Enjoy a customized workspace with the height adjustable standing desk from Flexispot
According to crm.org, there are approximately 261 workdays in 2021. Assuming 8760 total hours in the year, it can seem rather daunting to tackle the 2088 work hours. With ~25% of your time spent working and another ~25% spent asleep, your choice of desk/chair and mattress may truly affect your overall health. With nearly 50% of our time spent in mostly sedentary positions, I understand why medical professionals counsel patients about the need to increase activity. Luckily, we have technologies like standing desks to increase one’s activity without requiring additional time investment. Essentially, you can burn extra calories and improve your health by simply standing/changing positions instead of sitting. A 2017 healthline.com article provided at least seven benefits of using a standing desk: 1. may lower your risk of weight gain and obesity, 2. may lower blood sugar levels, 3. may lower risks of heart disease, 4. may reduce back pain, 5. may improve mood/energy levels, 6. may boost productivity, 7. may help you live longer.
The Flexispot desk arrived in a 51 inches wide by 29 11/16 inches tall by 7 1/2 inches thick cardboard shipping box. The front cover was divided into an upper tan section and a lower black section. Within the lower black section you will find the 1-855-421-2808 contact number and a maximal working surface weight of 110 pounds. The upper tan section listed the FLEXISPOT.com website and Item No. EG8B along the top left of the panel. Along the bottom left of the panel, the company provided the size of the desktop (48×24 inches) and the color (black). My favorite aspect of the cover was the ~18 inches wide by 12 inches tall ink outline of the Flexispot desk. The drawing provided a good understanding of the product, the purpose, and the features of the desk. Both of the side panels listed the “TEAM LIFT” logo along the top and the item number, order number, quantity, manufacturer name/date, several product manufacturing logos, and the “Made in China” logo along the bottom.
To access the contents of the box, I slit the tape along the top and sides of the packaging. With the box in an upright position, I removed the front panel and was immediately impressed with the grid-like cardboard protection and the edge/corner foam pieces. Flexispot did a great job at protecting the glass surface and the metallic desk components. Before removing the cardboard, I removed the ten-panel instruction manual and the attractive blue Thank You card. I removed the top/side foam pieces, the tic-tac-toe cardboard grid, the thin plastic bag around the lifting columns, and then set the lifting columns aside. Beneath this layer, they included many additional layers of protection. In fact, I was quite impressed with the focus and attention to detail of the protective foam pads. Each corner of the tabletop was surrounded by a puzzle-like cardboard shell with an internal foam padding. Before you throw out any of the cardboard pieces, make sure that you remove the power plug and accessory hardware bag located within the lower cardboard cylinders. Additionally, you will find the two desk feet packaged within the lower bottom cardboard layer. The tabletop, like the lifting arms, was packaged within a thin layer of plastic. As an ultimate layer of protection, the tabletop had a 1/2 inch layer of foam protecting its face. I removed each of the corner protectors, slid off the thin plastic sheet, and turned to the instruction manual to complete the assembly.
The first page of the instruction manual listed the product specifications (110 lb/50kg weight limit, 100-240V input, 28.3”/27.0cm minimum height, 47.6”/121cm max height, 46”/122cm wide by 24”/61cm deep dimensions), the contents of the accessory packaging, and a diagram of the components (Tabletop, lifting columns, dual feet, and power plug). Turning to the instruction manual’s second page, I took note of the “Caution” warning along the top. To prevent damage/scratches to the glass surface, I moved the tabletop to my carpeted floor and placed it face down upon the included 1/2 inch thick foam pad. I placed the lifting column upon the attachment points and finger-tightened each of the eight M8 hex screws. In total, the desk components were too heavy for a single lift, but each component alone was light enough for a single-person lift. With the pieces loosely connected, I tightened down the hex screws with the included Allen’s Wrench. Next, I removed the two 23 3/8 inches long by 2 1/2 inches wide feet from their cardboard container. I located the eight M6 hex screws in the accessory bag, aligned the feet with the lifting column, finger-tightened the screws, and then cross-tightened them with the included Allen’s wrench. Before completing this step, make sure that you orient the feet correctly. The cutouts for the M6 screws were not centered, and the longer section obviously faced toward the front of the desk. Several times throughout the manual, Flexispot cautioned the user about dropping an item and breaking the glass. I appreciated the warnings and felt that they were appropriately placed throughout the manual. If the thought of building a piece of IKEA furniture gives you an ulcer, rest comfortably knowing this setup can be completed in under five minutes.
