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How to pick
Start with height, not with spending. Your screen wants to be at eye level so you are not looking down all day, and your elbows want to be at about ninety degrees. A stack of books under the monitor fixes the first one for nothing, so try that before buying anything, and if it helps then buy the proper version. After that the order that gives the most benefit per dollar is usually a riser, then a footrest if your feet do not sit flat, then a monitor arm, then a sit stand desk. On sit stand desks the two things that matter are a sturdy frame and a motor that is not rattly, and a converter that sits on the desk you already own does most of the job for a fraction of the price. One honest warning: standing all day is no better for you than sitting all day. The benefit comes from changing position every hour or so, so if you know you will never press the button, save your money.
What I recommend
Monitor riser or stand
Lifts the screen so the top of it sits at about eye level and you stop craning downward. This is the single cheapest thing on this page and for a lot of people it is the only one they need. Many have a shelf underneath so the keyboard tucks away.
- Height
- Top of screen at eye level
- Bonus
- Shelf to tuck the keyboard under
- Test first
- A stack of books proves it works
- Material
- Wood or steel over plastic
Footrest
Once the chair is at the right height for your desk, a lot of people find their feet dangle, and that is where afternoon back ache comes from. A footrest is cheap and fixes it. The angled ones are more comfortable than a flat box.
- Use when
- Your feet do not sit flat
- Shape
- Angled beats a flat box
- Nice to have
- Tilts or rocks
- Fixes
- Afternoon lower back ache
Anti fatigue mat
Only worth it if you genuinely stand for long stretches. Standing on a hard floor is its own kind of tiring, and a cushioned mat makes a real difference. Skip it if you mostly sit.
- Only if
- You genuinely stand for long stretches
- Thickness
- About 3/4 inch
- Edges
- Bevelled, so you do not trip
- Skip if
- You mostly sit
Monitor arm
Clamps to the back of the desk and holds the screen in the air, so you get the desk space back and can move the screen to wherever is comfortable. Check two numbers before buying: the weight of your monitor and its VESA pattern, which is the square of screw holes on the back, usually 75mm or 100mm.
- Check first
- Your monitor's weight
- Check also
- VESA pattern, 75mm or 100mm
- Mount
- Clamps to the desk edge
- Gains
- The whole desk back
Sit stand desk converter
Sits on top of the desk you already own and lifts the screen and keyboard together. Much cheaper than a whole new desk, no assembly to speak of, and you can put it away if you decide standing is not for you. The trade off is that it takes up desk depth and the heavier ones need a shove to raise.
- Sits on
- The desk you already own
- Lifts
- Screen and keyboard together
- Trade off
- Uses up desk depth
- Good if
- You are not sure about standing yet
FLEXISPOT electric sit stand desk
A full desk with a motor in the legs and buttons to save your sitting and standing heights. FLEXISPOT is the brand I see hold up best at a sensible price. Get a dual motor frame if you can, because they are steadier and quieter than single motor ones. Worth it if you are at a desk all day, every day, and overkill if you are not.
- Frame
- Dual motor, steadier and quieter
- Memory
- Buttons for your two heights
- Check
- Desk depth against your room
- Worth it if
- You are at it all day, every day
Related reading
Setting up a home office?
I can get the whole thing working properly, screens, printer, network and all, so it feels like one setup rather than a pile of boxes.