Last updated: March 25th, 2025
I have used the UpDown Desk Pro Series for the past three years. It’s one of the best standing desks in Australia, and today, I’ll share my daily experience of using it as a daily driver.
I’ll give you several reasons to buy it and several to look elsewhere.
But the world doesn’t need another generic review of the UpDown Pro series.
Therefore, I won’t dwell on features covered by other reviewers, which are, frankly, expected in the price segment that UpDown Pro competes in. For example:
- Anti-collision sensor.
- Dual motors.
- Child lock.
- Fast speed of movement.
Instead of covering this well-worn ground, I want to dig into more nuanced aspects of ownership and answer the real question – is the UpDown Pro worth your money?
Reasons To Buy And Avoid The UpDown Pro.
- 100-day money back guarantee.
- The most heavy-duty steel frame of all standing desks in Australia.
- Desktops to suit most tastes, including budget, softwood and hardwood options.
- Responsive, cluey customer support with a 4.9 star Google review rating.
- Height range (61.5-127cm) might not be low enough if you’re shorter than 160cm.
- 75cm desktop depth might not fit small home offices.
- The new OLED height adjustment controller is nice, but not as nice as the competition’s.
Today’s Best Deals.
5 Things I Love About the UpDown Pro.
There’s a lot to like.
Apart from the 100-day, money-back guarantee that covers your investment, the UpDown Pro has several features that I find very enticing.
Above: My UpDown Pro series with a 150cm New Messmate desktop. Plenty of space for two laptops side-by-side.
1. Build Quality Of The Frame.
The first thing you notice about the UpDown Pro standing desk is how reassuringly heavy and solid its metal frame is. This is a welcome change in 2025, when most furniture seems flimsy and disposable Ikea-grade stuff.
The frame feels as bulletproof as the steel bullbar bolted to the front of my 4WD.
Above: Open the cardboard boxes and you’ll be greeted by solid steel beams and satisfyingly chunky legs.
Because of this chunky frame, the desk has a low centre of gravity, which helps it remain very sturdy.
For most people, the standing height of the desk would be roughly 90-100cm. At that height, the desk has almost zero front-back and side-side wobble.
I’m unusually tall (200cm), and set my desk to 115cm when standing.
At this height, deliberately pushing the desk around induces noticeable wobble. But to be fair – every standing desk performs the same or worse at this elevation.
Important!
In my experience, even the best standing desks wobble a little when fully extended. You can’t cheat physics – the telescopic arms need tiny tolerance gaps between them to move without jamming. The further you extend the sections, the larger the angle differential between them becomes.
2. Gorgeous Hardwood Desktops.
I’m a big fan of modern wood furniture and have a long history of buying hardwood dining tables for my homes.
Aesthetics aside, I don’t like standing desks made from cheap particle board because I clamp a lot of equipment to my desktop and don’t want to worry about things breaking, sagging or creating indents.
Above: The New Messmate desktop showing streaks of morning sun. The naturally occurring wood knots create a striking pattern.
My UpDown Pro standing desk is optioned with a New Messmate desktop, so this is the only one I can speak about from first-hand experience.
If New Messmate wasn’t available, I’d choose one of the other hardwoods.
If I was on a tight budget, I’d go with the understated style of black melamine.
Expert Tip.
Want to see what a black melamine desktop looks like? Check out my review of the Omnidesk Ascent.
Keep reading to see my top 5 hardwood picks in the UpDown Pro range.
3. Bulletproof Electronics.
After hearing horror stories of cheap standing desks seizing halfway due to motor failure, I’m happy to report that no such gremlins exist in the UpDown Pro.
Remember that Simpsons episode where Homer discovers an electronic bed?
This pretty much sums up my experience with the UpDown Pro. I raise and lower it a few times daily, and it’s never missed a beat.
Admittedly, the 32mm/sec speed is on the slower side compared with 40-60mm/sec speeds you’ll get with some competitors, like Omnidesk and Stand Desk (read my full review of Stand Desk), but it’s still very fast.
Four memory presets are surprisingly useful. I use all of them and have programmed them like this:
- 1: Ergonomic seated position (wrists are parallel with the desk).
- 2: Meetings / pondering / management mode.
- 3: Ergonomic standing position (wrists are parallel with the desk).
- 4: Max height (leaning an elbow into the desk).
The motors make noise while the desk operates but the sound is not harsh or intrusive.
