{"id":33594,"date":"2025-04-11T20:27:17","date_gmt":"2025-04-12T03:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/?p=33594"},"modified":"2025-04-12T17:37:22","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T00:37:22","slug":"flexispot-adjustable-desks-healthy-and-useful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/flexispot-adjustable-desks-healthy-and-useful\/","title":{"rendered":"Flexispot Adjustable Desks – Healthy and Useful"},"content":{"rendered":"

I know I\u2019ve bought a lot of different items because Allison has suggested them\u2014and some of you have suggested them\u2014and now my desk is filled with tech gadget stuff.<\/p>\n

I was kind of in this conundrum myself. I had a desk that I was not very happy with. My arms are short, my trunk is short, and no desk has ever fit me in my entire life. Either I have to put the chair up higher, where my feet dangle, or I put my chair lower, and then my elbows are too high. And you know what? I hurt my elbow. It\u2019s like tennis elbow, but instead, it\u2019s mousing elbow\u2014and it took a long time to heal.<\/p>\n

So I finally just got sick of it and decided I needed a desk that actually fit me. I now work from home full-time permanently, so I need a desk that is going to keep me comfortable, make sure that I\u2019m at the right angles for all my joints so I don\u2019t hurt myself\u2014or that I\u2019m just more comfortable as I work.<\/p>\n

As it turned out, a good friend of mine was having that same dream, and she ended up buying a brand-new FlexiSpot<\/a> desk. And that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to talk about today because\u2014I\u2019ll tell you\u2014spoiler alert, now I\u2019ve bought a lot of different FlexiSpot things.<\/p>\n

Why Get a New Desk<\/h2>\n

What she was looking for was the ability to occasionally stand, the ability to adjust her desk when she was just feeling like a change of pace. Sometimes your shoulder gets a little sore, sometimes you want it a little higher or a little lower\u2014no injury involved in it, nothing like that. But she wanted something that she could rely on, a desk that would be strong and last for long periods of time, but also one that would give her more flexibility about her desk situation.<\/p>\n

So now we had the same goal. She ended up buying the FlexiSpot desk a few months before me and just loved it. Now, she\u2019s not one of those people who gushes over things, and when she does gush about a product, you know it\u2019s awesome because it\u2019s just not in her style.<\/p>\n

So then I started investigating\u2014maybe I should get a new desk, and maybe this brand is the desk for me.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned, the problem to be solved here is that I have, first of all, two very large monitors. I have a number of Elgato devices. I have speakers. I have a Mac mini, the Elgato teleprompter, and three clamped lights that go on to my entire recording area. So there\u2019s a lot of things on this desk\u2014and that\u2019s not even counting my drink, my phone that\u2019s charging, and everything else I have going on.<\/p>\n

I needed something that was going to be sturdy, hold all of this material, but also fit my challenging ergonomic nightmare. And this is something\u2014like I said\u2014I have never in my life sat at a desk that fit me. I\u2019m five feet tall, and there are not a lot of desks, particularly adult desks, that are built for someone my height.<\/p>\n

As I started discovering more about the FlexiSpot standing desk, I started to really fall in love with this brand.<\/p>\n

Shopping The Prices<\/h2>\n

First thing to know here\u2014and I will talk about prices at the very end\u2014is that they frequently have sales both on their home website<\/a> and on Amazon<\/a>. They\u2019re all mixed up a little bit differently. Amazon will usually offer a discount price and a coupon, while the desks on their website usually just have a flat bottom price.They also sell different models which have similar counterparts on their website.<\/p>\n

For a while, I looked back and forth and\u2014yes, both times we\u2019ll talk about that in a minute\u2014I bought one of their desks on Amazon. The desk came very quickly, their support was fantastic, and everything was easy to install. I\u2019m just one person\u2014it recommends two people\u2014and I was able to get both of these desks up and running very quickly with no problems. Nothing went wrong. Everything fit perfectly during assembly. I am so pleased.<\/p>\n

Buy The Right Motor<\/h2>\n

Now, here\u2019s the thing to keep in mind: when you have multiple monitors and heavy materials on a desk, different standing desks that go up and down have a certain motor capacity. If you\u2019re going to buy a very low-cost standing desk, you have to make sure that the motor can handle going up and down very easily with this amount of weight.<\/p>\n

All of their motors are incredibly quiet, sturdy, and you can buy them in either single motor or dual motor configurations. The dual motors will last longer, are much quieter, and more stable. The motors come in two- or three-stage options\u2014and we\u2019ll talk about why that is important next\u2014but all of their motors can handle anywhere from 300 to 450 pounds. So they can handle a lot of weight.<\/p>\n

