Best Standing Desks Under $600

Because you feel it every time you type at standing height, and it is the difference people actually notice between a $300 desk and a $700 one. We measured 2 mm to 11 mm of sway at full extension with 40 lb loaded. Anything under about 4 mm feels solid; over 8 mm and your monitor visibly shakes as you type.

Dual, if you can. Every dual-motor desk in our test lifted faster, ran quieter and wobbled less than every single-motor one, and dual-motor frames carry more weight. A single motor is fine for a small desk with one monitor; it is not fine for a 60-inch top with two screens and a laptop arm.

Standing desk height should put your elbows at about 90 degrees, which is roughly half your height in inches. Most desks stop around 48 inches, which is too low for anyone over about 6 ft 2 in. We have marked the range on every desk and built a collection for taller users.

Two people assemble each desk from the box and we time it. We load the same 40 lb of monitors and kit, raise the desk to full standing height, and measure lateral sway with a dial gauge under a standard push, then repeat while someone types. We record lift speed, noise at one metre, height range and the warranty on the frame and motor separately.