Where once before my desk existed as a place to throw random papers and stack books, this year it turned into something else. I needed to actually clear space for my laptop, and turn the area into one where I could concentrate every day. The adjustment was hard, of course, and it made me realize that without a commute or regular coffee runs, I was sitting down for too many hours during the day.
Back in the office, I often started the morning at my standing desk, relieving my butt from the almost hour-long bus ride. But my desk at home wasn't equipped to do this. And it wasn't the most productive space for me, either. It reminded me more of my college years than the adult workspace I yearned for.
Video of the Day
Video of the Day
Enter the Floyd standing desk, a sleek, minimal choice for those of us who want the option to stand and sit at our desk throughout the day. A collaboration between Floyd and office furniture brand, Fully, it was designed to be sturdy and chic. Here's my take on the desk after giving it a try ...
(For transparency, I did receive the desk in exchange for an honest review, but my thoughts are my own and are not influenced by Floyd, in any way.)
The Specs
Arriving in three separate (and pretty heavy) boxes, the desk seemed a little intimidating to build at first.
The bottom portion of the desk is actually Fully's Jarvis Frame, designed to turn any surface (such as a butcher block) into a desk. The Floyd touch is in the real birch ply table surface, which has a really beautiful wood grain and is ultra-smooth to the touch. I was immediately impressed by the quality of the material and it's super sturdy — so much so that it can lift up to 350 pounds. (In case you end up piling too many things on it).
The desk comes with an OLED touch programmable handset that lets you designate four different heights. So you just have to tap on the screen and choose numbers 1-4 to get your desk from sitting to standing mode. It's 54 inches wide and 26 inches deep, giving you plenty of room to spread out. It struck me as an especially good desk for people whose jobs require the use of a laptop but also a tablet or second monitor — although it's always smart to measure for the latter before you get too excited.
The Setup
The building process is pretty seamless, although you'll want to set aside at least an hour to build it carefully. You can decide whether you put the handset on the right or left side; it only needs a single plug to power it. And it even comes with zip ties to keep all the wires under the desk organized.
It took me a bit of finagling to get the hang of the handset, but once I did, it became super easy to use. And the nice thing is you're not locked into those programmable settings if you want some wiggle room (just use the arrows to adjust). The noise that the desk makes while been lowered or raised is pretty subtle (although my cat was still surprised). Also, I am very petite so I don't have to raise it too far, but it does go up to 51 inches high.
The Verdict
Once I saw it set up, the wood reminded me of a butcher block; my partner said it reminded him of a drafting table. It's definitely really minimal — the light wood and the sleek legs make it look lighter than it actually is when you try to lift it. (It takes two people to flip it over after you build the legs, by the way). It also doesn't have any built-in storage which could be a drawback for some people. So far, I'm fine with the lack of storage because I like the open-ness of it and we kept a lot of things in the old desk. Plus, there's plenty of surface area to add more organizational accessories (right now, I only have my bookends and a pencil cup).
I appreciated the small details, like how the wood curves at just the right angle to make space for the handset while keeping it out of the way. I definitely think it would look even more chic in a larger space though (I'm in a one-bedroom). I'm also super afraid of staining the wood so I haven't eaten at my desk recently and very carefully place my tea on my coaster like someone over my shoulder will yell at me if I don't.
Before:
After:
At $975, it is absolutely an investment. But if you're like, "I would like to buy only one desk in my entire lifetime," this would be a good one to choose. You get 30 days to return it and a 10-year warranty. But it really depends on whether you want something high-end or just need any ol' surface to work on.
I feel super professional while using it (this is not the kind of desk you work at in your PJs, in my opinion!). The other day, I even used it to store both of my laptops. And my pencils and books were still within reach. I'll be curious to see how it holds up over the next few months but for now, excuse me while I adjust the height and take a little standing break.