I turned back to the instruction manual to connect the electronic segments with the construction portion of the build finalized. The third panel of the instruction manual directed me to plug the motor plug into the control box. Conveniently, the cable and the plug were located 4 1/2 inches from one another. I plugged the power adaptor plug of the ten-foot cable (120 inches) into the power adaptor and turned the desk upright for the final step. I positioned the desk along my wall and then plugged the Type A wall plug into a wall outlet. The design of the adaptor was quite thoughtful. Instead of playing cord Tetris with a large block, the company provided the smallest possible wall outlet plug. The power cord should easily fit into a wall outlet, surge protector, power strip, etc., without blocking other ports. I used the included cable clamps to attach the power cord to the lifting column and hid the cable from direct view. When ready, you can press the up or down arrows on the keypad to adjust the desk’s height. The screen will show “bot” at the bottom and “top” at the peak position. When you get to the desired height, hold down one of the numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) for three seconds to record the height preset. The instruction manual provided some additional/useful information about the desk, troubleshooting, and error options. As an example, the desk has auto collision detection. If the desk stops abruptly without an obvious cause, you can press the up/down buttons together for 5 seconds to cycle between the sensitivity levels (A-0 off, A-1 low, A-2 medium, A-3 high). When in motion, the desk will make a low-decibel mechanical whirring sound. I did not find this to be that loud, nor did my wife find it bothersome.
It seems that Flexispot has thought about nearly everything. As a father of four children, ages 2/6/9/12-years-old, buttons are quite enticing and must be pushed. Thankfully, the company provided a LOCK button to prevent meddling. Press the 7/16-inches diameter, black-colored, LOCK button to disable the buttons/height adjustment. Before believing the device broken, make sure that “Loc” is not displayed on the screen. If it is displayed, press the button again to resume height adjustment. Adjacent to the four height preset buttons, you will find dual USB-A output ports and a solitary USB-C port. Each of the ports provided 18W output for a total of 54W charging capacity. If the desk is stationary, it will send power to the USB-output ports. If adjusting the height of the desk, the product will have a five-second delay before restoring power to the USB output ports. To test the output, I plugged a DROK USB-A multimeter and a Klein Tools USB Digital Multimeter (USB-A or USB-C) into one of the USB-A ports and into the USB-C port. I charged my iPad Pro 11” with a USB-C cable and the multimeter read 8.61V/2.01A. While simultaneously charging the iPad Pro 11”, the DROK multimeter showed that my iPhone 12 Pro Max 12″ charged at 5.02V/1.69A.
I was concerned about moving the desk to my desired location. However, the grid of cardboard proved to have a secondary utility. I removed the smaller cross arms of cardboard, slid them under the feet of the desk and used them as sleds to move my desk along the carpet/hardwood floor. The reduced friction allowed my wife to move the desk with minimal effort and prevented the floor from getting scuffed. When properly positioned, I was able to lift up on the edge of the table to slide the cardboard out from under the desk. I was then able to adjust the turn-screw adjustment knobs on the front/back of each of the legs to fully level the desk. Having built a few stand-up desks, I was impressed with the easy setup process of the Flexispot desk. I liked that I did not have to install the electronics, to run the wires, nor did I have to try to hide the wires under the desk. The single-piece lifting column arrived prebuilt and ready to go. The electronics worked out-of-the-box and did not require any adjustment or fine-tuning. Other builds required much more time investment than the Flexispot desk. Personally, I loved that I was able to spend time on composing my reviews rather than upon painstakingly building the desk.
The desk was perfect for my MacBook Pro 15″ with and without an accessory keyboard/monitor. The desk should work well for desktop use but may require a monitor riser. I loved the clean surface, the smooth glass against the glossy black color, and the simplistic design. Lastly, I absolutely loved that they included a metallic slide-out drawer. I found that I could hide a mouse, keyboard, pens, etc. reducing visible clutter. The drawer mechanism was smooth and the drawer slid in/out easily. If I was going to design a version 2.0 of this desk, I would increase the output of the USB-C to 85W to charge a full-size MacBook Pro or Laptops. Additionally, I would assess the possibility of adding a USB-C output within the drawer to charge a tablet/phone. However, I am aware that temperature limitations may prevent charging within the drawer. I loved the mechanism, the quiet sound, the design of the desk, the ease of the build, the inexpensive cost, and the overall feel of the materials. I think my favorite aspect of the desk was that it provided a big real-estate feel but did not take up that much space.
Learn more about Flexispot Desks.
Follow Flexispot on Facebook and Twitter.