Sitting for prolonged periods of time can be bad for your health, leading many people to seek out a proper standing desk solution. FlexiSpot thinks they have the answer.

The FlexiSpot M2B Height Adjustable Stand Up desk transitions quickly and easily between being a sitting desk and a standing desk, which is useful for those newly transitioning to a standing desk. If you're concerned that your health may be at risk from sitting at your desk all day, this standing desk could do the trick.

 

Setup and Assembly

I hope you have a friend or a family member nearby, because this is a heavy desk. Amazon says it weighs 56 pounds, and the instructions recommend always using two people to move it. When it arrived at my front door, I barely managed to drag the thing into my room.

This is the 35" version, which means it's a good deal bigger and heavier than its little sibling, the 27" version. It comes in black and white, and it's compatible with monitor mounts (such as the Loctek D7A we reviewed) for getting an even more ergonomic viewing angle.

Once you manage to wrangle this beast out of its packaging, you'll need to haul it up onto your desk. The FlexiSpot is technically a "riser", an add-on which you place on top of your existing desk. It is not a stand-alone desk.

While the FlexiSpot riser comes mostly assembled (there are a couple snap-on joint covers to add), you'll still have to put in a little bit of work if you want to attach the keyboard stand.

The assembly is pretty simple though as long as you have a screwdriver. There are just four screws on each side to attach the metal plates that hold the keyboard stand to the desk. Screw those in and you're good to go.

Then you just need to loosen some knobs underneath the desk, slide the keyboard onto them, and tighten them. This is a rather simple process, but it does mean that the keyboard stand is stationary after you tighten the knobs. Taking it off would require a good deal of effort -- you won't just be sliding it under the desk.

There are handles on both sides of the desk that you squeeze to adjust its height. The gas spring system allows it to come all the way up with nearly no exertion on your part. Putting it back down takes a bit of a push, but it's reassuring that you won't accidentally send your desk plummeting down while you're working.

Your hands should be on the handles while adjusting it, but if you're with someone else, be wary of getting any hands pinched as it comes up or down. The device stays within its own footprint, which is great for adjusting from one height to another without any hassle, but a pinched hand wouldn't be fun.

As a Standing Desk

How does this thing work as an actual standing desk, though? I've been loving it so far. I don't exactly want to be standing for eight hours a day, but I also don't want to be sitting for that long, so the easy transitions between sitting and standing really makes this ideal for me.

To have the best posture, its said that one's elbows should lie flat with the typing surface and they should be able to look straight ahead. Unfortunately, I'm 6'4" (about 190cm), so finding a standing desk that can do that for me is a rarity. The FlexiSpot comes very close. My elbows fall just about an inch above the keyboard stand, though I still find it comfortable to use both with my laptop on top or with an external keyboard and mouse on the stand.

You can lower it to different heights depending on how tall you are, so I'd say as long as you're any shorter than me, you should be good.

One thing to be wary of, however, is how flat the surface of your current desk is. You might want to measure it with a level, because even though my desk rests flat on the floor, the surface is a little warped. So with the FlexiSpot on top, the standing desk rocks a bit when I put weight on the right side. It's not severe, but it needs a very flat surface to remain flat (unless you want to resort to the age old method of putting paper under one of its feet).

As a Sitting Desk

If you do want to sit while working, the FlexiSpot allows for that too, but everything is going to be elevated a bit. The surface is about six inches off your desk, though the keyboard stand is less than an inch off the desk.

If your desk is already at your preferred height, the extra six inches might be annoying, but for me, I always felt like my desk was a little short anyway. Plus, you can keep your keyboard and mouse on the stand (which is huge for a keyboard stand, and just as wide as the desk) while leaving your monitor up on the elevated portion, which should help with your posture anyway.

Also be sure to measure your desk and ensure that it's large enough to fit this entire contraption -- you really don't want any of the main desk jutting out over the edge of your desk. The four little rubber feet that give the desk traction (to prevent it from sliding around) really need to be touching your desk fully.

Overall, I was content with the FlexiSpot even as a sitting desk. There's plenty of space for multiple devices (or paperwork, or a water bottle, or whatever else clutters your work area), and the raised elevation is actually an advantage for me.

Should You Buy One?

The FlexiSpot standing desk may not be the cheapest rig out there at $376, but it's a simple, easy solution for those who already have a sitting desk that they like. The quick transition from sitting to standing is extremely useful so that you don't get stuck in one position for too long. Personally, I've really enjoyed it.

Don't forget, though, that to really improve your health, you need more than just a desk. Check out these must-have standing desk accessories, these stretching exercises for those of us who sit at desks all day, and these opportunities for generally improving your health.

[recommend]If you have the budget for it and you already have a sitting desk you want to keep, go for the FlexiSpot standing desk. It's sturdy and allows for fast, easy transitions from sitting to standing.[/recommend]