4. 100-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
You can physically inspect an UpDown desk before buying in either Dee Why (Sydney) or Hawthorn (Melbourne).
If that’s not convenient, you can buy one sight unseen, knowing that the company will let you return the desk within 100 days of purchase.
You’ll get your money back, but will have to pay $49.90 for return postage. And you won’t get the $49.90 you paid for original delivery, either.
Important!
UpDown will arrange to pick up your desk from your home. You won’t have to lug it to the post office.
5. Integrated Power Boards.
Hallelujah.
UpDown Pro finally has an integrated cable management tray.
Above: The integrated power tray hinges on the rear for easy access, and will hold up to two 4-socket power boards.
If you’ve been following my standing desk reviews, you know that I’ve consistently criticised the brand for its so-so cable management system.
But now, your UpDown Pro can be specced with a superior hinged model with up to 8 external-facing power outlets.
This is excellent, as it allows you to plug peripherals in and out on the fly, without having to climb under the desk and rummage through the cable channel.
Expert Tip.
You can’t simply jam any power board from Bunnings into the tray. It’s only compatible with UpDown-sourced boards, which cost $59 for a single and $129 for a double.
3 Things I Don’t Like About The UpDown Desk.
While I mostly love the UpDown Pro sit-stand desk, 4 years of solid use has highlighted a few minor opportunities for improvement.
1. Can Be Too Large (Or Not Go Low Enough).
UpDown Pro’s height range spans 61.5-127cm, which will suit 95% of the Australian population.
That said, some desks (e.g., Omnidesk and Desky) go as low as 60cm, making them more suited to short bodies.
Above: The UpDown Pro showing off its undercarriage at full extension.
Expert Tip.
If you’re shorter than 160cm, double-check that UpDown’s 61.5cm minimum height works for you. Measure it out, sit in your office chair and check that your forearms and thighs are parallel to the ground.
The fixed 75cm desktop depth can also be a sticking point if you live in a tiny apartment. While UpDown offers three desktop widths (120, 150 and 180 cm), you’re stuck with only one depth choice.
Expert Tip.
Check whether the desktop depth is right for your space by measuring the exact dimensions on the ground.
2. Height Controller Is Merely OK.
There’s nothing wrong with UpDown Pro’s controller, but it isn’t outstanding.
This design was cutting-edge a few years ago, but most of the company’s competitors upgraded to larger, clearer OLED displays.
You get everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Up. Down. (Pun intended). Four memory presets. That’s it.
Above: The upside of this design is its slim profile. It’s not visually dominating, and isn’t likely to jam into your thigh.
3. It’s Not Cheap!
The cheapest UpDown Pro is a Melamine desktop version, which will set you back $799 for a 120cm wide model, or $849 for the 150cm.
If you want a dual-motor, premium standing desk from a reputable Australian company, covered by a superb warranty, this is the amount of dough you’ll need to cough up.
You do get what you pay for.
However, if you can’t stretch the budget, consider that a budget-oriented Artiss is almost 3 times cheaper!
Yes, the Artiss has a terrible 1-year warranty, a rubbery MDF desktop and a thinner frame with a single cross-member.
But you know what? It also doesn’t wobble, and also goes up and down. I owned one for a couple of years, and it never missed a beat.
How Does UpDown Pro Compare Against Other Desks?
The marketplace is getting crowded, giving you, the consumer, many choices.
I’ve written a comprehensive review of the best standing desks in Australia that you may want to delve into when you have 20+ minutes to spare, but for the moment, let’s do a rapid 5-minute analysis of how the Updown Pro stacks up against the competition.
UpDown Desk vs Desky.
Desky is a fantastic Aussie company that sells top-quality standing desks. They offer a wide range of wood colours and desktop sizes similar to UpDown.
- Desky frames weigh about 5kg less, suggesting they don’t use as much metal in their construction.
However, Desky’s range of accessories is slightly better than UpDown’s.
- While Desky doesn’t offer money-back guarantees, it’s rapidly expanding its network of stockists across Australia, so you can see and touch its desks before you buy one.
With 4 locations in Queensland, 4 in NSW and 1 in Victoria, there’s a decent chance that there’s a Desky retailer near you.
UpDown Desk vs Artiss.
Artiss’ main selling point is its affordability. You can pick one up for about $300.
