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Standing Desk Converters vs. Sit-Stand Desk: Which One Is Right for You?

28 December 2021

In recent years, many of us have realized that a sedentary lifestyle is detrimental to our overall well-being. It’s why many people have shown an increasing interest in products that can help them shake up their work routines. Two products that do just that are a sit-stand desk and a standing desk converter.

These two products offer you the same benefit, i.e., the freedom and flexibility to work/study while standing up or sitting down. With that said, some people prefer a desk converter, while others stand by a sit-stand desk.

This divide is surely confusing for prospective buyers who want to try the stand and sit work routine to see if it will benefit them. Even though both these products will help you change your work style and move toward a healthier lifestyle while getting rid of body aches and other issues related to a sedentary lifestyle, it’s important to figure out which one will work best for you.

This comparative analysis between a standing desk converter and a sit-stand desk might help you make the right decision between these two work life-enhancing products:

Standing Desk Converter and Sit-Stand Desk – A Comprehensive Comparison

Here’s everything you need to know about a sit-stand desk and a standing desk converter to determine which one will be better for your usage.

Sit-Stand Desks

Sit-Stand Desks

Also known as height-adjustable desks, sit-stand desks come with a height-adjustment feature that allows the user to adjust the desk’s height according to their own height. Some of these desks can be adjusted manually, while others have electronic controls. As evident by their name, these desks allow you to work comfortably while sitting and standing without straining your back. These desks come in different sizes and shapes.

Moreover, standing desks come with many health benefits since they promote activity and productivity. They allow you to move out of your sedentary lifestyle by standing, jogging, or even exercising while working. These desks can help you tackle various problems, such as laziness, fatigue, backache, bad posture, neck and shoulder stiffness, and many other sedentary-related diseases.

What’s more is that standing during your workday will help you burn calories. Plus, you can always adjust the height and sit down if your body needs rest. Since these desks will improve your life quality significantly, they will positively affect your mood, which will boost your productivity levels.

Here are some pros and cons of sit-stand desks:

standing desks

Pros

Ergonomic: Thanks to the height-adjusted surface, you have more range to bring your keyboard up and down. Moreover, these desks are designed to offer ease of use and flexibility.
Durability: Sit-stand desks are made with high-grade steel and other top-tier materials resistant to stains, rust, and scratches.
Wobble-Proof: The frames are designed to resist wobbling even at the top-most height. The legs are spaced out evenly to support the weight you will put on the desk.
Spacious: Depending on the desk you choose, you will have ample space on the surface to keep your laptop and other screens and other essentials, such as work files, calculator, phone, etc.
Smooth, electric adjustments: Classic standing desks come with convenient, single-touch height-adjustment features that enable you to quickly adjust the desk’s height to fit your needs.
Cost-Effective: These desks have become increasingly market-competitive and cost-effective in recent times due to the increase in demand and their durability.
Contemporary Designs: Most standing desks are designed to fit into modern homes and office spaces. It’s why they have a sleek and chic appearance and are built to fit into compact spaces.

Cons

Size: These desks are certainly bulkier than your standard standing desk converter.
Might Need Accessories: To make full use of the standing feature of these desks, you might need to invest in an anti-fatigue mat. You will also need to invest in a lower compartment to hold the CPU of your heavy-duty computer.
Assembly: These desks require you to read the instructions and assemble them. It will take you about 30 minutes to set up the desk.

Standing Desk Converter

Standing Desk Converter

A standing desk converter is essentially a smaller workstation that you have to place on top of your traditional desk to boost functionality and create additional space for work. Typically, people use these standing desk converters when they require additional space and flexibility but cannot afford a more spacious desk.

These converter apparatuses essentially allow you to turn your traditional desk into a standing desk. They feature an appropriate hoisting motion that enables you to raise your monitor and keyboard to a level that is comfortably accessible when you’re standing.

These converters are certainly a lot more convenient and budget-friendly for anyone who wants to experience the benefits of a standing desk without investing in one. Moreover, you can close them whenever you’re done with your work and pack them up for the day. These standing workstation converters come with an additional keyboard, laptop, or tablet trays or holders that will allow you to modify your workplace instantly.

Here are some pros and cons of a standing desk converter:

standing workstation converters

Pros

You Use it with Your Existing Desk: It is certainly the major benefit of using a desk converter. Some people want to keep their current desk because they don’t want to reorganize their workstation, don’t have enough time or the budget to buy a new desk, have limited office space, are reluctant to change, etc. Moreover, in some cases, offices don’t allow height-adjustable desks, but they let you use standing desk converters.
Affordable: These converters are considerably more affordable than a sit-stand desk. Even the most advanced converter is less costly than a standing desk. Plus, investing in a desk converter will save you from the hassle and budgetary dent of buying a new desk altogether.
Lightweight Construction: These desk converters are quite lightweight, allowing you to put them on top of your regular desk with ease. Their lightweight construction makes them easy to transport from one desk to another or carry around with you.
Little to No Assembly: A desk converter doesn’t have a time-consuming assembly, and it hardly takes minutes to set it up. All you have to do is take the converter out of its package, put it on your desk, and place your work essentials on it to start working.
Space-Saving: Due to the small stature of the converter, you can use it to save space while benefiting from its multi-tiered structure.
Multi-Tier Design: Standing Desk Converters are designed with keeping different adjustable options in mind. They come with multiple levels that allow users to set up different work things on the same structure. You can keep your laptop on one level and other work-related things on another.

Cons

Limited Space: Despite having a multi-tiered structure, a standing desk converter doesn’t offer the same space as a standing desk. The lack of ample space means that you will have to use your existing desk to keep some of your office items, requiring you to bend down to pick them up.
Manual Control: These converters feature manual controls to keep them as lightweight as possible. So, you will have to manually adjust the height every time you want to use this desk converter.

Which One Should You Use

So, Which One Should You Use?

While this assessment highlights the fact that there is no clear winner between a sit-stand desk and a standing desk converter, both these products are well-suited for people whose needs are best fulfilled by them. Both these items will improve your workspace and how you approach your work.

A sit-stand desk is best for someone who has to spend most of their time using a computer and is tired of their sedentary lifestyle. These desks will work wonderfully well for people who need to use a lot of office supplies and equipment that they can access right away. They will also work well for people looking to shake things up permanently and challenge themselves with a standing workday routine.

On the other hand, a standing desk converter is best for individuals who don’t want to give up on their work desk just yet and only want to give the standing workday routine a try. It’s also best for individuals who don’t require a lot of space for their work-related things and are looking for a small, lightweight, and functional option.

Trust FlexiSpot to find Your Standing Desk Converter or Sit-Stand Desk

If you have decided to invest in a standing desk converter or a sit-stand desk, you will benefit from browsing FlexiSpot’s diverse list of products. We have numerous sit-stand desks and standing desk converters that will enable you to achieve your work goals and welcome a healthier lifestyle. If you’re confused about which product to choose, we will gladly help you make the right decision based on your specific requirements. Visit FlexiSpot today to make a sound decision for your work life and health!