Last updated: 17th Aug 2026
I’ve reviewed 30+ standing desks in my home office over the past 5 years. Everything from $350 cheapies like the Artiss to the fully specced hardwood monsters like the recycled Messmate UpDown Pro+. All of them have wobbled – to an extent.
This is ironic, because I know from my ties to the industry that Australian consumers prioritise standing desk stability over any other feature.
So, what the? How does one square this apparent contradiction?
Every Standing Desk Wobbles Eventually.
There is no contradiction.
“Is this desk sturdy?” is one of the most common questions consumers ask – but it’s the wrong question. It’s too binary.
Almost every desk is stable at sitting height (and if you find one that’s not, run!)
So the more meaningful question is – does substantial wobble appear below your typical standing height, and how severe is it?
Expert Tip.
To measure your standing desk height, stand with your elbows bent, so your forearms are parallel to the floor. The distance between your forearms and the floor is your standing desk height. It will be the height of your desktop while working in the standing position.
Above: Measure your standing desk height like this, but reduce it by about 2cm to offset for the height of the standing mat (you’ll need one to ensure your feet don’t hurt – trust me).
Australian Standing Desks Are Reasonably Stable.
The good news is that most standing desks on the Australian market don’t wobble a lot. You could buy any desk in my review and be OK.
Of the 30+ desks I tested, only the horror show that is the Otto Newhaven from Officeworks and a few cheapies from Amazon failed the test – badly.
Some were certainly better than others, but I think there’s little value in debating which sufficiently sturdy desk is the sturdiest.
For me, stability is non-negotiable – the desk must clear that certain (admittedly difficult to measure and standardise) threshold to pass.
Once it does, I care far more about the features that meaningfully distinguish it from its rivals.
Important!
If you really want to do your due diligence, you could pick a brand that lets you touch, smell and see your desk before you buy it.
Your best bets here are UpDown and Desky.
The former has two locations across Australia (Dee Why in Sydney and Hawthorn in Victoria) that you can visit. Desky, meanwhile, has 5 locations across Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.
Why Do Standing Desks Wobble?
Stability is rarely a result of one feature that makes the desk feel bulletproof. It’s usually a function of many variables adding up.
In case you’re wondering, glides are little wedges that sit between the leg columns.
Think of them as doing the same work as cartilage does in your knee joints – they act as a cushion that prevents hard metal parts from grinding against each other.
Above: Cheaper desk brands (e.g., Ikea) have top-only glides, which are worse at keeping the desk stable.
Problems with glides arise for three reasons:
- Inconsistent column sizes. This is a manufacturing issue in the column – not the glide itself. Cheaper brands have looser QC processes, which means some columns may be larger or smaller. If you’re unlucky enough to get a desk with poor-fitting columns, it will wobble.
- Top-only glide design. I created a diagram (above) to illustrate the issue. Top and bottom glides add cost, but reduce the amount of play within the columns – especially at full extension.
- Glide wear and tear. This one depends on you to a certain extent. If you’re rough on your gear (e.g., lean on it a lot, put it through dozens of up/down cycles every day), the polyurethane glides will grind away faster.
Quick release legs can also undermine stability.
Important!
Bolts are a proven method of attaching legs without sacrificing stability, but it is fiddly.
Some manufacturers have started to introduce legs that simply snap into position. Just push on a lever and hey, presto – the leg is attached.
Unfortunately, this mechanism can introduce stability issues – especially over time. I’ve reviewed several desks with this design (the EverDesk, which is no longer in production, as well as the Dora Pro by 9am Home.
Both passed, but were noticeably less stable than desks with a traditional leg attachment system.
Expert Tip.
The good news is that this design introduces side-to-side wobble – which is far more harmless than back-to-front wobble.
The other two factors that typically cause stability issues are user errors:
- Thick carpets. Specifically, the carpet underlay – its spongy nature creates a perfect base for your desk to rock on.
- Unbalanced setup. Put your monitor (or any other heavy object) significantly behind the vertical axis, and you create an off-centre load.
The second point is particularly important – because it’s within your control.
You likely won’t rip up carpets in your house just to improve the stability of your standing desk. But you can be smarter about your gear choices.
As guys (yes, it’s always guys), we love to flex out WFH setups.
But while clamping multiple monitors to an arm clamped at the rear of your desk vastly improves your Instagram feed, it also makes your setup less stable. That arm is a long lever that will amplify any play you introduce into the system.
Steven
