I know I’ve bought a lot of different items because Allison has suggested them—and some of you have suggested them—and now my desk is filled with tech gadget stuff.
I was kind of in this conundrum myself. I had a desk that I was not very happy with. My arms are short, my trunk is short, and no desk has ever fit me in my entire life. Either I have to put the chair up higher, where my feet dangle, or I put my chair lower, and then my elbows are too high. And you know what? I hurt my elbow. It’s like tennis elbow, but instead, it’s mousing elbow—and it took a long time to heal.
So I finally just got sick of it and decided I needed a desk that actually fit me. I now work from home full-time permanently, so I need a desk that is going to keep me comfortable, make sure that I’m at the right angles for all my joints so I don’t hurt myself—or that I’m just more comfortable as I work.
As it turned out, a good friend of mine was having that same dream, and she ended up buying a brand-new FlexiSpot desk. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today because—I’ll tell you—spoiler alert, now I’ve bought a lot of different FlexiSpot things.
Why Get a New Desk
What she was looking for was the ability to occasionally stand, the ability to adjust her desk when she was just feeling like a change of pace. Sometimes your shoulder gets a little sore, sometimes you want it a little higher or a little lower—no injury involved in it, nothing like that. But she wanted something that she could rely on, a desk that would be strong and last for long periods of time, but also one that would give her more flexibility about her desk situation.
So now we had the same goal. She ended up buying the FlexiSpot desk a few months before me and just loved it. Now, she’s not one of those people who gushes over things, and when she does gush about a product, you know it’s awesome because it’s just not in her style.
So then I started investigating—maybe I should get a new desk, and maybe this brand is the desk for me.
As I mentioned, the problem to be solved here is that I have, first of all, two very large monitors. I have a number of Elgato devices. I have speakers. I have a Mac mini, the Elgato teleprompter, and three clamped lights that go on to my entire recording area. So there’s a lot of things on this desk—and that’s not even counting my drink, my phone that’s charging, and everything else I have going on.
I needed something that was going to be sturdy, hold all of this material, but also fit my challenging ergonomic nightmare. And this is something—like I said—I have never in my life sat at a desk that fit me. I’m five feet tall, and there are not a lot of desks, particularly adult desks, that are built for someone my height.
As I started discovering more about the FlexiSpot standing desk, I started to really fall in love with this brand.
Shopping The Prices
First thing to know here—and I will talk about prices at the very end—is that they frequently have sales both on their home website and on Amazon. They’re all mixed up a little bit differently. Amazon will usually offer a discount price and a coupon, while the desks on their website usually just have a flat bottom price.They also sell different models which have similar counterparts on their website.
For a while, I looked back and forth and—yes, both times we’ll talk about that in a minute—I bought one of their desks on Amazon. The desk came very quickly, their support was fantastic, and everything was easy to install. I’m just one person—it recommends two people—and I was able to get both of these desks up and running very quickly with no problems. Nothing went wrong. Everything fit perfectly during assembly. I am so pleased.
Buy The Right Motor
Now, here’s the thing to keep in mind: when you have multiple monitors and heavy materials on a desk, different standing desks that go up and down have a certain motor capacity. If you’re going to buy a very low-cost standing desk, you have to make sure that the motor can handle going up and down very easily with this amount of weight.
All of their motors are incredibly quiet, sturdy, and you can buy them in either single motor or dual motor configurations. The dual motors will last longer, are much quieter, and more stable. The motors come in two- or three-stage options—and we’ll talk about why that is important next—but all of their motors can handle anywhere from 300 to 450 pounds. So they can handle a lot of weight.
The idea behind the two-stage and three-stage motors is this: the two-stage motor goes between 28.9 inches and 46.5 inches. Think about it—sometimes you’re sitting, sometimes you’re standing. The three-stage motor goes from—this was the kicker for me—23.6 inches to 48.8 inches. That additional lower range made all the difference in fitting this desk to me.
Benefits of Adjustable Height Desks
During the pandemic, I bought a desk that was 28 inches, and that was the lowest desk I could find that wasn’t a child’s desk. I usually set my desk around 24.5 inches. So that 23.6-inch option was the key.
I wanted a desk with the three-stage motor, but I’m also glad it does standing. I sit way too much—between working at home in tech IT and then coming upstairs to my office and recording podcasts and videos all night. I do a lot of sitting.
Not only that, I have some breathing problems. I have asthma. And I noticed that when I record, sometimes I breathe too much. Standing up helps me breathe better. So now I can stand at this desk, get a little walking around, move a bit—not sitting constantly—and I breathe better while recording. It has made a huge difference.
Room for All of The Clamps
Another issue with desks is that many don’t fit clamp-on equipment like lights or cameras. They may have a ridge or brace under the desk, and suddenly you can’t use any clamps. That was the situation I was in before.
Now, I have five clamps on this desk—two for lighting, two for monitors, and one for the microphone I’m talking into right now. The monitors are on pivoting, rotating mounts, so I can swing them around and record from either side of the room. Everything fits perfectly.
Other Options
When buying your desk, there are a lot of options to choose from. They come with either two legs or four legs. The four legs are considered more stable, but I bought the two-leg system, and I have to tell you—this desk is incredibly stable. It is built like a tank. This desk will outlive me, I’m pretty sure, so I have no concerns. But if you feel like you want a little more stability, the four-leg desk is an option.
