular. Pro tip: you can also find a bunch of inexpensive slimline desk drawers on Amazon.
jason says:
I’ve spent far, far too much time agonising over which desk to get haha, definitely more than a week. Very happy that you’ve added the omni-desk to your catalogue. That was the one I was considering the most untill you came you with a review saying that it was more wobbly!
Anyways, do you have an opinion on the new updown desk KLIK Series? Its advertises to be significanlty ligher while having better (on paper) specs
Thanks!
Evelyn says:
Hi Steven, great blog post – thank you! I’m also wondering whether you have any opinion or insights on the new UpDown Desk KLIK series…they come at $100 more expensive (for the same size/table top) but seem to be ‘better’ according to the UpDown website.
Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Evelyn, thanks! I will have a full review of the KLIK up around February 2025. It’s not necessarily a better standing desk – but it is lighter, less bulky and promises easier assembly.
Ben Clements says:
Hi. I’m interested to know more about whether I actually could fit the Desky cable management system in the Omnidesk? I’ve had a look at the omnidesks in person at the showroom and it looks like their cable management trays screw on (vs the clip in at the edges of the desk with the Desky tray). The desky system also has the power plugs that snap into place in the tray.
So I’m curious to know if you have you tried it, and if so how did you do it please? Or is your thinking that you’d just buy the power boards and plugs from Desky and rest them in the Omnidesk tray?
I’m stuck, because I prefer the Omnidesks but I really love the idea of a single power lead!
Thanks
Steven McConnell says:
I just had a new Omnidesk delivered to my house. Give me about two weeks to assemble it, test it out and report back.
Sunni says:
Thanks for your very helpful (and funny) review. I used the information to to buy a Desky standing desk in record time – no consumer agonising for weeks, as is my usual practice. It has a pneumatic up/down mechanism, so lets see how that goes.
Steven McConnell says:
Ha! You’re welcome, Sunni. Glad I helped you cut down on the agonising. The pneumatic mechanism is an interest choice – let me know what you think of it?
Amber says:
Hi Steven,
Really great and insightful review. It was refreshing to see something that wasn’t filled with ChatGPT affiliate link garbage!
I’m curious about your opinion on L-shaped standing desks? I know that Desky, UpDown and a few other retailers offer these types of desks and I would assume they are more strong and stable, but I’m not an expert and I can also imagine the opposite being true due to the irregular shape. I’ve been looking at these types of desks because I think their shape suits my space the best. Do you have any knowledge on this or do you only have experience with regular rectangular shaped desks?
Steven McConnell says:
Thanks, Amber. Did you know that I have a L-shaped standing desk review? Search for “arielle best corner standing desks” and you’ll find it.
Melissa says:
Hi Steven great article thank you!
I’ve spent way to much time on this, and I’m now leaning towards the Artiss thanks to your review.
I’m wondering if you have any insight into ergonomic chairs for the home office also?
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Melissa, thanks! The Artiss is a great budget pick. I’ve written numerous ergonomic chair reviews – Google “arielle best ergonomic office chairs” to find them 🙂
tania says:
hey are there any other manual desks apart from the ikea ones you don’t recommend, that you would recommend? I prefer the idea of not needing electricity to move between stand up and sit down but maybe that doesn’t really exist?
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Tania, all of the premium brands (UpDown, Desky, etc) offer a manual crank model. Definitely the way to go if you want to avoid electronics. But TBH I suggest you reconsider. Electronics are very reliable these days – and hand-cranking your standing desk is more annoying than you’d expect.
Adam says:
Hi, do you know much about the UpDown Klik vs Pro system?
Steven McConnell says:
The company has shipped their new Klik standing desk to me yesterday. Stay tuned!
