8 Standing Desk Buying Mistakes You Should Never Make in 2023

Let’s face it, buying a standing desk is not a common thing for most people. While some may be shopping for their second desk, many others have yet to enter the world of standing desks. While you wouldn’t consider standing desks to be new, they are more popular than ever today.

We have been involved in the standing desk industry since our company was founded in 2005. With all that time comes a great deal of experience, using one personally, as well as selling them to customers. Over the last thirteen years, we have seen customers make the same mistakes repeatedly. Our goal with this post is to help you avoid these common mistakes and avoid the additional expenses that can come with them. Ultimately getting you up on your feet sooner at your new desk.

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8 Standing Desk Buy Mistake Links

1. Buy a standing desk that’s too small or too big
2. Buy just one frame, without locating a desk first
3. Wait to buy some accessories until you receive the desk
4. Require excessive lifting capacities
5. Do not consider stability
6. Assume that wider desks are more stable
7. Think that a $400 desk is the same as a $1,500 desk.
8. Don’t consider how big the desks will ship

Video of 8 purchase errors

Buying the wrong size tall desk can be a costly mistake. Depending on the brand, having to adjust the size of the desk after receiving it can be expensive. Some may have restocking fees, others may also have return shipping costs. Lost productivity is also a killer. Where will you work while changing the desk?

It is important to properly estimate the amount of space you need to work comfortably. Bigger is almost always better with standing desks, since you can fit more of your belongings at standing height. This is true, until you order a desk that’s too big for your space.

It is always highly recommended to measure twice to ensure you order the correct size. Simulating your desk space is also a good idea. That way, you can get an idea of how much space you need for the items that remain on your desktop.

The most common DIY standing desk consists of a commercial standing desk frame, combined with a top from another vendor. This can be done for various reasons, cost savings, or because you don’t like the provider of the top pick of the framework.

But what happens when the DIY top you decided to go with ends up being a flop? Or the cost was exponentially higher than originally planned. Sometimes you may decide you’d rather keep things simple and end up buying from the framework provider.

If you look at some of the more popular standing desk brands, their best prices are high. Sometimes they can represent up to 50-75% of the complete desktop package. The main reason for this is shipping costs. When combined with a frame, they are shipped as a package. Splitting them means you’ll be charged for shipping only on top. Sometimes it’s just the provider that wants to get a higher margin on top. Still, it can be a costly mistake.

If you’re not sure which direction to go, I recommend doing some more research. Find out how much the surface area will be on its own. Or check that you will be able to get the alternate surface.

Read the top 5 problems with DIY standing desks >>

A continuation of the last mistake people make is waiting to buy accessories; this can bite your wallet. Like the Surface, many of the brands offer discounts when you pair accessories to the desk when purchasing the bundle. How much will depend on the brand, but a lot of it, again, comes down to shipping costs.

The second thing to consider is the mounting of the accessories. Once your desk is upright and assembled, it becomes more difficult to fit things like a keyboard tray or CPU holder. Drilling into the surface of a desk is more difficult than when the desk is face down on the floor. If you’ve loaded your desk surface with items, you may need to remove them and flip the desk over to properly position the new accessories.

Because of this, some brands do not offer restocking fees and free return shipping on accessories. If you’re on the fence about some accessories, it would be smart to contact the retailer and ask about their policy.

Having a great lifting capacity doesn’t always correlate to better quality for a standing desk. This is a big mistake that exists in the industry today. The other problem is that many of the weight ratings are created by the brands and not verified by their OEM manufacturer.

Look at your current desk setup and think about how much weight you really need to lift. Then add another 20% just to be safe. The average user will require 75 to 100 pounds, plus surface weight.

The stability of a standing desk is one of the most subjective areas. The feeling of stability of a desktop can vary from one user to another. However, it does not make it less important. One of the best ways to see stability is to compare it to a wobbly bar or restaurant table. While both only have a small amount of movement, some people will get annoyed and others will ignore it. which are

The problem with stability on a standing desk is that it can’t be easily fixed. These engineering flaws must be fixed at the factory. A small weakness in the frame or top can create enough small movement to recreate your restaurant table experience.

If you’re doing tasks that involve a lot of movement, type hard, or like to lean against your desk, you’ll notice stability issues. If you are sensitive to movement while working, pay attention to the stability of your new desk.

Read the top 6 reasons why a standing desk wobbles >>

When looking for better stability, one of the comments we see is that a wider standing desk frame will be more stable. Unfortunately this is not true and buying a wider frame will not eliminate frame stability issues.

We have the ability to test a standing desk’s frame deflection, so we tested 48″ and 72″ for comparison. After the test was completed, the results were so close that users could not feel the difference between the sizes.

Read Is a wider standing desk more stable? We tested to find out >>

Now that standing desks have become popular, we’ve seen a huge influx of new brands onto the market. Most brands claim that they are top quality and offer maximum stability. The truth is, when you pay $400 for a full electric standing desk, you can’t expect the same quality as a $1500 desk. That’s not to say there’s no value in lower-cost alternatives.

Will a $400 desk work for you? Or do you need a $1500 premium product? Those questions can only be answered based on the value you place on certain aspects of the desktop. Premium products from brands like Linak, OMT Veyhl, and NewHeights stand above the rest. The internal components of these brands will be some of the best available. The fit and finish of the frames will also be a cut above the rest.

At the end of the day, most $400 to $1500 products will lift your desk up and down. If you’re just looking for a chance to stand at your desk, the lower-cost options might be a better fit for you.

Read 12 Reasons to Avoid Cheap Standing Desks Under $400 >>

Thinking of getting the biggest desk a retailer has to offer? If so, chances are they are shipping something large via shipping companies. This means that an 18-wheeler delivers the new furniture and the experience is much different than that of a FedEx/UPS driver. Avoid the surprise and find out the details with the delivery.

The first thing to consider is where the desk will be delivered. If it’s your house, can you accept a 53 foot semi trailer in your neighborhood? Is there a door, a long way or a dead end? Freight shipments require someone to be there to accept the delivery. Can you make a delivery appointment with the carrier?

Carriers default to back-of-truck or tail-door delivery types if no additional services are added before the shipment leaves. This means that you are responsible for getting the items out of the back of the semi-trailer. The drivers will roll the pallet to the back of the truck and break the bands for you. It is then your responsibility to remove each of the boxes from the truck. Most drivers will help get you off the truck, but without additional services, they are not responsible for moving you beyond that point. A dolly is a good option to help move heavy items.

There are additional services that can be added, such as a lift gate service and in-house delivery, but some carriers charge more for these services.

Read the lowdown on free office furniture shipping >>

Bottom line

Buying a new tall desk doesn’t have to be a bad experience. Armed with the top eight mistakes, you should be able to easily avoid most of the common pitfalls. Getting the right standing desk, the first time, will help you get back on your feet sooner. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.