Those of us who spend a lot of time at our desks, know that a good desk that’s sized right and comfortable to work at can make all the difference in a productive workday, not to mention in eliminating back and neck strain and carpal tunnel syndrome. While it’s certainly possible to use a piece of plywood and some sawhorses to make a desk, I’m going to try to make the case for investing in a workspace that will pay you dividends. They say sitting is the new smoking, so standing desks have become increasingly popular, particularly since the pandemic sent many of us working from home. I recently came across a hybrid, sit stand desk option, and was intrigued enough to try it out. FlexiSpot makes motorized sit stand desks that are not only height adjustable, but they have preset settings, so you always get the position that’s most comfortable for you. In this review, I’ll show you what it’s like to order and choose your FlexiSpot motorized desk (I ordered the E7 Pro Plus Standing Desk), what it’s like to assemble and build (since it does come in multiple pieces). Moreover, this FlexiSpot desk review talk about what it’s like to use and if I am finding it comfortable, and better for my overall work environment. I’ll wrap things up by letting you know if I think I can recommend this product for you.
FlexiSpot E7 Motorized desk
Summary
This desk feels incredibly well-built and solid to work on. It was easy to assemble, and I love the fact that I can now sit and stand throughout the workday. I really appreciated the fact that I could customize almost every aspect of the desk to fit with my space and my aesthetic.
Pros
- Well made
- Strong & stable
- Smooth operation
- Moves quickly
- Safety features
- Lots of choices when ordering
- Sit-stand configuration is great
Cons
- Control pad can be overly sensitive
Choosing your FlexiSpot Desk
One of the most fun things about getting this new desk was all the choices. I was able to make and customize the desk just for me. I started by choosing the E7 Pro Plus Standing Desk which is motorized and adjustable to sit or stand.
My hands-on video review
Almost every aspect of this FlexiSpot motorized desk is customizable from the type of desktop surface you would like (wood, laminated finish, bamboo) to the size of the top, to the metal motorized leg colour. I was able to build a desk that’s perfect for my home office space and decor. I chose an all white chipboard top and white metal legs.
As you build your dream desk you’ll see the price update accordingly to help you stay on budget. There’s also all kinds of additional accessories you can order as part of your FlexiSpot e7 desk, including monitor arms, cable management, trays, and drawers.
About a week after placing my order on the website, the FlexiSpot motorized standing desk arrived at my home in three pieces; the desktop surface was in its own box, and the legs and accessories were in a second large and heavy box. The drawer I ordered came separately in a third box. I will make note here that the boxes are incredibly heavy and were difficult for one person to move solo. I was able to get them inside the house eventually, and started assembly.
Assembling your FlexiSpot Desk
Assessing the parts for assembly.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when it comes to the assembly. I unpacked all the pieces and took a look at what I had. The metal legs for the desk and the platform the surface will sit on are all made of powder coated metal and are extremely heavy. This was a pleasant surprise, since I wasn’t expecting this desk to feel so substantial and well-built. The instructions that come with the FlexiSpot e7 desk are the pictographic type. I did have to squint at a couple of the diagrams to ensure I was doing things correctly, but much to my surprise the desk came together quite easily. FlexiSpot has labelled everything clearly, and all the parts fit together perfectly. Even the bag of bolts and accessories is labelled so you know exactly where each one should go.
In a nutshell, you build the platform the desk will sit on first, then add the motorized legs. The base feet go on next, then you attach the electronic components to the control box before finally capping off the underside of the desk with an enclosed cable management tray that keeps everything quite tidy. I was really impressed with how easy the desk was to build. The hardest part was carefully flipping it over and getting it upright so I could move it into place.
Build Quality: FlexiSpot E7 Pro Plus Standing Desk
The desk is extremely weighty and durable. There’s no shake or shimmy to it when I’m working on it and the legs keep everything in place well. The top of this desk is about an inch and a half thick, which is perfect for me since it allows me to clamp both a microphone stand and a monitor stand onto the desk easily. Because the desk is so substantial, there is also absolutely no worry about extra accessories, potentially tipping the desk over.
Controls
Controlling and adjusting the desk is extremely simple, using the small keypad which mounts onto the front of the desk. The angled keypad is attached to the far right hand side, which keeps it nicely out of the way of most of your workspace, while still being within easy reach. There are just a handful of buttons on it to raise and lower the desks surface, as well as a few preset buttons you can assign for either different users or different heights. Using a button labelled with the M, you can set a child lock so the desk cannot be adjusted or you can use that to program your presets. Overall, everything was easy to operate and intuitive.
One downside is that the touch controls for operating the desk are extremely sensitive. Brushing your hand, elbow, or even a hip across the control panel can move the desk unexpectedly. The reason is that the control panel is not ideally situated on the front, and I would actually consider moving it to the side of the desk, however there’s not enough room on my particular size of desk. As it is, you can enact the child lock if you prefer to avoid any unexpected movement.
Using my FlexiSpot E7 Pro Plus Standing Desk
I’ve had the desk for about a week now, and have really been enjoying the experience. I spend almost all of my workday at the desk, cranking out blogs, or editing videos, and for the most part I sit. Now with the ability to quickly and easily raise the top of the desk to a comfortable standing position, I find I can work an hour sitting, followed by an hour standing and keep switching it up so I am always readjusting my position. This has the effect of making me less stiff and sore by the end of the workday.
Safety feature
The desk can detect when it’s hitting something (like a box) and it will automatically stop moving.
Overall review: FlexiSpot Sit Stand Desk
The overall FlexiSpot desk review yields satisfying outcomes. It feels incredibly well-built and solid to work on. It was easy to assemble, and I love the fact that I can now sit and stand throughout the workday. I really appreciated the fact that I could customize almost every aspect of the desk to fit with my space and my aesthetic.
I’m struggling to find any downsides with this product. Perhaps I could lament how heavy the boxes were for one person to manage on their own, but given those heavy boxes are the whole reason the desk feels so substantial and well-built, I certainly wouldn’t trade a few minutes of wrestling cardboard for the overall quality of this desk. The control box is a bit too sensitive and I would accidentally move it every so often, but I’m working around this using the child lock.
In short I can absolutely recommend FlexiSpot E7 Pro Plus Sitting & Standing Desk to you. My configuration cost about $500USD. You can get the FlexiSpot E7 from Flexispot’s website or helpfully, from Amazon.
