The Best Computer Desks in 2021

Featured Product: Flexispot EC9 Standing Desk | $250 | Amazon | Clip coupon

Buying a desk doesn’t seem like too difficult a task. Find one that’s pretty enough to sit in your office, has enough storage and space to house all your trinkets, and hope for the best. But shopping online might make it difficult to know if it’ll be good for your body long-term. Ergonomics are tricky, and a poor setup can leave you with serious back or wrist pain.

You don’t have to commit to a standing desk to resolve those ergonomic woes–a few accessories might make your current desk perfectly usable–but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the added option of getting on your feet for a bit during a long workday.

Whether your current setup has wreaked havoc on your posture or you’re just taking the precautions necessary to prevent that, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the best computer desk to suit your needs. And since the best desk is a standing desk, it only makes sense reviewers would agree, as evidenced by the highly-rated furnishings below.

Best Overall: Uplift V2 Standing Desk

After spending my first six months of quarantine back in my childhood home, my wrists and lower back were in pretty awful shape. Holding my phone hurt after a long day of typing, and I found myself slouching a little too often in my family’s stiff dining room chairs. Once I got back home to California, I jumped on grabbing an Uplift V2 Standing Desk—and haven’t looked back since.

It’s one of the most customizable options you can get, with a slew of different finishes, sizes, frame configurations, and accessories to tack on. The base model starts at $600, and can easily reach over $1,000 depending on how you customize it. Its surface is sturdy and looks nice in my office, the adjustable-height mechanism is smooth and stable, and the setup is pretty quick even if you have to do it solo.

If you’re looking for more than just a desk, you can upgrade to have a couple of outlets right on top of your setup for easy access, get some upgraded cable management gear to keep things tidy, or even grab a slide-out keyboard tray for improved ergonomics and a little extra surface room. I’d recommend getting the C-Frame model for increased stability, even if it’s an $80 add-on. It’s also worth it to get the advanced keypad if you’re planning on switching between sitting and standing a lot, or if it’s going to be used by more than one person.

Best Budget Desk: Monomi Electric Standing Desk

Nice as it is, the UpLift is on the more expensive end, and that’s a reasonable dealbreaker. Standing desks don’t have to raid your savings, though. The Monomi electric height-adjustable standing desk is one of the best available on Amazon right now, according to reviewers, and a 48″ model costs just $221 right now at Amazon.

Like the Uplift, the Monomi has a keypad that lets you quickly adjust the height of the desk, extendable up to 46″. Unlike the Uplift, though, its keypad and keyboard tray are included, so you won’t have to sweat the upgrade prices. It’s not as elegant-looking as pricier options, not to mention it lacks the C-frame to improve stability, but at half the price, it’s not something you’ll fret too much—the basics are more than plenty.

Best Budget Desk, Runner-Up: Flexispot EC9 Standing Desk

Here’s another great option for an affordable, straightforward standing desk. Flexispot’s EC9 electric standing desk ranges between 28.7” to 48.4”, providing a slightly taller standing level than the Monomi model above. It’s also incredibly easy to set up, with only a handful of simple steps needed to connect the legs and plug in the wiring for the hydraulic motor.

In use, Flexispot’s desk smoothly converts thanks to the little up/down control switch on the right side. There’s just a smidge of wobbliness at the absolute top level, but not enough to be concerning or distracting, and it lessens the lower you go.

Flexispot’s desk doesn’t have extra frills like a keyboard drawer, but it’s a great pick for a minimal, affordable, and solidly sturdy desk that you can get up and running in a hurry. Clip the coupon on the page right now to save $50, dropping the price to $250.

Best for Small Spaces: Upper Square Babin Standing Desk

For those looking for a minimalist desk, or anyone who likes to use their surface for scribbling as much as they do hunting and pecking, the Upper Square Babin is highly rated on Wayfair. Unlike the Uplift or Monomi, this desk has a groove in the front to get you a little closer to the monitor. Additional features include a glass surface that doubles as a dry erase board you can use for brainstorming, a slide-out drawer, and a built-in USB port.

As with the other options, its height is adjustable and comes with three pre-programmed heights, reaching up to 47″. It typically sells for about $550. While that’s not too far off from the Uplift, without any upgradeable options, you won’t have to worry about a shocking price tag at checkout. Currently sitting at 4.7 stars on Wayfair, based on over 700 reviews, customers like it for its easy setup, handy whiteboard surface, and the quality of its height adjustment mechanism.

Best Standing Desk Converter: Jumbo DeskStand

A lot of standing desk converters are big, heavy things that are designed to stay put in your chosen position, but the Jumbo DeskStand is different. This converter is also easily convertible, letting you rearrange the shelves as needed and then take it down and hide it out of sight when you’re done. It’s a bit chunky and it’s not cheap, but you might appreciate the perks—especially if you’re tight on space.

Gizmodo’s Catie Keck is a fan of the Jumbo DeskStand:

“Ultimately, I really liked the way this standing desk solution performed and the way it looked even when it wasn’t in use. It wasn’t an eyesore, it was easy to break down in a pinch, and it was sturdy enough to balance a heavy monitor and laptop without me having to worry too much about weight distribution. If your desk isn’t actually going anywhere and you have space and money for it, a more traditional standing desk might be a better option. But for someone in a smaller space, the DeskStand’s an option I’d definitely recommend.”

Best Budget Standing Desk Converter: FlexiSpot Standing Desk Converter

On the other hand, if you don’t want to abandon your current desk and but you want the flexibility of a standing setup, why not use an add-on convertor? Quality ones aren’t cheap, but are still a fraction of the cost of most true standing desks, plus they have the benefit of mobility.

If you want the cheapest option with the most positive reception, grab the FlexiSpot standing desk converter. Only $100 on Amazon right now, it doesn’t look as elegant in your office as an elevating desk, but it gets the job done. It can reach up to 28″ high and measures about 28″ wide, so it won’t occupy a ton of room in your house or apartment, plus there’s an electric motor for easy adjustments. Oh, and it’s even got a keyboard tray, so you won’t be giving up too much of that limited surface space. It’s currently sitting at about five stars based on 127 reviews, and customers seem to have few issues with it. As long as you’re okay with a slightly clunky aesthetic, you shouldn’t be disappointed.

This story was originally published by Jordan McMahon on 10/19/2020 and updated by Andrew Hayward with new information on 05/12/2021.