When space is limited and corners of your home have to be multi-functional, consider a standing desk converter that can easily break down to be stored out of sight.
I’m a big fan of one such standing desk solution I’ve been testing for the last couple of weeks from a Cape Town-based outfit called DeskStand. Prior to reviewing this product, my go-to recommendation for a standing desk converter was the Cooper Standing Desk Converter from Fully. That one, and its height-adjustment desk equivalent, the Remi Standing Desk, are still great options for folks who are willing to spend a little more on something that’s not meant to move. But they’re also pricey, and the problem is that the standing desk converter, because it’s so large and heavy, isn’t really meant to be stored anywhere besides your desk. I wanted to find something that could break down easily and might be a better solution for folks in spaces like smaller apartments.
More than just looking for a slim, collapsible standing desk solution, though, I wanted to find something that was designed to look nice in a space. I actually found DeskStand on Etsy of all places (though its products are sold through Amazon as well). And after spending some time with the Jumbo version of its patented designs, I think it’s a pretty solid option for somebody who wants a standing desk that can be taken apart and be neatly stored behind a couch or in a closet.
Jumbo DeskStand
What is it?
A standing desk solution with adjustable shelves.
Price
$US250 ($325)
Like
Beautiful and breaks down easily — perfect for small spaces.
Dislike
Leans back pretty far, not a great option for narrow surfaces.
Constructed out of Baltic birch plywood, the Jumbo DeskStand ($US250 ($325)) is available in three colours: natural birch, matte white, and matte black. The Jumbo version has plenty of space to accommodate a laptop and a 27-inch monitor. The Original DeskStand ($US230 ($299)), which has a smaller top shelf, is a better solution for somebody working on a single screen. The company also makes a wall-mounted version called the WallStand ($US450 ($585)) and another product called the A-Stand ($US900 ($1,171)), which because of its height does not require a surface like a table. The three smaller versions can all be broken down and stored fairly easily.
My favourite thing about the Jumbo DeskStand — besides its wood design, which is a lot more aesthetically pleasing than some clunkier standing desk converters — is that set-up is extremely straightforward and requires no screws or additional tools. Two component parts form the base, and the two included shelves that slide into the ladder’s openings can be moved up and down based on your preferences for height. If you have a monitor on the heavier side, set-up and break-down is going to be a little more involved than it might be if you’re just working with a laptop, keyboard, and mouse. But I didn’t have a problem moving the DeskStand to various workstations in my home. And when I wanted it out of sight, its size made it easy to stack and slide under or behind the couch, or in a closet.
I will say it’s chunky — it’s wood, after all — but that helped make it fairly sturdy. With a 27-inch Acer monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and a laptop all set up on the DeskStand, I did notice that it was a little sensitive to heavy movements. Not so much that it was noticeably worse than other standing desk converters I’ve tried, but enough that I noticed at first. After a few days with the product, though, I found I hardly noticed this at all. And I did find that the DeskStand was sturdy enough that scooting my monitor pretty far over to the left side of the top shelf didn’t topple the whole thing over, which I appreciated given how much space my monitor takes up when set up next to my laptop. Its two shelves also each feature slots for a smartphone or tablet that double as cord management, and at about 14 inches deep, they were wide enough to accommodate all my gadgets as well as a cup of coffee and probably a small plant. These were small details, but I appreciated the thought that went into the design.
A thing to note, however, is that the desk takes up a little more space than I’d originally anticipated. From its front feet to the back of where its top would meet a wall, I measured about 20 inches (front feet to back feet is about 16 inches). If you have it on a surface that is pushed up against a wall, you may find that you need to scoot it forward a little bit to get the DeskStand to fit, as I did. This wasn’t too much of an issue for me, but definitely something to consider if your desk space is on the narrower side.
Lastly, for someone with extremely limited space, the DeskStand can be situated on the floor and its shelves moved up to act as a kind of tabletop or coffee table next to a couch or armchair. That might be a perk for somebody who needs a solid surface to situate their computer on while, for example, streaming a movie. It’s not the DeskStand’s strongest use case, but the product is nothing if not versatile in the way it can be used.
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.
README
- A versatile standing desk solution that breaks down into four pieces — no screws or tools required.
- It’s made of Baltic birch plywood and is sturdy enough to balance a monitor off to one side without toppling over.
- The fact that its pieces are all flat makes it fairly easy to store out of sight, such as behind a couch or in a closet.
- Shelves are wide enough to accommodate two screens as well as a keyboard and mouse.
Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for local Australian pricing and availability.