Stando Pulse Standing Desk Review: Pros, Cons & Verdict

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At first glance, the Stando Pulse looks like every other premium standing desk in Australia. If you don’t look closely enough to see the Stando logo on the controller, you could easily mistake it for an UpDown Pro, a Desky Dual or a Stand Desk.

And I would forgive you – because visually, the Pulse is almost identical.

You get a robust-looking frame and a selection of melamine, bamboo and hardwood desktops.

But the Stando Pulse differs from them all in one important way.

(Related: Updown Standing Desk Review: Why I Love It 4 Years Later).

Quick Verdict.

Above: The Stando Pulse with a melamine desktop called “Elegant Oak”.

You get a robust-looking frame and a selection of melamine, bamboo and hardwood desktops.

Pros	Cons
Concealed Power System. Stando’s power cable runs inside its leg, obliterating clutter.	69cm Minimum Height. Most standing desks go as low as 60-64cm, making them better suited for shorter users.
Excellent Cable Tray. Wide, long and deep, with 8 power ports.	Pricey. The fancy cable management system commands a premium.
Click-Together Legs. Cuts down assembly time by about 30%.	No Trial. Unlike UpDown and Stand Desk, Stando does not offer a free return option.

Who Should Buy The Stando Pulse?

The Pulse is a desk for people who have high expectations, are slightly OCD, time-poor, impatient and allergic to fuss.

I hate that even the tidiest WFH standing desk setups always have a power cable running up a desk’s leg.

The Pulse solves the issue once and for all by hiding the cable inside one of its legs.

Brilliant.

Only one other desk in Australia – the youth-oriented Secretlab Magnus Pro has this feature.

You also get Stando’s magnificent cable management channel, with its 8 external-facing power ports, as standard.

This is indispensable for people who regularly need quick access to their desk’s power plugs.

I’ve been reviewing Australia’s best standing desks for almost 5 years, so I’ve assembled dozens of these things.

And regardless of what manufacturers tell you, assembling a standing desk is never an effortless, pleasant experience.

But click-together legs remove one of the clunkiest steps of the process.

Personally, I wish Stando had leaned more fully into the “fast assembly” vibe by delivering the desktop preassembled and prewired (e.g., like the 9am Home Dora Pro).

That said, this move would also jack up the desk’s shipping cost.

Instead, Stando caters to people who are short on time (or patience) with the option to have the desk assembled by its delivery team on arrival.

Stando’s corporate clients will likely pay this without blinking, but something in the neighbourhood of $100 would be more appropriate for retail customers.

Speaking of fees, all the extra fruit you get on Stando Pulse costs roughly $300. Expect to part with roughly $1400 for a model with a softwood or melamine 150x75cm desktop.

Is it worth it?

Depends on your priorities and personality.

Let me sum it up for you this way:

5 Things I Love About The Stando Pulse.

The Pulse is Stando’s premium model. You get a choice of bamboo, melamine and hardwood desktop options.

1. Concealed Power Supply.

Above: Stando Pulse’s power cable plugs in at the bottom of its left leg.

Look around your home.

Can you find a single electrical appliance with a power cable that attaches at the top of the device?

Would you buy a kettle with a power cable that runs into the lid – rather than the base?

So why do most standing desk brands insist on doing the equivalent of this by running the power to the crossbeam – rather than the leg?

I get it – this creates engineering challenges. And it’s more expensive.

I’m writing this in October of 2025, a month when SpaceX is scheduled to launch three rockets into space.

Are you telling me that we, as a humanity, haven’t yet solved the problem of running power to a standing desk?

And pinning the cable behind the leg (or stuffing it inside a cable management spine) isn’t exactly neat.

I love the fact that Stando took a bold stance here, putting the power supply where it belongs – at the bottom of the leg.

I predict that in five years this feature will be standard on all but the cheapest desks.

But for now, Stando is leading the charge.

2. Excellent Cable Management Tray.

Above: Pulse’s cavernous cable management channel runs the entire width of the desk.

Have you ever had to unplug a peripheral, only to realise it’s plugged into a powerboard inside your cable management channel?

Locating it means pulling out a spiderweb of cables, untying zip-ties. Then stuffing it all back in.

Or you have the opposite problem – you need to add a peripheral.

But your cable management tray is full. You have no physical space left. And even if you did, you have no power sockets available.

You won’t experience either of these issues with the Stando Pulse. The desk comes standard with a huge cable tray equipped with 8 external-facing power sockets.

You unlock it in one swift motion by pulling on levers at either side of the tray.

Desky and UpDown, meanwhile, opt for dual-action screws that never go in smoothly – and need to be finessed into position.