They’ve even branched into other kinds of desks. There are L-shaped desks, desks with raised platforms and shelves, and even a workbench-style desk for people who do light construction or building. They even made a gaming desk, which is more like a dining room table. It has a flat tabletop that you can lift off to reveal a lowered gaming area with drink holders, trays, and drawers—perfect for storing gaming accessories. Boy, I really covet that one.
When you’re buying a desk, you can also choose the frame color—black, white, gray, or a different shade of gray. For the top, these are single wood pieces that you can get in gray wood, maple, mahogany, and even a marbled finish. There are a number of different color finishes to match your style. Some also have a chipped-wood look.
The desktops themselves are a single piece of wood—again, built like a tank. Along with the desks, they also sell baskets, cord management systems, and other accessories like power strips—so you can fully outfit your desk. I even noticed recently they’ve started building chairs, beds, and other furniture.
After buying the first desk—which I got for my upstairs recording room—I would buy anything from them. It’s just ideal for anyone who wants a solid piece of furniture at a decent price with so many features to be happy with.
Then came the idea of the second desk. This one was for my downstairs work area. I had a 28-inch desk that was very unstable. It was starting to droop in the middle where the monitors sat. I use a monitor stand that stacks one monitor on top of the other, and then my laptop sits on that. This desk just wasn’t holding the weight.
Get Active
But here’s the other problem—again, I’m sitting way too much.
One of the things these FlexiSpot standing desks can do is go up very high. The company sells two different accessories for that: walking pads (more exist on their website than Amazon) and exercise bikes (more exist on Amazon than their website).
I don’t know if you could really run on the walking pad, but if you wanted to walk during meetings or while reading documents (which I do a lot of), it works great. The FlexiSpot V9 3-IN-1 Exercise Bike though, is what I went with.
It’s an exercise bike with its own working desk attached. I can sit there on the bike with my laptop on the desk. It has a cup holder. I can do some work, write documents. I don’t know if I could do heavy thinking while using it, but I can pedal lightly while reading or attending meetings and training.
In fact, a friend at work once asked me during a meeting, “Are you on your exercise bike?” I said I was, and she said, “You can’t even tell.” I wasn’t shifting side to side, and it looked completely normal on camera.
Another cool thing is I don’t even have to move everything around. I can just raise the FlexiSpot desk, roll the bike underneath, and work at my main desk. I also have a chair for when I don’t want to be on the bike, but for the most part, I try to use the bike.
The exercise bikes come in three different models:
– Top-end: $499 (currently with a 10% coupon)
– Lowest-end: $269
They all have casters and are very stable—they don’t move as you pedal. My goal isn’t to get a full cardio workout (though you could—it has 8 resistance levels). I just want to be active during meetings, trainings, or document reading, and the bike is perfect for that.
Desk Sizes and Models
FlexiSpot desks come in different sizes. Let’s talk about the two I ended up buying.
They have an EN1 (E1 is on Amazon and E2 and is on their website), which is their lowest-cost model at $109. I would have bought that—except I needed a shorter desk. That put me into the E6 level, which is a bit more expensive but offers the height I need.
The desk I chose has:
– Three-stage dual motor
– Handles up to 330 pounds
– Very quiet and stable
– Memory computer with 4 programmable height settings
I use those memory presets for standing, sitting, and for specific tasks like recording videos. Downstairs, I used to put my laptop on a stand for Zoom meetings—but now, I can just raise the desk to eyeball level without needing a stand.
Upstairs in my recording room, I got a three-stage dual motor desk with two legs, sized 40×30 inches. The size depends on the model, but this is big enough to hold all my recording gear, drinks, Elgato Stream Decks—you name it.
At the time of this recording:
– My first desk was $339 (I bought it during a holiday sale with a $160 coupon)
– The second desk was $319 with a $50 coupon
Prices change all the time, so check for sales and coupons to see what works best for you and just this week the prices went up on many models.
I needed the E6 model just because I’m short. I’m sure most people could get away with the less expensive models. You can read the specs for each model to find out:
– Which motor it uses
– How much weight it can handle
– What sizes are available
– What wood finishes and frame colors are offered
You’ll have to mix and match for your own taste and ergonomic needs.
I also bought some of their cable guides—they come in a few different varieties—so I can tuck all my cables neatly under the desktop. That’s my next project.
Now my elbow is happy. My feet are happy. My back is happy. My ergonomics are perfect. My feet touch the ground, and my elbows rest at 90 degrees. I can alternate between standing, sitting, or pedaling.
I have a standing pad for when I’m upright, and I switch between the exercise bike, the chair, and standing throughout the day. That flexibility makes all the difference for me—especially as someone short who’s never been able to find a properly sized desk before. This is the first time in my life I’ve been happy with a desk.
Bonus: The Reading Nook Desk
Besides the two desks and the exercise bike, I also have a reading nook—a cozy space with what I guess you’d call a chaise lounge, right next to a fireplace. It’s my quiet spot where I read books, including books for my podcast. I needed a small table that I could swing over my lap to use a laptop while lounging. So I bought the FlexiSpot Adjustable Bedside Table. It’s likely designed for people who are bedridden or need to work or eat in bed. It’s a little like a hospital tray table, but very well-built and super sturdy. It also has a great cup holder.
Everything I’ve bought from FlexiSpot works fantastically. They are built like tanks , thoughtfully designed, and extremely versatile then this workspace is exactly what you want.
(At the time of this article, the prices have significantly fluctuated and are higher than what is listed.)
[…] Flexispot Adjustable Desks – Healthy and Useful […]