UpDown Desk Review: My Opinion After 3 Years Of Ownership

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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:

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?

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: First-person view of my UpDown Pro series with a New Messmate desktop.

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 2024, 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.

It’s rock solid at all heights.

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 is rich with naturally occurring dark streaks and knots that create a striking, interesting 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 or bamboo. Keep reading to see my top 5 hardwood picks in the UpDown 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.

Four memory presets are surprisingly useful. I use all of them and have programmed them like this:

The motors make noise while the desk operates but the sound is not harsh or intrusive.

4. Attractive Metal Drawer.

This is a must-have accessory. Trust me on this one. Costing only $149, it removes all clutter from your desktop.

UpDown’s metal drawer is the opposite.

Above: The lockable metal drawer is both attractive and highly practical.

Its floating design elevates the overall appearance of your home office while soft close motion and a padded bottom make it pleasant to interact with.

5. 100-Day Money-Back Guarantee.

UpDown is a direct-to-consumer brand, so you won’t be able to physically inspect the desk before buying one.

If this idea makes you anxious, the company will let you return the desk within 100 days of purchase. You’ll get your money back but must pay $49 for return postage.

3 Things I Don’t Like About The UpDown Desk.

While I mostly love the UpDown Pro sit-stand desk, 3 years of solid use has highlighted a few minor opportunities for improvement.

1. No Integrated Power Boards Underneath.

You don’t get any integrated power outlets under the desk.

UpDown will sell you a metal cable tray for $49 that you can mount under the desk (it’s another must-have accessory, by the way), and you can stash your power board inside it.

Also, large power bricks like the ones from the latest MacBook Pro will struggle to fit inside the tray altogether.

Above: The cable tray is large enough to stash your power boards and cables, but will struggle to fit large power bricks.

2. Desktop Power Rail Isn’t For Everyone.

This is a useful accessory for a hot-desking environment where people constantly plug and unplug their devices.

You’ll also find it useful if you frequently unplug your laptop’s power brick (e.g. because you work from home but travel frequently).

Above: My MacBook Pro’s large power brick draws power from the desktop-mounted power board.

In my use case, where I keep devices almost permanently plugged in, it simply adds clutter to the desktop. Yes, it gives me a power point within easy reach, but I rarely use it.

At $199, it’s also probably the world’s most expensive power board, although the cool wedge-shaped design does take some of the financial sting away.

2. Double Check The Sizes Before You Buy.

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.

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.

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.

However, Desky’s range of accessories is slightly better than UpDown’s, and it offers the all-important integrated power tray (with up to 8 sockets!)

With 4 locations in Queensland, 4 in NSW and 1 in Victoria, there’s a decent chance that there’s a Desky retailer not far from 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.

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.

I took my time while listening to a podcast, and it took me just under 1.5 hours.

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:

I noticed that UpDown includes some of these at no extra charge during certain promotions; if you see one, jump on to it.

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:

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.

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:

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