I’ve been interested in using a standing desk for about 3 years now. Soon after I moved into my own office space, one of the first things I did was purchase a decent ergonomic chair, and then a standing desk. Not wanting to buy an expensive adjustable desk I wasn’t sure I would actually fully utilize, I found a second hand, manually adjustable one.
Unfortunately, after I took it home I discovered that adjusting the height required me to climb under the desk, unscrew two large locking screws, manually raise the stand on either side and then tighten the screws again. This desk was meant to be set to one position, either standing or sitting, and not meant to be used to switch between either during the course of a day.
I’d since been eyeing the TekDesk v2.0. This was a locally produced product from the Cape Town based company that launched the DeskStand, a unique way to turn a regular desk into a standing desk, back in 2015. While the DeskStand was not what I needed, I’ve followed the company since that launch, and recently they launched the updated TekDesk, which was exactly what I was looking for.
The price had always put me off though, so I stuck with the other desk and my ergonomic chair, until I badly injured my lower back late last year. One of the contributing factors to this injury was the fact that I sit for at least 8 hours a day. Not being able to walk properly for 2 weeks gave me food for thought as to my work habits. So this past Black Friday, I decided to take advantaged of their sales and invest in a TekDesk.
Unboxing
The TekDesk ships in two separate packages, one for the desk top, and one for the stand kit. The desk top is still manufactured locally in Cape Town, using the same material as the original DeskStand, and the stand kit is sourced from China. I will say that it’s all very safely wrapped in solid packing materials, so that everything is well protected, and nothing had a scratch on it.
Installation
On the product video on their website, DeskStand claim installation takes less than 5 minutes.
What they don’t tell you is that’s specifically for setting up the stand kit, but the process of actually attaching the stand to the desk top, and then sorting out the motor wires and cable tying them to the desk means the entire affair will take about 30 minutes. That’s still pretty quick and I had the entire thing set up, with all my computer hardware and peripherals in place, in under an hour.
I would also point out that this was completed using an electronic screwdriver, as the combo allan key/screwdriver they ship with the stand is woefully incapable of being useful. Make sure you have a decent Phillips screwdriver handy.
My favourite features
The thing I love the most about the desk is the 3 memory presets for automatic height adjustment settings. Once I’d figured out my ideal sitting and standing height settings, and programmed the unit, it takes a mere 10 seconds to go from sitting to standing.
The other thing I really appreciate is the locally produced desk top. It is a natural birch top with a surface that is durable, but smooth enough to be used as as a mousepad. I will probably still keep using my actual mousepad, but it’s a really nice place to work on every day.
Finally, being locally produced, it also means if any goes wrong with it, I can take advantage of the 3 year warranty on the motors, or the 6 year warranty on the frame.
One final point I would mention, if you’re using a triple monitor set up with a PC, there’s not much space for the computer on the desk with the monitors, and unless all your cables are really long, you probably won’t be able to put it on the floor either. DeskStand does sell a separate holder for a PC, which can attach to the desk. Fortunately, I have a shelf next to my desk, so I put my PC on top of that.
If you’re in the market for a standing desk option, I highly recommend checking out the DeskStand range. They even sell the stand kit separately, if you want to use an existing desk top.
Leave a Reply