Scott Long says:
You mention in your review of the Up Down Pro that you would get the cable holes and grommets done, but it looks like your (very pretty) Messmate desk doesn’t have them. Is your recommendation a hindsight reflection, or did you choose not to spoil the look of the desk with the grommets? Without the grommets can you can still run the cables behind the desk and into the cable management tray? Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Scott, I said in the review that grommets and holes are a great idea, not that I have them. They’re less important if your standing desk faces a wall. But if you have an open-plan style home office like mine, they’ll make your workspace look much cleaner. PS You can still run cables into the tray without the holes and grommets – the cables will simply run behind the desk.
Isaac Jenkinson says:
Hello,
Have you had a chance to try the new UpDown Lyft model? Curious about its stability vs the pro.
Steven McConnell says:
Isaac,
Not yet. On first glance, it looks like a budget alternative to the “big brothers”. It’s probably pretty good (UpDown has a reputation to maintain), but I’m of the opinion that buying cheap means you pay more in the long term. I’d save up another few hundred bucks and get the Pro. You can often get a melamine or bamboo-topped model on sale for around $900.
David says:
This is a great site and will help me decide on which desk to buy. Have you heard any good/bad reviews about the Blacklyte Atlas Lite or Ergo-Rise II from BDO furniture?
Steven McConnell says:
David, thanks for the kind words. Never heard of the Atlas Lite until you mentioned it. Looks like a decent gaming desk that borrows heavily from Secretlab Magnus – but why not just buy a real Magnus instead?
As for the Ergo-Rise – looks like a decent desk, but its height controller is outdated. The best standing desk brands have upgraded to OLED controllers.
Ben says:
Thank you for writing this review Steven; really helpful to break through the BS.
By any chance have you used or hold an opinion on Vertilift desks?
Steven McConnell says:
You’re welcome. God, I haven’t even heard of them – but thanks for the heads-up. There are too many standing desks on the Australian market. Obviously I haven’t used these in person, but I’m almost certain they’re yet another Jiecang variant (i.e., frames are identical to Desky). You can tell by the identical max and min heights, as well as the design of the foot.
Eloise says:
Hey Steven, I was recommended the Alwyn or Octavia (Living Fusion) 140cm sit and stand desks from Temple and Webster which don’t even get a mention in your review. Would you bother with any of their brands ? (I may have dodged a bullet by finding your review!)
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Louise, I haven’t had first-hand experience with the T&W standing desk (must add one to my list!).
However, I had a look through the specs for you.
It doesn’t look too bad, actually – considering the price. If you can’t stretch your budget to ~$950 for an entry-level UpDown or Desky, this could be a good option.
Jordan says:
Hi Steven, Thanks for the review! I am starting out with a home office set up and need a new chair and sit stand desk. I’m a student but I prefer to buy things I know will last, but I don’t have too much experience with sit stand desks. I initially thought to buy the Artiss but have considered buying the Acacia UpDown Pro+ so I know it lasts and I don’t have to buy another desk in a couple of years. Is it worth the price jump for me? Thanks!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Jordan, the Artiss and the UpDown desks sell at two very different price points. If you have the budget, I suggest you stretch to the UpDown standing desk – you won’t regret it.
jason says:
I know you’ve disqualified the flexispot e7 pro so the e7 max plus would probably also be disqualified, but a quad motor 4 column desk frame at a prices competitive with UpDown desk is incredibly tempting. Plus 15 year warrenty (if the company lasts that long)
Have you had a chance to take a look? Its like half the price of the desky quad!
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Jason, great observation. I haven’t included quad standing desks here because they’ve traditionally attracted a niche consumer – someone who needs to place a tonne of gear on the desktop and doesn’t mind paying 2X the usual price. But Flexispot’s sharp pricing on their quad desk certainly changes things. I haven’t seen one in the wild yet – but the specs look promising.
Steven
Goce says:
Do you have a list of best non standing desks? I never stand so I don’t see a reason to spend extra on electric motors etc.
Steven McConnell says:
Ha! That’s the best question so far. I don’t – do you think people want a guide on this?
Goce says:
I’m sure there are other people like me. I’d be interested in style and other than standing functionality offered by such a desk.