06/07/21

What Is The Best Small Standing Desk (for Limited Home or Office Space)

Written by in Adjustable Desk

Quick Overview

When you think of a standing desk, you might think of a big, open-concept office with loads of room for large furniture. Many people assume that if they don’t have a lot of work space, they are not going to be able to make the most of a standing desk. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. In this guide, we look at the best small standing desk options for smaller spaces and how to choose a desk that is suitable for your own place of work, whether that means your executive office or the guest room of your home.

While standing desks aren’t exactly a novel concept, they have risen to prominence in recent years as people start to understand the widespread benefits of having a standing desk.

A standing desk allows you to stand at your workplace, while the adjustable height option lets you move the desk up and down. This allows you to place the screen at the ideal height for your sight-line as well as maintain the comfort necessary to type on a laptop and/or jot down work notes during a virtual business meeting.

Adjustable standing desks are much more popular than static standing desks, as these allow you to move from a sitting desk position to using a standing desk. This is great for people who want to choose their desk height and alter it throughout the day. A study performed by Jack Callaghan at the University of Waterloo offers a guideline that people should stand for roughly 30 minutes for every 60 minutes of sitting. Regardless of the duration of your work day, rest assured you won’t end up on your feet all day!

Most people agree that humans really weren’t designed to spend 8 or 9 hours sitting at an office desk. Therefore, by using a standing desk converter or a specific, adjustable desk, you can ensure the choice of whether you are sitting or standing is always yours.

Finding the Right Model for You

When it comes to high-quality, height-adjustable desks, many of the options on the market are big and bulky. This is often because brands typically aim their products at commercial offices and large buildings. However, there are several fantastic small stand-up desk options available, including the , one of the top picks for people wanting compact, lightweight, and sturdy desk, with a decent capacity.

Full Standing Desks or Desk Converters?

This is a question you might have when it comes to finding the right model for you. Once you start looking for a small stand-up desk, you will most likely stumble upon desk converters, also known as a “desk riser”. These are products that are meant to go on top of your existing “static” desk and alter the size of the surface. Basically, you are adding a second surface, which is height adjustable, on top of an existing desk.

If you aren’t sure about buying a whole brand-new standing desk, this might be a good option. However, they are often a lot less flexible. Finding the desired height and making the changes needed with a desk converter can be a bit awkward. Perhaps most difficult, you have to find a product that is specifically suitable for your existing desk that has the high capacity to support the load of your computer setup. You can find many sit-stand converter options out there, although they are a bit of a makeshift solution.

Choosing a Small Standing Desk: Key Features to Look For

While you may have never purchased a standing desk before, it’s worth considering the features and advantages that are going to be most important for you. We’ve listed all the areas you should be sure to think about before you make any final buying decision.

Size

You’ve come to this guide looking for a compact standing desk, so size is definitely an important consideration. Be sure to look at the full dimensions of the desk. The Yaasa small adjustable desk has desktop dimensions of 54.3 x 29.1 in. It can fit in a bedroom or a small home office if needed, and is by no means too small. You need to ensure you have enough surface area, as well as having a desk that fits in a compact space.

Adjustability

As previously stated, you will likely be making changes to the height several times throughout a work day and go from a sitting to standing position and back again. Adjustability is notably important in a family setting. If multiple people (adults and kids) use the standing desk, then you should make sure that it is suitable for everyone. Many of these desks can be used by the entire family. This guide shows you how to adjust the desk properly and correctly align your body with the monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

If you buy an electric adjustable desk, you will be able to make small or large changes in height with a button or remote control, rather than having to physically lift or drop the desk surface. This will make adjustability even easier, especially when alone.

If you struggle to adjust or don’t get to the correct height, you can find that a lot of the benefits of a standing desk are negated. It’s vital to get this right.

Build Quality and Capacity

It’s amazing how many items people often put on their desk. Books, dual-monitors, tablets, other peripherals. Ultimately, you want something that is well-made and has a decent capacity to allow you to use it whenever you want and make daily adjustments without having the worry of an overloaded desk.

In addition to being well-made with a good weight capacity, a relatively lightweight, easy to move sit stand desk is a bonus. The frame is 58lbs. The tops are 39lbs and our small standing desk options have a great capacity of 160+ pounds while still being light and easily movable.

Aesthetics

Although a standing desk needs to be functional, that doesn’t mean it has to be ugly. Make sure it fits the décor of your home or office, and looks stylish before buying and installing a standing desk. Many options are available in various high-quality finishes, wooden designs, and/or painted colors ensure it matches from a stylistic standpoint.

Construction and Assembly

Many people are put off by buying products that they will have to spend hours putting together. Is the assembly of your small adjustable desk going to cause you a lot of hassle? Complex designs and nuts and bolts in the wrong places can result in uneven structures, eliminating the ergonomic benefits a standing desk offers. Models that are easier to assemble reduce the risk of creating an unstable structure.

The Best Small Standing Desk Out There

The Yaasa Adjustable Desk Pro  fits a lot of the criteria we’ve set out above. It is a small stand-up desk with a hefty capacity of 160+ pounds, so you won’t have to worry about whether it can handle the weight of your laptop and other equipment.

This model also has a continuous adjustment feature. It’s as simple as pressing the up and down buttons to alter the desk height and position. You don’t have to spend time and energy messing around with a desk converter, trying to get the right setting.

The Yaasa Adjustable Desk is incredibly simple to put together. Other adjustable desks often take significant time and expertise to build. On the other hand, this desk comes pre-assembled with the exception of 12 simple screws to complete the design.

In addition to the stylish design, this desk is also available in a number of different finishes, so you can choose the design to best suit your office chair or the rest of your office décor. The design is also organized and clear of cables. Electronics are hidden inside the desk so you don’t have to try and hide them yourself!

In conclusion…

As more people are working from home, having a home office set-up or even just a corner desk in an accessory room of your home is becoming fairly common. If you find yourself feeling like you spend too much time sitting at a desk, or have noticed issues such as back pain from your chair, a compact standing desk could be the answer.

If you need an adjustable standing desk for small spaces, we hope this article helped you realize that finding the best small standing desk is about creating a stylish match to existing décor, while making sure you find something sturdy, reliable, and good-looking!

Medically Reviewed by Josh Barber, MD June 7th, 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to stand at a standing desk

To achieve the benefits of a standing desk, it is important to adjust the platform to your height. While knowing your height and health conditions are required for best results, the rule of thumb is to raise your standing desk to elbows’ height with the screen at eye-level and your wrists level to the desk surface. 

For more specific recommendations follow our standing desk height guide.

What are the benefits of a standing desk?

Standing desks have many benefits such as reducing back pain and improving one’s mood. Learn more about the benefits of adjustable desks here.

How many calories does a standing desk burn?

When using a standing desk, an individual burns about 10% more calories an hour, compared to those burned while sitting. While this addition ten percent may not seem like much, adjustable desks offer many additional health benefits. 

Learn more about burning calories with an adjustable desk here.