I tested the Seville Classics Airlift Height Adjustable Desk with Glass Top, the Seville Classics Airlift Pro S3 Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk (no longer available), the Steelcase Solo Sit-To-Stand Desk, the Fezibo Height Adjustable Electric Standing Desk with Double Drawer, the Grovemade Desk and the FlexiSpot E7 Pro, but they didn’t make the cut.
The Airlift with Glass Top came close to earning a spot above. It’s a beautiful, sturdy desk at a midrange price that would be a great add to a modern workspace. It also features a small center drawer for holding the basics. Unfortunately, its built-in touchscreen wasn’t very responsive and the two USB-A ports, while theoretically a nice tech feature, are outdated for most of today’s phones and tablets.
Another close contender for a spot on the list was the FlexiSpot E7 Pro (also available in the UK). The desk is a great size for a small space, which can be very hard to find. The quality of the desktop and mechanical pieces of the desk are great. It lifts quickly and quietly and looks very nice. FlexiSpot put a lot of thought into cable management and covering cord mess. FlexiSpot also added a space for USB-C charging on the controller. However, the controller isn’t as up to date as some of the other desks we’ve tested; it is made of a plastic that doesn’t feel very durable, and it doesn’t stop as quickly as some of the other models. When assembling, the hardware was difficult to work with, even when using a drill; furthermore, not all the holes for the desk were predrilled, which increases the risk of puncturing through the top of the desktop. This was competing with the Branch Standing Desk for best small desk, and the build experience and remote quality of the Branch desk had the FlexiSpot E7 Pro beat.
The Airlift Pro S3 was a decent desk, but it was a little tougher to install than the others in its size range, and it had a cheaper-looking finish than the overall winner for best standing desk (the Uplift V3 Standing Desk).
The Steelcase Solo desk was surprisingly simple to install for its size. Instead of using screws to install the legs, these simply lock into place. The desk is sturdy, looks nice and is quiet when raising and lowering.
The Fezibo model was intriguing to me because of its built-in storage, but I found this model more difficult to assemble than many of the others. Still, it’s a reasonable option if you’d like storage compartments integrated into your desk and two levels: one for holding your monitor and the other for your keyboard and related accessories.
The Grovemade Desk I received had some mechanical errors. While the team was great about getting this fixed and working with me on it, it did mean having to take the desk halfway apart and put it back together. After replacing the legs, the lift function was louder and a bit more clunky than others we have tested. The cord management and craftsmanship are fantastic and the drawer allows you to keep your desktop clean while a lot of standing desks don’t offer that. While the price of the Grovemade Desk likely reflects the great care they take in hand crafting the desktops, compared to other desks on this list, you can get great quality options for much less money.
As always, consider your specific needs before you buy a sit-stand desk. Do you have a lot of space and a higher budget? Consider the Uplift models. The Ikea model is a fantastic midsize manual desk at a great price. Regardless of your home setup, one of these models is bound to suit your needs. If you aren’t sold on a standing desk, consider a standing desk converter for your existing desk instead.
