The Best Desks of 2024

I chose desks of different sizes and styles. Some are manually controlled, while others have electric motors for height adjustment. To test each standing table, I started by building each one and noting the ease or difficulty, including whether I needed help with any of the steps. I then spent a full day working at each location — alternating between sitting and standing — making notes on when something worked particularly well or caused a problem.

I tested the Seville Classics Airlift Height Adjustable Desk with Glass Top, the Seville Classics Airlift Pro S3 Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk (discontinued), the Steelcase Solo stand-up desk as well as Fezibo Height Adjustable Electric Standing Desk with Double Drawerbut they did not cut. An Airlift with a Glass Top is close to finding a place above. It’s a nice, solid desk at a mid-range price. It also has a small central drawer to store essentials. Unfortunately, its built-in touchscreen isn’t very responsive and the two USB-A ports, while considered a nice tech feature, are outdated on most phones and tablets today.

The Airlift Pro S3 was a decent desk, but it was a little stiffer to install than others in its size range and had a cheaper looking finish than the overall winner of the best standing desk (the Vari desk).

The Steelcase Solo desk was surprisingly easy to install for its size (same as the Vari desk). Instead of using screws to attach the legs, these simply lock into place. The desk is sturdy, looks good and is quiet when you raise and lower it. Vari has a sophisticated control panel with a sleek finish and comes with desk accessories.

The Fezibo model intrigued me because of the built-in storage, but I found this model more difficult to assemble than many others. Still, it’s a reasonable option if you’d like to have storage units integrated into your desk and two levels: one to hold your monitor and one to hold your keyboard and other related equipment.

As always, consider your specific needs before purchasing a living desk. Do you have a lot of space and a high budget? Consider the Vari or Uplift models. The Ikea model is a medium-sized manual desk at a great price. Regardless of what your home is like, one of these types will suit your needs. If you’re not sold on a standing desk, consider a standing desk converter to replace your existing desk.