3. Click-Together Assembly.

Above: Stando Pulse’s 3-section matt powder-coated legs click into position.

Click-together legs are becoming increasingly popular on Australian standing desks.

Instead of fiddling with an allen key to drive 4-8 screws into each leg, you align the leg with its slot and press a lever.

The leg locks into position.

But does it make a difference? Yes, but it’s a minor one.

As I wrote in my review of the UpDown KLIK, attaching the legs is one of the many time-consuming steps involved in assembling a standing desk. The others are:

Do you care that your assembly time is now 50 minutes instead of 60?

4. Flat 10-Year Warranty.

Above: The programmable controller has four memory settings, which you can switch between at a speedy 60mm/sec.

Stando is one of few standing brands to offer both generous and simple warranty.

And while some brands complicate your life by segmenting the warranty (e.g., three years on controllers, five years on desktops and ten years on frame), Stando gives you a total peace of mind with flat coverage.

5. Excellent Stability.

Above: Wobbling is the #1 concern of standing desk buyers. Ascent buyers don’t need to worry.

Wobbling is the #1 concern for Australian standing desk consumers.

Thankfully, Stando excels in this department. It wobbles very little – and on par with other premium standing desks in Australia, like UpDown and Desky.

Yes, the Pulse will wobble a little – mainly side-to-side – if you extend it to its near maximum height, but this is normal behaviour.

Even the most expensive premium desks wobble slightly when pushed to their limits.

Above: Stando’s height controller is smart and minimalist. Narrow form function means it’s less likely to jam against your chair.

3 Things I Dislike About The Stando Pulse.

Despite its strengths, the Stando Pulse has several quirks and downsides:

1. Not For Short People.

Above: The Elegant Oak melamine desktop looks great, considering it’s not real wood.

Remember that engineering limitation I mentioned above?

One downside of running power inside the desk’s leg is that the electronics don’t allow the telescopic sections to retract fully, leaving you with an unusually tall 69cm minimum height.

Is this an issue?

Only if you’re short.

Stando openly admits that the Pulse is a desk for people who are taller than 175cm, but in my view, they’re being quite conservative.

You could get away with using one if you’re 165cm – especially if you have long limbs.

But if in doubt, I suggest you make an effort to see a Pulse in person before buying.

2. High-Ish Price Point.

Above: The 150x75cm desktop is the ideal size for most Australian homes. It’s deep enough to accommodate a monitor and still leave you with plenty of room for keyboard and peripherals.

The Pulse is loaded with fruit, and that comes at a price.

The click-together legs and power management features add a ~$300-$350 premium over equivalent models.

Whether you splash the extra dough on the Pulse will depend on your relationship with time and money.

I can see the Pulse appealing to people for whom time is literally money. For example, freelancers, salespeople and business owners.

3. No 100-Day Trial.

Above: Stando Pulse looks smart and minimalist in a WFH setting. Especially when paired with a nice office chair (my Haworth Fern, in case you’re wondering) and peripherals.

Unfortunately, Stando decided not to offer a risk-free trial, for reasons I can understand.

It means UpDown and Stand Desk continue to lead the pack in the Australian market when it comes to offering 100-day risk-free trials.

Is a trial 100% necessary?

No.

Nonetheless, Reddit is full of people who spend months – often years – deliberating about the “best” standing desk to buy.

Their analysis paralysis is often caused by the fact that most standing desks in Australia are sold sight-unseen, via direct-to-consumer brands like Stando.

And for a lot of people, parting with $1,000-$1,500 on a product they’ve seen only online is a big deal.

For them, a 100-day risk-free trial serves as a mechanism to derisk their purchase.

Which is why I keep raising as an important “nice-to-have” feature.

Technical Specifications.

Key engineering facts:

Height Range	69-130cm
Motor Speed	36mm/sec
Max Load	150 kg
Frame Weight	37.5 kg

Is The Stando Pulse A Good Buy?

Is the Stando Pulse worth the money?

Yes, but it’s not a desk for everyone. It’s not for:

Rather, it’s a desk aimed at an astute buyer who expects strong foundations and a healthy dose of innovation.

On the one hand, the Pulse embraces strong foundations that have proven to work time and time again in Australia.

On the other hand, it introduces tech that I haven’t seen in many desks.

Yes, it’s not cheap.

But people it’s aimed at won’t care.

And they’ll appreciate the peace of mind that comes with Pulse’s flat 10-year warranty.

Yes, I wish the company offered a 100-day trial, or at least an option for Sydneysiders to view the desk before buying it, but these are minor quibbles.

Steven