Choosing the Right Standing Desk Frame: A Complete Guide

Choosing a standing desk frame appropriate for your home office can be challenging because not all are built together.

You may find a variety of standing desk frames with many features, so choosing one from an array of products can be confusing.

Standing Desk Frame should have the correct features starting with an adjustable frame, durable material, and an appropriate frame height. For example, a 180 cm tall person would need a desk frame about 44 inches (111 cm) high.

It is about choosing an ergonomic product with desired features to complement your home office without breaking the bank.

So, let us help you find the right standing desk frame for your home office.

Importance of Choosing the Right Standing Desk Frame

A right-standing desk should provide ergonomic benefits and enhance your work experience.

In fact, ergonomics and enhanced experience are two significant factors when choosing a standing desk frame.

According to WebMD, Standing desk helps to ease back pain and make you more productive. A study of call center employees indicated 45% more productivity with the use of a standing desk.

Hence, your standing desk frame should meet the purposes of ergonomic benefit and enhanced work experience.

Here are a few important of choosing the right standing desk frame.

1. It Saves Space

According to RoomSketcher.com, a standard desk chair usually requires an area footprint of about 42” (107cm) square. In contrast, a standing desk may require only 18-20” of depth space.

A standing desk frame with an option to adjust height and width will allow you to fit your desk in any dimension.

Moreover, you can move the standing desk to different corners of the room.

Voila! The problem of space is solved!

2. It Provides a Correct Position

A right-standing desk frame encourages you to stand in the correct position, relax your elbow, and access all the items on the desk without overarching or slouching.

Sitting on a chair, in contrast to standing, puts your body under a lot of stress. The wrong sitting position is more likely to squeeze the blood vessels; hence, reducing the blood supply to the working muscles.

With a right-standing desk frame, you can avoid physical stress by adjusting the workplace’s height and distance against your body.

Per the rule, keep the monitor at eye level, about 20 inches from your face, at a 20-degree tilt.

3. It Relaxes Your Wrist

A standing desk allows you to rest your arm comfortably over the desk without overarching your shoulders.

With your arms relaxed, your wrists will feel relaxed as well. It means you can work longer hours without the need to exercise and relax your wrist frequently.

As per the rule, you should bend your arms at 100-degree angles at your sides while standing.

Therefore, adjust the desk frame height at least as low as the shortest sitting elbow height to keep your wrist at ease.

4. It Provides Durability

With all the weight you put on the desk, having a durable design will save you money from replacing desks every few years.

A single desk should be able to hold a laptop, monitor, keyboard, accessories, and arm’s weight.

A standing desk frame made from sturdy material will withstand weather, wear and tear, and weights.

5. It is a Multi-Purpose

The right desk frames are easy to set up and usable for more than one purpose.

You can set it up in any corner of the House, so you can walk in, rest your laptop on the desk and start working.

A standing desk allows you to set up a workshop, such as sketching blueprints or assembling/dissembling small tool parts.

You can also store and read books on the desk or use them for displaying decorations and houseplants.

Things to Consider When Buying a Standing Desk Frame

Remember, nothing is trivial when you are shopping for the right product!

Consider a few essential things when buying a right-standing desk frame.

Feature	Specification
Budget	You will find standing desk frames ranging from $150 to $2000. The right kind that gives a value for money will come from $500 to $700.
Space	Decide how much floor space you can spare for a standing desk. An appropriate standing desk will take 24” in width and 18” depth clearance.
Lifting Columns	Stationary or height-adjustable standing desk frames with motorized options
Adjustment	Most standing desks are designed for height and width adjustments to fit any shape or size of space.
Weight Capacity	A standing desk could hold anything more than 170+ lbs

1. Home Office Space

Start with deciding the available space in your home office to set up a standing desk.

Standing desks are great for clumsy office rooms because they can easily fit into a small corner, unlike a desk with a chair that takes up significant floor space.

When you think about the workspace, consider the “footprint” that the desk unit will occupy and the desktop work surface space it will take.

Here is an example for you.

Consider the dimensions of the standing desk frame: Height (H) x Width (W) x Depth (D)

• Height is the vertical length of the desk frame
• Width is the lateral length of the desk frame
• Depth is the back to the front length of the desk frame.

A standing desk frame will take anywhere from 24 inches in width to 18 inches in depth, while the height of the desk frame will entirely depend on your physical stature.

Whatever size you choose should be enough to set up any workstation.

If you are worried about storage options, use the adjoining wall space for vertical storage or buy a desk frame with built-in drawers.

Read more to find out the Ideal Size for Home Office.

2. Consider Budget

A standard standing desk frame comes anywhere from $150 to $2000, depending on its material, functions, and features.

A standing desk frame with great features does not necessarily have to be expensive.  You can easily find one that gives value for money for just $500 to $750.

