If this is not the best category for this inquiry, let me know where to put and I’ll move.
I am looking for a electric height adjustable table which is 2-3 feet wide and deep enough to accommodate a 21 inch iMac, keyboard and mouse.
Our budget is up to $500
If the controls provide height presets that would be handy.
What manufacturers and products are worth considering?
I don’t have a standing desk, but I”ve noticed those who do mainly buy from 2 manufacturers: Fully (Jarvis desk) or IKEA (BEKANT desk).
I purchased mine from Uplift but it was about $650, including the add-on for height presets (I believe that also included tax).
I bought it using PayPal’s credit system, which let me pay it off over ¿6 months? (I think) with no interest.
Mine is somewhat wider that what you are looking for, so it might be possible to configure something less expensive from them.
The reason that I mention them is that I did quite a bit of looking around, and discovered that most of the people who I had heard who had invested in a “sit/stand” desk had bought from Uplift. In fact, when I asked Jason Snell about his on Twitter, I heard from 3-4 more people who chimed in that they had an Uplift desk and loved theirs as well.
That is, of course, not to say that there aren’t other good models out there, just one data point. I will say, however, that I absolutely love mine. My only regret is not getting one that was even wider.
I ended up moving my new desk to another spot in the room from where I originally had my old desk, and there’s more space here, and I, for one, can never have enough desk space.
The presets for height are fantastic, and I would definitely recommend that option. I have 1 for standing & typing, 1 for standing and recording, and 1 for sitting.
One thing that I learned which I had never thought about previously was that even in a sitting position, being able to adjust the height would make things so much more comfortable. I believe it is common for many desks in the US to be 30-inches high. I found out that 29.4-inches is the perfect height for me based on my height, how I sit, and with the chair at the height that I prefer.
Oh, and the biggest question is always, of course, “Will you actually use the sit/stand feature?” For me, the answer is yes! With so much of life taking place on Zoom, I find it especially nice to be able to stand for calls/meetings/etc and still work comfortably. I suspect no one on the other end even knows that I’m not seated, except that I have a bit more freedom of movement.
I own the Ikea one and, even though I’ve seen remarks on its flimsiness, I’m quite happy with it. I’ve been moving it nearly every day for at least 2 years and it’s doing fine with a 27" iMac on it.
It doesn’t have presets but I’ve gotten used to remembering what it aligns with in the room at the different heights I use and I hit the spot pretty much every time.
I’d recommend a mat for prolonged use. I have an imprint one I’m very happy with.
I’ve got an uplift (probably out of budget), but my wife got hers from Costco on sale for IIRC $250 and she likes it. Shows up randomly at our store, so you might need to wait a while. (Normal price was IIRC $350).
I have a Jarvis. The bamboo option is nice, but the desktop itself is very thin. I ended up putting another piece of wood beneath it to give it some strength so it would flex less. But I’m extremely sensitive to flex, so your mileage may vary. (Also, FWIW, my desk is 72” wide so flex is more likely to occur.)
If you are willing or able to sacrifice the electric aspect, Home Depot has some incredible crank desks meant for carpentry. They make a 46” wide desk that is very nearly perfect, and incredibly cheap. If you’re interested, I’ll see if I can find you a link. The size was too narrow for me (which is why I got the Jarvis), but you could even get a very wide one for far under $500 if you’re in the US. And because it’s from Home Depot and meant for construction work, they’re extremely stable. My wife still uses this workbench and I get jealous of how stable the desk is from time to time.
Have had a FlexiSpot for about 2 years. Not fancy but works. Got it on Black Friday for about $250.
I’m leaning toward the Fully Jarvis frame only and then an IKEA countertop for my next desk. The combo right now is $530, but an IKEA coupon might be able to bring that down a bit. Home Depot has options too if you don’t have an IKEA around.
I have one from Autonomous. You can buy the whole desk or just the leg set and build or buy your own top from anywhere. I built a solid hickory top for mine last year.