If you're working from home, but want a workspace that can be for play and productivity, then the Flexispot EC1 Desk might be for you - or, to give it its full name, the Flexispot Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk. Hours upon hours spent hunched over in a desk chair in your home office that you didn't commute to can be really hazardous to your health, and standing desks are notoriously expensive.
That's where Flexispot's option comes into play. Sure, the EC1 is lacking some of the bells and whistles of other standing desks and the best gaming desks, and it's not going to win any awards for its style, but that has a positive knock-on in terms of the price tag, and for less than $300 / £300 you'd be hard-pressed to find another motorized standing desk that comes even close - this desk protects your back and your wallet.
Motorized standing desks are expensive (I'm talking $500 / £500 and up, easily), but this value model is often seen way below the $300 / £300 mark, and you can add as many bells and whistles as you want with customization and accessory options, as well as surface and leg material and finish choices.
Does the Flexispot Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk reach new heights? Read on to find out as we cover everything from construction to performance.
Design, Features, and Construction
My EC1 model is the 48" x 24" desktop size - for only two dollars more you can get eight extra inches of depth, but you may not need it, as the desk space is pretty expansive. Allegedly, the desktop is made from bamboo sourced from sustainable forests, and I can say that it's incredibly sturdy. Some of the protective packing glue melted to the desktop, however, and there are a few other dents and nicks from transit that aren't ideal. The frame is made of steel, and it's obvious. But both elements are equally robust and give confidence.
There are nine different color options for the desktop and three color choices for the frame. I have the maple desktop with a black frame, but if you're looking for something a bit more chic, I'd go marble and white frame. Simply put, there are options to make this thing look a bit less like it's straight from an office.
While there aren't many extras that come standard with the Flexispot Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk, you can spend some extra cash to get some sweet accessories. There are tons to choose from, including expected additions like a monitor mount, a mouse pad, and a desk mat. There are even some rather out-there add-ons, including a humidifier, a neck and shoulder massager, and an under desk bike.
There are two buttons for raising and lowering the desk with the motor that's on the left front of the desktop - they're easy to reach and respond to quickly. The desk comes with clips that will let you hide the cord that connects the motor to the desktop, and any other dangling cords that may irk you (and they will dangle, especially at max height).
Construction is fairly simple, albeit quite the workout as the legs and particleboard desktop are both incredibly heavy. Easy enough to put together though which is a great plus point.
Performance
The Flexispot EC1 is incredibly sturdy, and doesn't wiggle even at its max height - and my cats jump on and off it all the time. The heights are reasonable for people on the short end or the tall end of the measuring tape and it was comfortable for me to use both standing and sitting, so will suit those using one of the best gaming chairs. The motor itself is surprisingly quiet considering the work it's doing, and despite a slight delay when you press the buttons, it's responsive.
The lack of a hole through which you can pull your cables is frustrating, however, and for that, I would make the desk down slightly. When you have wires for your keyboard, monitor, mouse, keyboard pad, desk lamp, and more, it's important to be able to feed those easily through a point in the desk. The lack of that feature is even more apparent when you raise the desk up, and wires dangle everywhere.
Otherwise, it's a sturdy, easily adjustable desk that feels like it'll last forever.
Overall - should you buy it?
If you're like any of us here at GR+, you're working from home and constantly looking for ways to improve your work and play space. Before the Flexispot desk, I was working on a very pretty but very basic desk that was didn't have much surface area and certainly wasn't adjustable. Now I've got plenty of surface area (and I don't even have the biggest size) and the ability to work while sitting or standing.
My posture while sitting is terrible, so the ability to swap to standing whenever my neck starts to hurt is ideal - I don't even mind that the EC1 doesn't have a feature that lets you favorite certain height settings. Yes, the desk isn't all that nice-looking (although some combination of the finishes may result in a fairly stylish desk), but the size and hardiness of it can't be denied.
Add that to a frankly absurdly low price point and if you're on the market for a standing desk for work and play, this will certainly do the trick.
