Best Standing Desks 2023: Top Height-Adjustable Desks

You might not have heard of Chinese company Autonomous, but you shouldn’t ignore the SmartDesk Pro.

It’s a very good standing desk, combining an attractive design with premium materials and even a choice of sizes (if you’re in the US).

But it’s the height adjustment that sets this desk apart from rivals. It can go all the way from 66.5-132cm, making this a good choice for taller people. You can also set four saved positions and easily move between them.

Assembling and setting up the desk proves to be the biggest frustration, but you’ll only have to do this once. However, the starting price is much cheaper in the US than the UK, with only the middle of three sizes (135x74cm) available in the latter.

If you’re not looking to spend quite as much, the Maidesite S2 Pro is a great affordable alternative.

Build quality certainly hasn’t been compromised, with an attractive blend of wood and metal available in several different shades. It’s available in both 120x60cm and 140x70cm versions, and the latter offers ample room for a dual-monitor setup.

A discrete reminder to stand up and saved heights are both great features, but cable management isn’t the best. A maximum height of 120cm could be improved, too.

But if this is your first time buying a standing desk, the S2 Pro is an excellent choice that will serve you well.

Most standing desks are a traditional rectangular shape, but what if you want to put it in the corner of the room?

That’s where Flexispot’s E1L comes in. As the name suggests, it has an L-shaped design that helps you maximise the space available. You can even switch the longer edge to the other side if you’d like.

That design also means it has a larger total area than most desks: you can choose between 160x100cm and 180x120cm. Build quality is also very good.

Height adjustment is slightly less than some rivals at 71-120cm, but it can accommodate up to 100kg of total weight.

Once you complete the confusing assembly, it’s a great option for the right room.

The Flexispot EG8 isn’t the absolute best standing desk you can buy, but it has some features that you won’t find elsewhere.

They include built-in USB ports (two USB-A, one USB-C), allowing you to conveniently charge devices at up to 18W. You also get a separate storage drawer underneath, helping to avoid the desktop becoming cluttered.

With assembly taking just 10 minutes and an attractive yet sturdy end result, there’s a lot to like about the Flexispot EG8. It’s not all good news, though, with the relatively small 122x61cm desktop only able to support 50kg of weight.

Height adjustment between 72-121cm is decent, but it’d still be nice to see a greater range here. And you’ll have to put up with some fingerprint smudges.

Most standing desks can be a challenge to assemble, but not the Flexispot ED2. If you have 30 minutes and some experience building flat-pack furniture, it’s relatively straightforward.

The desk continues to impress once fully built, too. A sturdy metal and wood construction means it should the test of time, especially with support for up to 100kg of weight. However, you will need to buy the desktop separately.

Adjusting the height of the desk is also simple (with three presets available), but a range of 71-119cm is quite limited. If you’re particularly tall or use a chair that’s close to the ground, it’s not the best choice.

Ultimately, the cost of the desktop and optional extras (such as a CPU holder and keyboard tray) can soon mount up, making the Flexispot ED2 less affordable than it first appears.

The Bakker Elkhuizen doesn’t do enough to justify its high price tag, which is the main reason it sits at the bottom of this list.

However, this desk has one feature that most rivals can’t match: the ability to adjust height without being connected to the mains. It’s powered by gas instead, although actually moving between the 74-113cm heights can be a a challenge.

At 120x70cm, desktop is one of the smaller standing desks you can buy. The single white finish available is also rather uninspiring, and there are none of the extra features you’ll find on other standing desks here.

Ultimately, the Bakker Elkhuizen is too expensive for most people to seriously consider it. Unless you really don’t want to rely on electricity, there are better (and more affordable) options out there.