The idea behind the two-stage and three-stage motors is this: the two-stage motor goes between 28.9 inches and 46.5 inches. Think about it\u2014sometimes you’re sitting, sometimes you’re standing. The three-stage motor goes from\u2014this was the kicker for me\u201423.6 inches to 48.8 inches. That additional lower range made all the difference in fitting this desk to me.<\/p>\n

Benefits of Adjustable Height Desks<\/h2>\n

During the pandemic, I bought a desk that was 28 inches, and that was the lowest desk I could find that wasn\u2019t a child\u2019s desk. I usually set my desk around 24.5 inches. So that 23.6-inch option was the key.<\/p>\n

I wanted a desk with the three-stage motor, but I\u2019m also glad it does standing. I sit way too much\u2014between working at home in tech IT and then coming upstairs to my office and recording podcasts and videos all night. I do a lot of sitting.<\/p>\n

Not only that, I have some breathing problems. I have asthma. And I noticed that when I record, sometimes I breathe too much. Standing up helps me breathe better. So now I can stand at this desk, get a little walking around, move a bit\u2014not sitting constantly\u2014and I breathe better while recording. It has made a huge difference.<\/p>\n

Room for All of The Clamps<\/h2>\n

Another issue with desks is that many don\u2019t fit clamp-on equipment like lights or cameras. They may have a ridge or brace under the desk, and suddenly you can\u2019t use any clamps. That was the situation I was in before.<\/p>\n

Now, I have five clamps on this desk\u2014two for lighting, two for monitors, and one for the microphone I\u2019m talking into right now. The monitors are on pivoting, rotating mounts, so I can swing them around and record from either side of the room. Everything fits perfectly.\"\"<\/p>\n

Other Options<\/h2>\n

When buying your desk, there are a lot of options to choose from. They come with either two legs or four legs. The four legs are considered more stable, but I bought the two-leg system, and I have to tell you\u2014this desk is incredibly stable. It is built like a tank. This desk will outlive me, I\u2019m pretty sure, so I have no concerns. But if you feel like you want a little more stability, the four-leg desk is an option.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve even branched into other kinds of desks. There are L-shaped desks, desks with raised platforms and shelves, and even a workbench-style desk for people who do light construction or building. They even made a gaming desk, which is more like a dining room table. It has a flat tabletop that you can lift off to reveal a lowered gaming area with drink holders, trays, and drawers\u2014perfect for storing gaming accessories. Boy, I really covet that one.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re buying a desk, you can also choose the frame color\u2014black, white, gray, or a different shade of gray. For the top, these are single wood pieces that you can get in gray wood, maple, mahogany, and even a marbled finish. There are a number of different color finishes to match your style. Some also have a chipped-wood look.<\/p>\n

The desktops themselves are a single piece of wood\u2014again, built like a tank. Along with the desks, they also sell baskets, cord management systems, and other accessories like power strips\u2014so you can fully outfit your desk. I even noticed recently they\u2019ve started building chairs, beds, and other furniture.<\/p>\n

After buying the first desk\u2014which I got for my upstairs recording room\u2014I would buy anything from them. It\u2019s just ideal for anyone who wants a solid piece of furniture at a decent price with so many features to be happy with.<\/p>\n

Then came the idea of the second desk. This one was for my downstairs work area. I had a 28-inch desk that was very unstable. It was starting to droop in the middle where the monitors sat. I use a monitor stand that stacks one monitor on top of the other, and then my laptop sits on that. This desk just wasn\u2019t holding the weight.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Get Active<\/h2>\n

But here\u2019s the other problem\u2014again, I\u2019m sitting way too much.<\/p>\n

One of the things these FlexiSpot standing desks can do is go up very high. The company sells two different accessories for that: walking pads (more exist on their website than Amazon) and exercise bikes (more exist on Amazon than their website).<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if you could really run on the walking pad, but if you wanted to walk during meetings or while reading documents (which I do a lot of), it works great. The FlexiSpot V9 3-IN-1 Exercise Bik<\/a>e though, is what I went with.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an exercise bike with its own working desk attached. I can sit there on the bike with my laptop on the desk. It has a cup holder. I can do some work, write documents. I don\u2019t know if I could do heavy thinking while using it, but I can pedal lightly while reading or attending meetings and training.<\/p>\n

In fact, a friend at work once asked me during a meeting, \u201cAre you on your exercise bike?\u201d I said I was, and she said, \u201cYou can\u2019t even tell.\u201d I wasn\u2019t shifting side to side, and it looked completely normal on camera.<\/p>\n

