The Best Small Standing Desks for 2024

Standing desks have seen continued success and popularity since becoming fairly affordable options just a few years ago. While sit-to-stand desks are a great option for users who want to be able to stretch out a bit while they work, or who simply want to get a little extra exercise in their day, many of them are kind of huge!

Small standing desks are perfect for users who like to have a lot of accessories on their main desk, but still want a way to work without having to be planted in their office chair. Perfect for using in conjunction with at-home exercise equipment like treadmills and bikes, small standing desks are an affordable way to have the sit-to-stand work experience, without having to uproot everything on a desktop.

How to Choose the Best Compact Standing Desks

Finding a normal-sized desk is hard enough, but once a non-standard size is requested, it can be almost impossible to balance wants and needs to get an affordable, dependable standing desk. Here are some factors to think about before considering any of the small standing desks below:

Size

How small is too small? Think about the size of the room the desk will be used in and whether it will need to be used with any equipment, such as tall exercise machines. Most small standing desks are between 23 and 42 inches wide and can be raised to a max height between 35 and 47 inches.

Material

Choosing the right material means different things for different users. Cheaper materials, like aluminum, equal more affordable desks, which are fine for people who won’t be using the desk often, or who plan on replacing it sooner rather than later. Desks made with expensive materials, such as steel, come with a higher price tag, but are very durable. Most desks today use an MDF top with a protective laminate coating and a steel base. Unless the desk will be in a very rowdy environment, this combination is ideal for most users.

Storage Space

Most standing desks do not come with any storage, but there are more than a few options that feature drawers, hangers, and other convenient places to store vital PC accessories. Users should think about whether they need storage on their small standing desk, or if they’d rather save some money and choose a sit-to-stand desk without storage space.

Game Rant’s Picks for the Best Small Standing Desks for 2024

Hadulcet’s mobile standing desk is a near-perfect combination of everything a small standing desk should have. The affordable desk sits on four casters, making it easy to move between rooms at any time. Plus, the built-in power strip makes it so just one outlet can support an entire workstation.

The desk is stacked with extra features that most users will love. A small shelf on the back of the base is the perfect place for some storage and helps stabilize the desk when the top is full. The keyboard shelf can be angled for a more ergonomic experience, though this is also extremely useful to digital artists using a drawing pad. There’s a hook for headsets or backpacks, a separate space for drinks or a mouse, plus ample room for monitors and keyboards. Additionally, with a minimum height of 26 inches and a max height of 45 inches, the desk is suitable for most users of any height, whether they want to be standing or sitting.

The Hadulcet mobile standing desk is a compact PC workstation that’s ready to serve users wherever they want to work. Although its biggest let-down is the manual height adjustment, which can be tedious to deal with, the desk is otherwise built with fairly durable and stylish materials. As a cherry on top, this desk is available for just $100, and is often on sale for less, making the Hadulcet small standing desk tough to dethrone as the best choice for most users.

This compact desk is one of the most affordable options one can choose when looking for a small standing desk. The Koupa adjustable height desk offers users a height range of 32-47 inches, making it suitable for both standing and sitting, though some users may find the desk a bit too tall for sitting. Overall, the desk is most ideal for shared spaces where people might need to get some work done, though four locking casters make it so that the desk can be moved to any room where it’s needed.

What makes this standing desk truly versatile though, is its unique, tempered glass desktop. This top doubles as a whiteboard, meaning users could use dry-erase markers to take notes, do some quick math, or leave a note for the next person. In fact, someone could leave an entire sign behind, as the desktop can be flipped down to put the whiteboard top on display. This also makes the desk very easy to store when it’s not in use.

This standing desk again relies on manual power in order to be raised and lowered, but with just two knobs to deal with, it’s a cinch to adjust the height. The desk also comes with a small storage box to hold an eraser and some markers to help make using the whiteboard feature effortless. This interesting table uses an ultra-durable whiteboard top and a decent frame to offer shared spaces a unique and compact standing desk perfect for studying, working, or even a bit of gaming.

