4 IKEA Standing Desk Alternatives That Look Better & Don't Wobble!

If you’re thinking of investing in a new desk, you might be tempted to try and save yourself some money. Maybe even trying your hand at making your own standing desk. However, it’s worth thinking carefully before you take the plunge. Could you be sacrificing stability and performance in your rush to save some cash? IKEA are the kings of budget office furniture, but can you apply this to standing desks?

Standing desks have very specific requirements and although cutting costs is tempting, it’s no good if the desk you end up with isn’t fit for purpose.

Is The Ikea Standing Desk Good?

When IKEA USA jumped into the market with not one but two new products, many home workers rubbed their hands together. After all, many had wanted to join the standing revolution, but with many standing desk options out of their price range, surely this was a chance to try a standing desk without the outlay?

Standing desks need to be engineered and designed expertly to ensure stability, and the technology involved isn't cheap. But the existing desks on the market were relatively expensive, and the IKEA desks promised to deliver at a lower price point. But are they actually any good? We've written about whether you should avoid a cheap standing desk more generally here if you want to learn what to look out for.

IKEA SKARSTA Standing Desk

IKEA's SKARSTA standing desk offers a manual alternative to the more common electric standing desks, with a crank handle used to lower and raise the desk. Other than this the desk is as basic as you can make a desk. One major drawback is the lack of a power bank, cable management, or storage. This can create problems: laptop users will find that the lack of power and cable management means their cables and potentially the heavy convertor on their lead is hanging from the table at full height.

UPDATE: It does appear as if IKEA USA has removed the SKARSTA from their offering.

The SKARSTA is simply a particleboard topped desktop on a simple crank-operated frame. The desktop itself is sturdy enough, and other than this everything is made of metal. A range of colours are available. In use, the crank system is labour intensive, with a lot of cranking required to reach full height. It will at least match your existing office furniture (if you shop at IKEA).

IKEA BEKANT Sit Stand Desk

With the Bekant IKEA branched out into the electric standing desk arena. The Bekant features a simplified lift system, with up and down functions. The desktop is again in laminate with a particleboard top. It is good looking, with a range of different colours and finishes available.

Unfortunately, it seems the drive to make the desk easy to build has compromised stability, with many users complaining about the attachments used to secure the desktop to the frame. The BEKANT does have integrated cable management, but no power bank.

The low powered motors have a relatively low weight capacity of around 154.32 lbs, and this creates wobble when the desk is raised with any significant weight loaded. Many users felt unsafe loading this much gear onto their table. Even worse, the motors in one or both legs are prone to failure, leading to the whole product line being recalled. The Bekant desk promised a lot, but with an underpowered desk frame leaving many users unable to raise and lower their desk, it hasn't delivered.

Manual Height Adjustable Standing And Sit Stand Desks

The Desky Air Lift Zero is a manually adjustable platform with a difference, using pneumatic power to control the desk’s height. This saves endless cranking, which although not bad exercise, is certainly not ideal during a busy workday. With Air Lift, a simple push of a lever is enough to change the height of your desk.

Fitted with a reinforced crossbar to maintain stability, the heavy-duty particleboard desktop comes in at an impressive 1450mm x 730mm. Despite this, the Air Lift Zero maintains total stability, mounted on a modified version of Desky's standard class-leading frame.

Although it has a slightly higher price tag than the SKARSTA, for the level of performance it is well worth it. Stability is absolutely key when investing in a standing desk, and the Air Lift guarantees this in use and in transition.

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Best Cheap Electric Sit Stand Desk

The Desky Single Electric sit stand desk incorporates all the expertise used in the build of their other desks, but in a smaller, more affordable package. Compared to the BEKANT it offers reliability, and superior lifting power, for a very similar price. It also features integrated cable management, and a much more useful electronic lift system featuring 4 programmable memory presets. It is operated with a handheld controller.

The other major plus is the stability. With a total lack of shake in everyday use, the powerful motor is capable of shifting up to 17.64 lbs easily. With a transition speed of 38mm/s, and super-quiet operation, it's heads and shoulders above it's IKEA counterpart.

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Should You Avoid Cheap Standing Desks?

There are many factors to consider when thinking of getting a cheap standing desk. First would be the motor quality - board systems are usually mass-produced and might not have gone through proper quality control. These motors usually are not consistent in delivering smooth operation and are noisy.

Another thing is that the motors are usually underpowered when the desk is loaded to capacity. Manufacturer warranty is subpar along with the quality you get makes the purchase feel like a hit or a miss.

At Desky, all our dual series desks are backed by an industry leading 10-year warranty

Why are Standing Desks So Expensive?