However, they are nowhere near as well-made as UpDown Pro desks.
- With a weight rating of 100 kg (vs UpDown’s 160 kg), the Artiss will probably do an excellent job for a few years, then end up at the rubbish tip.
- The UpDown Pro, meanwhile, will be a desk you buy for life.
Artiss’ colour choices are pretty old-school, too. You get a light and a dark colour option; the light reminds me of inexpensive school furniture, while the dark one has “old man” vibes.
To sum up, it’s a practical standing desk for practical people.
You won’t be very excited by it, but it won’t blow the budget and will probably last for some time – as long as you don’t push it too hard.
UpDownn Desk vs Stand Desk.
A relative newcomer to the Australian market, Stand Desk offers a few unique features.
For example, its desktop includes a built-in wireless charger, so you have one less cable cluttering your workspace.
With a strong focus on sustainability, the brand only offers Bamboo desktops in 3 colours and a few hardwood options.
Frequently Asked Questions About The UpDown Desk.
Here are some questions you’re probably asking yourself. Hopefully, I can provide the answer.
What Is The Warranty Like?
The UpDown Pro comes with a 10-year warranty on the frame and 5 years on the desktop. This is one of the best warranties in the business, and it shows that UpDown is confident in the quality of its products.
Does The Desktop Scratch Easily?
Not easily, but you will notice minor wear if you don’t use a desktop mat. I purchased mine from Minimalist Desk Setups.
Apart from preventing scratches, it elevates the desktop’s appearance by creating a central focal point.
Is The UpDown Desk Easy To Assemble?
Yes. The desk comes with clear instructions and all the necessary hardware.
You will, however, need to supply your own Philips head screwdriver.
- If you’ve never assembled a standing desk before, expect the process to take longer than the 20-30 minute stated estimate from UpDown.
- I’ve assembled about a dozen standing desks in my home office by now, and every time the process takes about 1 hour.
What Are The Accessories Like?
UpDown offers quite a few accessories that you can use to build an ergonomic, comfortable and practical home office.
As a bare minimum, I recommend that you purchase:
- Anti-fatigue mat ($99)
- Metal drawer ($149)
- Cable holes and grommets ($84)
I noticed that UpDown includes some at no extra charge during certain promotions; if you see one, jump on to it.
Expert Tip.
A lot of aftermarket accessories are available beyond the UpDown ecosystem. Search for “standing desk accessories” on Amazon and watch your money disappear 🙂
What Is The Customer Service Like?
I haven’t needed to use UpDown’s customer service for anything, but a friend bought two desks and reported that their customer service team was outstanding.
He accidentally ordered a desktop of the wrong size, and UpDown quickly came to the party to help him resolve the issue.
Which Size Of Desktop Is Best?
The UpDown Pro is available in 3 sizes:
- 120 X 75cm.
- 150 X 75cm.
- 180 X 75cm.
Note that the depth of the desk remains the same, regardless of size. Only the width changes.
My desk is the mid-size option, at 150cm in width. It’s ideal for home office setups with a dedicated mid-size room.
- If your room is compact, opt for a 120 X 75 cm option.
- If you plan to run a lot of gear – e.g., a couple of monitors and multiple hard drives – choose the larger 180 X 75 cm option instead.
Which Desktop Colour Is Best?
It’s no secret that I’m a hardwood tragic. If I had to choose my top 5 wood choices and rank them in order of preference, I’d pick:
- New Messmate (gorgeous, modern, clean, dramatic).
- Recycled Messmate (less clean, even more dramatic).
- Pheasantwood (the most dramatic, with hipster vibes).
- Victorian Ash (very clean, very little drama).
- Acacia (cool parquetry-like pattern).
Are UpDown Pro Desks Sustainable?
Mostly.
Recycled Messmate, for example, is made from reclaimed hardwood.
It’s also cool to think that a bit of Australian heritage may be built into your home office. What if your desktop contains a chunk of the old MCG or an ancient railway sleeper?
Similarly, Rubberwood is gathered near the end of its life, making it a 100% eco-friendly option.
Final Thoughts About The UpDown Pro.
While a motivated reviewer will find some perceived flaws in almost any product, you have to be very picky to find a reason not to use the UpDown Pro standing desk as the foundation of your home office.
It does everything that matters right.
A strong build, gorgeous wood choices, and solid electronics make this the last standing desk you’ll need to buy.
Steven