Despite being available for under $75, the Klvied adjustable standing desk offers users a lot of value in the form of decent materials and plenty of extras. Made with engineered wood and iron, this small standing desk is surprisingly sturdy, even when packed with a PC workstation. Four casters help add to the stability, while also making the desk perfect for moving around to different rooms as needed.

The separated keyboard and monitor shelves are very helpful, especially for artists who work with drawing pads. Both desktops have ample room for even large peripherals, plus storage space for phones or tablets, headsets, bags, and drinks.

The manual height adjustment can be a bit annoying to use, but it lets users make their desktop sit between 27.5 and 45.3 inches high. Overall, given the seriously low price and perfectly acceptable design that actually provides users with quite a bit of creature comforts, the Klvied small adjustable height desk is one of the best budget standing desks one can have.

Electrical desks are highly versatile and convenient due to their automatic operation when it comes to height adjustment. It surely adds cost to the construction but is far better than going with a desk that needs manual adjustments every time users need to adjust the desk’s height. The BilBil desk eliminates this crucial problem by bringing a four-level height adjustment mechanism connected to the buttons present at the front. Users just need to press any button to change the height according to their needs.

The desk itself is pretty spacious despite featuring a small footprint. With a 32×24 inch top, it can accommodate a medium-sized monitor or a laptop along with the keyboard and mouse, giving ample space for keeping the hands on the desk. It’s constructed of a strong metal frame and engineered wood that has a rusty-brown finish. Those who prefer a simple appearance can also go with the black and white colors. The desk can be moved from one place to another via the castor wheels present at the bottom and can be locked wherever users need to fix them at a place.

The Haoooah mobile standing desk is easy to use and moves around via the four castor wheels. The desk is pretty small and has a simple frame to support the top. This takes less space on the floor but does compromise a little bit on stability. Its frame is made of strong alloy steel while the top uses good quality wood for durability. With 26″ of total width, it’s ready for big laptops or even monitors, while the 20″ depth will be ample for small peripherals like 60% keyboards.

The desk can be lifted and has a wide range of height adjustments. The tabletop can go as low as 29 inches from the floor all the way up to 46.4″, making it ideal for children and even adults. Whether users want to work on it by sitting on a chair or standing, the gas spring mechanism allows adjusting the height through the pressing of the lever on the right.

The Siducal mobile standing desk is both height adjustable and flexible to be adjusted into two different modes. In one mode, the top shelf seamlessly joins the middle shelf to provide more space for bigger laptops or peripherals, while the second mode gives an ergonomic tilt to the middle shelf. There is one more shelf at the bottom, which can be used for storage purposes and therefore, even without taking up much space on the floor, the desk can accommodate a lot of peripherals or utilities.

With the provided rotating handles on the frame, the height can be adjusted and with the castor wheels at the bottom, the desk can be transferred to another location without any need for lifting it up manually. It also provides really handy features that are not commonly found on smaller standing desks, including headphone hooks, USB ports, and a power outlet. Despite being packed with so many impressive features, the desk is fairly cheaper than most electric desks that have little to no additional functionality.

FAQ

Q: Are standing desks actually healthier?

While doctors are sure that standing desks can help alleviate some chronic back pain, it’s still unclear what kind of long-term medical benefits they offer. However, current studies suggest that standing desks do help increase overall happiness in the workplace, productivity, and physical activeness.

Q: What is the best size for a small standing desk?

The best size for a small standing desk is somewhere between 24” and 35”. While some people may prefer a desk that’s smaller or larger than this size, those looking for a compact standing desk will find this size range to be enough to hold their monitor, keyboard, and mouse without taking up too much space in a room.

Q: What size standing desk do I need for my height?

People under 5’4 should use a standing desk that can be at least 23 inches tall. People taller than 6 ‘6 should pick a standing desk that can go up to at least 47 inches.