Quality desks that allow for sitting and standing are complicated bits of kit and should be constructed from robust, rigid, adjustable steel frames, atop first rate feet and finished off with a first class workspace and desk surface that complements your home office. Although they need to look good too, it is what the eye cannot see that really lifts the calibre of your well-chosen piece. If a cheap gliding system is controlled by poor quality electronics, this, minus a snug fit into the staging columns means a manufacturer must use excessive, greasy lubricant, a cheap way to aid a smooth action.

What you are left with is a frequently-failing, impossible to keep clean, wobbly standing desk. The most effective solution would be rigorous quality control. Issues such as blotchy paint finishes, unskilled welding or significant amounts of grease are surely some of the simplest problems to fix. If a low-cost brand can ship out these frames in such poor 'brand new' condition, this raises a huge red flag about the way they do business. We've covered some ikea standing desk alternatives before if you want to make the leap from big box store to custom quality products.

Make sure you and your money are not being taken advantage of. Ultimately, our team at Desky aims to provide customer satisfaction with high-quality standing desks that come with a guarantee on part replacement. Our range does not comprise of the cheapest height adjustable standing desks out there, but our extensive selection offers mid-range pricing for a high-quality product. They come with a 10 year warranty; testament to our confidence in our products. Check out America's best standing desk range through our buying guide for an in-depth comparison of each product.

Standing desks are expensive because the stability and lifting power required doesn't come cheap. Not only do standing desks require top quality materials, they need powerful, smooth motors which don't fail, and can keep your desk 100% stable when changing positions.

As illustrated by the problems with the BEKANT, cutting costs simply doesn't work. That said, the Desky Single Electric Sit Stand Desk works out as only a little more than the IKEA version, but provides much better stability, lift and usability.

Are Sit/Stand Desks Worth it?

Yes standing desks are worth it, with a host of health and productivity-related benefits. Using one can help ease or prevent back pain, and help you to maintain a healthy posture. Changing positions during the day has been linked with a host of health benefits from standing desks, and keeping active can help you fight obesity and related health problems, while improving blood flow, well being and productivity.

Standing Desks For Small Spaces

Another affordable option, is the Desky Pedestal Zero Standing Desk, much more compact and ideal for smaller spaces and those who only work from home on occasion.

Mounted on a super stable aluminium base, adjustable feet allow you to place it wherever you need it without compromising usability. A height range of 780mm-1280mm should suit most people. Like all Desky products what really stands out is the stability, and the impressive speed and smoothness with which it transitions. The only drawback is the reduced desktop size. Also works out cheaper than the IKEA electric desk. Desky has been expanding our range of smaller desks so be sure to check out our collection of desks for small spaces.

How Do You Make A Home Office In A Small Space?

Pedestal desks are ideal for making a home office in a small space, and allow you to easily convert a space into an office for the day if you only work from home occasionally. With many of us now creating home offices with limited space, a pedestal is a great solution for those who want to bring stand up working into their home and experience the health benefits from standing desks.

Custom Standing Desk

The Desky Dual Laminate Height Adjustable Desk is the complete package, with a weight capacity , stability and usability that is unrivalled. With a super tough laminate desktop, available in a range of size and color options, this is as robust as any desk out there. The largest desktop this can support is 2000 x 750mm, so this needs some real power. Luckily, the two legs are each fitted with a powerful motor capable of raising the desk from 600 - 1250mm at 36mm per second, without shake or wobble.

The solid frame construction ensures this is a market leader in terms of stability, in use or transition. The same hand controller system with 4 programmable settings is employed, so you can save your ideal settings for ease of use. Cable management and power options are available, so none of the cable issues present with both IKEA desks here.

The desky dual compares favourably to all of the standing desk options available. Although more expensive than both of the IKEA products, you can be 100% certain this will not fail, and it has a distinct advantage over the SKARSTA in that it has motors (no cranking). Compared to the BEKANT, this is clearly a much superior desk, beating it on stability, and crucially reliability.

Electric Height Adjustable Gaming PC Desk

The requirements for a sit stand gaming desk are slightly different, but increasingly gamers are coming online to the health benefits a standing desk can bring them. The Desky Alpha Dual Gaming Desk is designed to bring all of the power and stability of the other desks into a product which speaks to gamers. Larger, more powerful and more stable than both the IKEA desks, this has the advantage of being designed with gamers and their needs in mind.

The Ergo Edge design allows the user to get closer into the action, which allows for better wrist support, helping lower the chances of developing RSI like carpal tunnel syndrome. Everything else you would expect is present: two powerful motors fitted into the frame ensure your set up is safe when changing heights, and with a speed of 36mm/s you can move from bottom to top in around 10 secs.

If you're looking to upgrade, Desky has a range of alternatives to the IKEA duo, boasting superior stability, great shipping and customer service, but above all, reliability. If the above don't work for you, check out the full range and we're sure you'll find something that fits your needs.