Another cool thing is I don\u2019t even have to move everything around. I can just raise the FlexiSpot desk, roll the bike underneath, and work at my main desk. I also have a chair for when I don\u2019t want to be on the bike, but for the most part, I try to use the bike.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The exercise bikes come in three different models:<\/p>\n

– Top-end: $499 (currently with a 10% coupon)<\/p>\n

– Lowest-end: $269<\/p>\n

They all have casters and are very stable\u2014they don\u2019t move as you pedal. My goal isn\u2019t to get a full cardio workout (though you could\u2014it has 8 resistance levels). I just want to be active during meetings, trainings, or document reading, and the bike is perfect for that.<\/p>\n

Desk Sizes and Models<\/h2>\n

FlexiSpot desks come in different sizes. Let\u2019s talk about the two I ended up buying.<\/p>\n

They have an EN1 (E1 is on Amazon and E2 and is on their website), which is their lowest-cost model at $109. I would have bought that\u2014except I needed a shorter desk. That put me into the E6 level, which is a bit more expensive but offers the height I need.<\/p>\n

The desk I chose has:<\/p>\n

– Three-stage dual motor<\/p>\n

– Handles up to 330 pounds<\/p>\n

– Very quiet and stable<\/p>\n

– Memory computer with 4 programmable height settings<\/p>\n

I use those memory presets for standing, sitting, and for specific tasks like recording videos. Downstairs, I used to put my laptop on a stand for Zoom meetings\u2014but now, I can just raise the desk to eyeball level without needing a stand.<\/p>\n

Upstairs in my recording room, I got a three-stage dual motor desk with two legs, sized 40×30 inches. The size depends on the model, but this is big enough to hold all my recording gear, drinks, Elgato Stream Decks\u2014you name it.<\/p>\n

At the time of this recording:<\/p>\n

– My first desk was $339 (I bought it during a holiday sale with a $160 coupon)<\/p>\n

– The second desk was $319 with a $50 coupon<\/p>\n

Prices change all the time, so check for sales and coupons to see what works best for you and just this week the prices went up on many models.<\/p>\n

I needed the E6 model<\/a> \u00a0<\/span>just because I\u2019m short. I\u2019m sure most people could get away with the less expensive models. You can read the specs for each model to find out:<\/p>\n

– Which motor it uses<\/p>\n

– How much weight it can handle<\/p>\n

– What sizes are available<\/p>\n

– What wood finishes and frame colors are offered<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll have to mix and match for your own taste and ergonomic needs.<\/p>\n

I also bought some of their cable guides\u2014they come in a few different varieties\u2014so I can tuck all my cables neatly under the desktop. That\u2019s my next project.<\/p>\n

Now my elbow is happy.\u00a0 <\/span>My feet are happy.\u00a0 <\/span>My back is happy. My ergonomics are perfect.\u00a0 My feet touch the ground, and my elbows rest at 90 degrees.\u00a0 <\/span>I can alternate between standing, sitting, or pedaling.<\/p>\n

I have a standing pad for when I\u2019m upright, and I switch between the exercise bike, the chair, and standing throughout the day. That flexibility makes all the difference for me\u2014especially as someone short who\u2019s never been able to find a properly sized desk before. This is the first time in my life I\u2019ve been happy with a desk.<\/p>\n

Bonus: The Reading Nook Desk<\/h2>\n

Besides the two desks and the exercise bike, I also have a reading nook\u2014a cozy space with what I guess you\u2019d call a chaise lounge, right next to a fireplace. It\u2019s my quiet spot where I read books, including books for my podcast. I needed a small table that I could swing over my lap to use a laptop while lounging.\u00a0So I bought the FlexiSpot Adjustable Bedside Table. It\u2019s likely designed for people who are bedridden or need to work or eat in bed. It\u2019s a little like a hospital tray table, but very well-built and super sturdy. It also has a great cup holder.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Everything I\u2019ve bought from FlexiSpot works fantastically.\u00a0 <\/span>They are built like tanks , thoughtfully designed, and extremely versatile then this workspace is exactly what you want.<\/p>\n

(At the time of this article, the prices have significantly fluctuated and are higher than what is listed.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I know I\u2019ve bought a lot of different items because Allison has suggested them\u2014and some of you have suggested them\u2014and now my desk is filled with tech gadget stuff. I was kind of in this conundrum myself. I had a desk that I was not very happy with. My arms are short, my trunk is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":33604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-posts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/workdeskbike-sm.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33594"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33605,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33594\/revisions\/33605"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}