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Best Value Electric Standing Desk Converter
Apex Desk ZT Series
The ZT Series from Apex Desk is a very compelling offering both in value for money and mechanical design. At only $270 (regardless of color), this desk is priced in line with many manually operated standing desk converters and benefits from a very stable design that lifts the desk vertically and doesn’t come towards you like other designs.
Why We Would Buy This Desk
The mechanical operation of the desk is very well thought out. Many other designs cause the desktop to swing out toward you as it rises, but the smart x frame design allows it to rise vertically. This makes it easy to access the rest of your desk and also maximizes stability since the center of gravity hasn’t moved towards you. There are a few other electric standing desk converters with this x-style design, but we choose to highlight the ZT series because of its great aesthetics and table and keyboard finish options. Many converters are not pretty, but this desk comes with three surface finishes, our favorite being walnut. These extra choices also come at no extra cost over the generic black design, which seems to be very uncommon among standing desks.
The Apex Desk delivers a few nice features for its price range, our favorite being the USB charging port located by the controls. Another nice feature is the sliding keyboard. When the desk keyboard is not in use, you can easily slide it away to make room for writing, drawing, or reading. The Apex Desk is one of the few desks that offer this.
Best Design Electric Standing Desk Converter
Flexispot Motorized AlcoveRiser EM7
Flexispot is a strong competitor to Vari with comparable products at cheaper prices, but Vari doesn't offer an electric converter.
The EM7 is the electric version of the manually-operated AlcoveRiser, which we love and have written a review.
The AlcoveRiser EM7 is very easy to operate with the touch of the up or down button. And due to it's design, it rises straight up, as opposed to up and forward, which takes up less space.
Why We Would Buy This Converter
The AlcoveRise EM7 rises vertically and has a very well thought out mechanical design and frame. Rising straight upwards is key for desk stability. It reduces the likelihood of tipping over, increases stability while in motion, and results in a more stable surface for typing. In addition, the desk raises and lowers smoothly without binding, and the load on the desk doesn’t seem to have an impact on the operation.
A unique feature is the U-shaped cutout on the keyboard tray, designed to hold an up to 17" laptop. And this keyboard tray, which can hold up to 11 lbs, can also be removed with a quick-release feature.
The top surface is 36" x 16.3", which is enough room to hold 2 monitors and other items. This section can hold 44 lbs.
Best Multiple Monitor Electric Standing Desk Converter
Stand Steady Techtonic
If you’re a gamer, software engineer, or anyone who uses two or more monitors, the Stand Steady Techtonic is an electric standing desk converter you should consider. It uses a totally new approach to electric standing desk converters that is designed to mount your monitors on an integrated monitor stand. While the Techtonic isn’t cheap, it is likely to match the budget and needs of someone who already has three monitors and spends extensive time at their desk.
Ergonomics is an important element to consider with any electric standing desk converter.
Why We Would Buy This Desk
The Techtonic is a great ergonomic solution because it allows you to independently set the height of your keyboard surface and monitors right out of the box. This is a key to achieving proper workplace ergonomics. The motor mounts also do a fantastic job of positioning your monitors. You can tilt, raise or lower, and angle them toward the center of the desk. Lastly, the Techtonic even allows for very tall people to stand and maintain good posture and comfort.
The usable surface of the desk is broken up into upper level and lower level keyboard tray areas. With the integrated monitor stand, the upper area is completely free for storing your laptop, pens, notepads etc. The lower area, while primarily designed for a keyboard and mouse, is seriously oversized both in-depth and width. The overall usable surface area on this desk is pretty hard to beat.
The Techtonic also has some really smart features like integrated cable management, which is key when you’re dealing with six individual cords from three monitors. It also features leveling casters, which can help account for any uneven furniture surfaces or sloping floors.
Our Process
Just like for any review we write, we started with establishing some of the key factors that make or break an electric standing desk converter. While similar to their manually operated counterparts, electric converters are relatively new and differ in mechanics, ergonomics, and design.
- Range of adjustment - Range of adjustment is especially important in electric standing desk converter design. Some designs are better than others in their ability to rise to the most ergonomic height for standing.
- Quality and Stability - With any expensive purchase, you want to know it’s well-made and that the desk will offer ample stability for hours of use every day. Stability, when raised, is a common flaw with certain designs. Many will move towards you as they rise, causing the unit to want to tip over. Even if the unit is still relatively stable, this imbalance can lead to a shaking or wobbling work surface, which can be frustrating to type on.
- Design - Most electric standing desk converters aren’t pretty. Most come in generic black colors with a generic black desktop. While looking good is clearly a secondary consideration in a practical product like this, we’ll share our opinion on the design. However, if pure stylish is what you’re going for in your standing desk, you may want to consider a full electric standing desk where you have more access to interesting desk designs and table top finishes.
- Keyboard Tray - This is especially big for standing desk converters. Nearly every product has a separate keyboard surface, however, the size, adjustability, and tilt vary considerably for each.
- Warranty and Customer Service - While you’re not likely to have issues with a manual standing desk converter, electric standing desk converters have added electronics and complexity. Many products are also offered by very new companies and may not have great customer service or warranty programs established yet. Many desks are also made in China and sometimes shipped directly from China to your house and may be difficult or expensive to return.
- Operation and Features - Just like in any electric standing desk, you’re looking for a smooth, confident operation without any binding or risk of having your monitors shake or worse, fall off. Some electric converter mechanisms are extremely smooth, especially the x-style design.
- Lift Capacity - Lift capacity should be a serious consideration for any electric standing desk converter. You’ll find that even the average computer setup can come pretty close to the lifting capacity of some converters.
- Overall Value - Like most of our reviews, we strive to highlight products that offer the most value. Value is a great measure of a product, and unless you have an extensive budget, we often recommend buying based on value.
We understand that budgets, needs, style, and your own personal preference will vary, so we’ll recommend three different electric standing desk converters in the following categories:
In order to select electric standing desk converters for consideration in our review, we reached out to manufacturers, surveyed new desks available on popular online retailers, and considered user feedback and reviews to determine the group of desks to be considered for our best of selection.