Keep in mind the long-term function when choosing a right-standing desk frame.

So, whatever your budget is, consider these factors before buying one.

• It should be fully adjustable and height-programmable
• It should be stable and functional
• It should be durable and withstand wear and tear.

If it sounds expensive, you can let go of a few options and settle for a minimal yet fully-function standing desk.

Many new buyers may find standing desks slightly costlier than sitting desks, but that is natural because standing desks come with many features.

A standing desk is portable, height-adjustable, and transferrable to places.

3. Lifting Columns

The lifting columns are what help adjust the vertical motion of the standing desk frame.

In contrast to desk frame legs, lifting columns provide adjustment and support to the desktop surface.

The functional efficiency of the lifting column may depend on whether it is single-staged or multi-staged.

Stages	Specification
Single-Staged	A single-staged frame is a static frame that does not allow for height adjustment. An appropriate standing desk will take 24” in width and 18” depth clearance. You would usually find it in the basic standing desk frame models and may offer a few choices for desk frame heights.
Multi-Staged	Multi-staged frame, on the other hand, provides desired height adjustment to the standing desk frame. Although a single column, it is fitted with two or three multi-columns that allow desired adjustments.

Lifting columns are designed with lightweight aluminum and durable steel that allow a seamless height adjustment while supporting the weight of applications.

When choosing the appropriate lifting column, you will have two options.

Lifting Mechanism	Specification/Benefits
Manual Mechanism	The manual mechanism works by operating a mechanical cranking system by hand. You would turn the knob left or right to choose the desired frame height. Standing desk frames with manual mechanisms tend to be cheaper than motorized mechanisms.
Motorized Mechanisms	These linear actuators powered by a DC or AC motor help lift or lower the frame height as needed. Also known as an electric linear actuator, it relies on electricity to adjust the frame height. They are time-savers but slightly expensive compared to manual mechanisms.

4. Type of Adjustment

A standing desk frame may allow you to adjust both height and width of the structures.

Therefore, the right choice of desk frame will ultimately determine how satisfied you will be with your standing desk frame.

A standing desk frame powered by a manual or motorized mechanism will adjust the frame to your desired height.

You can easily convert it to a sit-standing or standing desk.

A height adjustment is an essential feature for home office desks that people with different heights will likely use.

5. Weight Capacity

Weight capacity is the secondary yet essential factor when buying a standing desk frame.

The standing desk frame should hold the desktop surface and your workstation and effectively raise or lower the desk frame.

A stationary standing desk could hold anything from 170 lbs to 300 lbs. With electric standing desk frames, you can expect a weight capacity of 250+ lbs.

Some oversize models with heavy-duty electric linear actuators can hold even more weight. In some cases, over 800 lbs and still operate seamlessly.

With our modern electronics getting lighter in weight, such as lightweight laptops or printers, you should not worry about buying oversized models.

A standing desk with a weight capacity of 150 to 200 lbs will be more than enough for a home office.

Type of Standing Desk Frame

You will have two options when choosing from standing desk frame types.

1. Standing Desk

It indicates a standing desk frame that does not allow height adjustments.

A standing desk should be your preference if you are committed to standing and maintaining your straight posture while working.

This desk frame is best for the workplace or common area where different people may work on the same desk.

With a standing desk frame, your only option is to choose a stationary desk frame with an appropriate height.

Is your standing desk wobbling? Fret not! We are here to help you. Read our article to learn about fixing the wobbling standing desk.

2. Sit-stand Desk

As the term suggests, the “Sit-stand desk” facilitates standing and sitting positions.

These units support traditional (sitting) and standing postures while working.

Some sit desks are designed exclusively for standing, sitting, and perching (semi-seated posture).

When choosing a sit-stand desk, you can opt for an electrical standing desk that adjusts height per your need.

How Much Does a Standing Desk Frame Cost?

The price for a standing desk may differ from one manufacturer and model to another.

A basic standing desk frame should not cost more than $200-$300, but expect to pay $480 to $850 for any advanced model.

Some upgraded standing desks with programmable height mechanisms may also come for over $1000.

However, expect to pay between $500 and $750 for a standing desk frame with quality material and programmable features.

Best Standing Desk Frames in 2024

Here is a list of a few standing desk frame recommendations for you.

Here are a few desktop surface recommendations as well.

Do not forget to check out recommendations for Appropriate Desk Materials.

Final Verdict

Choosing the right standing desk frame will provide support, durability, and functionality so you can work more comfortably.

If you like the idea of both sitting and standing on regular intervals, choose sit-stand or sit-to-stand desk frames that will adjust to your desired height seamlessly.

Otherwise, you can choose customizable standing desk frames that allow you to custom-build your desk frame and add the desired desktop surface.

Therefore, carefully read this guide to make your decision before buying a standing desk frame for your home office.

Related Article: What size standing desk should I get?