Varidesk Proplus 30
Best for: Cubicle commandos When a workspace is already crowded with furniture, the best sit-stand option is one that converts any desk into a dual-mode station. The multitiered Varidesk holds just the essentials—monitor, keyboard, mouse. Your wireless phone charger, headphone stand, and stacks of paperwork stay on the tabletop. Squeezing the paddlelike levers on either side releases the locking mechanism that keeps the 30-inch work surface stable, and a system of springs allows you to lift the whole assembly up or push it back down with relative ease. The Varidesk locks into one of 11 heights between 4.5 and 17.5 inches off the desktop. There are no motors and nothing to plug in. It even arrives fully assembled.
$295
Beyond the Office Door VertDesk v3
Best for: Upright managers This Wisconsin shop has long sold other companies’ office furniture. So when BTOD finally made its own desk, it folded in years of industry experience. The third version of its motorized VertDesk can lift up to 275 pounds—enough to handle a multidisplay workstation, heaps of external storage, and a few potted aeschynanthuses. Plus, it can be programmed to stop at up to four heights between 30 and 50 inches. A sensor keeps the work surface from crushing any hard objects (mug) or soft ones (office lapdog) that may be resting on your under-desk cabinet. The Vert is customizable too. Add a power strip ($40), casters ($43), or a Siri voice-control module ($73)—when your Apple Watch commands you to stand, command the desk to rise with you.
$532 and up
Stylist: Lionel Dulce
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