UpDown Desk review: The ultimate sit and stand desk when you WFH with pets

By | 12 May 2024

My number one priority when searching for a sit and stand desk was stability, and I found a winner with UpDown Desk Pro. As a person who works from home with boisterous dingoes, I had to make sure there was zero risk that my stand up desk would fall or wobble. 

Here’s my review of Australia’s UpDown Desk Pro.

UpDown Desk Review

In this stand up desk review, I aim to shed some light on what it’s really like to buy, assemble and use a sit and stand desk from UpDown Desk.

Choosing my UpDown Desk 

An electric sit and stand desk is a significant WFH investment, so like the nerd that I am, I created a spreadsheet and compared some of the biggest stand up desk brands that deliver to Western Australia. 

This is what I looked for in a sit and stand desk:

Stability at standing height

My best colleagues in the history of time are our two adopted dingoes. When I work, they sleep beside me on their bunk bed, or they bask in the sun, or under my desk — especially when it’s time for roo. Throw in a boop here and there and they’re the cutest work-from-home companions in the world. 

A downside to having these incredible canines in our house is that they run, zoom, jump, wrestle and squeeze through every gap they can find. With our dingoes in mind, I wanted to find a sit and stand desk with incredible stability, so that everything on the desk stays on the desk, that nothing falls off and more importantly, that it doesn’t tip over. 

I Googled as much as a I could, searching for any reviews of stand up desks for people with *dogs and I couldn’t find anything. Fortunately there were a few articles and reviews about desk stability and UpDown Desk stood out on the stability front.

Electric adjustable heights

Manually adjustable sit and stand desks are lower in cost, which are a good option if budget is the deciding factor. For me, the thought of trying to figure out the correct height every time was a major downside, same with the process of winding a handle or pressing a lever to adjust the height, simply because there are other things I’d rather focus on, like you know, writing or showering our dingoes with affection. 

The UpDown Desk can be adjusted to any height within a specific range and has four adjustable presets, which means I can set the height to four different heights, making it super easy to swap between each option. So far, I’ve only set two heights, a sitting height and standing height, but if you have different types of chairs or different people using your sit and stand desk, having four options is a pretty good deal. 

In-built safety features on an UpDown desk

I tend to be a bit clumsy, and I was worried about our dingoes, so having an in-built safety feature was on my list of criteria for an electric adjustable sit and stand desk. If you have young children, this is a feature that you’ll want to look for in an electric stand up desk. 

UpDown desks feature an inbuilt anti-collision mechanism, so the desk stops moving once it encounters an obstacle. I’ve seen this in action once and I’m pretty satisfied with the anti-collision feature.

Company location and delivery of my sit and stand desk

I read some great reviews about a sit and stand desk company in Singapore, but the thought of having to return a damaged desk to Singapore was frankly frightening. 

Another company offered free returns from certain Australian states, but WA is not one of them. I found a few Western Australian stores which sold stand up desks, but the buying process was too complicated and I felt more comfortable buying from a company that specialises in height adjustable desks. 

I opted for an Australian-based stand up desk company with free delivery. Shopping within Australia also meant a faster delivery time, which is a pretty big deal when you live in one of the most remote cities in the world. UpDown Desk is based in Melbourne, Victoria, and they offer a 100 day trial of Pro Series desks, with free returns.

Warranty

An electric sit and stand desk costs a bit more than your average desk, so having a decent warranty was important. The UpDown Desk frames come with a ten year warranty, which is pretty impressive for a desk. The desktop has a five year warranty. A few other sit and stand desk companies offer a two or five year warranty, which doesn’t cut the mustard. Big thumbs up for UpDown Desk.

Accessories for a sit and stand desk

It was important to me that my cables could be hidden, not just for aesthetics but also to hide them from our dingoes. They’ve never chewed an electric cable but they love to use my desk as a hiding spot, so it’s more about keeping the cables tidy and out of the way for their evening zoomies. UpDown Desk offers a cable tray and cable management set, which have been super handy and reliable. 

Image of a bamboo UpDown desk.

UpDown Desk Review

These are the options I chose for my UpDown Desk:

  1. Natural Bamboo Curve UpDown Desk
  2. Black UpDown PRO Electric Standing Desk Frame
  3. Black Metal Cable Hole Grommets (includes 2 holes drilled)
  4. Cable Tray
  5. Anti-Fatigue Standing Mat 
  6. Cable Management Set

Size and material of my UpDown Desk desktop: Natural Bamboo Ergo Curve 

Space is fairly limited in my work area, so I opted for a 150cm wide desk. This gives me enough space for a monitor, two laptops, keyboard and mouse and a few inches to spare for my water bottle, a cup of tea and a pile of books.  

My desktop depth is 75cm, which is enough space for my monitor and keyboard to fit comfortably. 

I found that with my last desk, I tended to lean forward quite often, so I opted for the Natural Bamboo Ergo Curve UpDown desktop. You’re probably thinking that I could just bring my monitor closer, but being able to access my mouse easily means that an Ergo Curve is an ergonomic option. 

As of today, the ergo curve is only available in bamboo, so the other desktop options were eliminated from my options straight away, which is fine, I like the bamboo, it’s a nice change from my white desk top. 

The Bamboo Ergo Curve UpDown desk is about 2cm thick and has lovely rounded corners, perfect for people who are always in a rush. 

My stand up desk frame: UpDown PRO Electric Standing Desk frame

How heavy is my UpDown Desk frame?

The UpDown PRO Electric Standing Desk frame is 41kg, which is the heaviest frame I could find, offering the best stability for a home with dingoes. Frame weight is a solid indicator of stability — most of the other stand up desk companies offered frames weighing 20-30kg, far less than UpDown Desk’s impressive weight. 

The frame is solid metal, which means my desk frame is chew-proof, perfect for anyone who has dogs, dingoes, cats or evens rabbits. 

How much weight can my sit and stand desk carry?

The UpDown Desk frames are solid steel, giving these sit and stand desks great stability. Pair this with a strong motor and the desk can lift 150kg. The weight rating doesn’t really apply in my circumstance, so this wasn’t a deciding factor for me but might be for someone with heavier computer hardware or a larger TBR pile.

Dual motors in an UpDown Desk frame

A benefit of the UpDown PRO Electric Standing Desk frame is that it has dual motors, meaning it has one on each side. This means it lifts both sides of your desk at the same time, likely with more stability and leading to the higher weight rating. 

How low does my UpDown desk go?

The website says there’s a minimum frame height of 60cm — my desk, with the desktop attached, sits at a minimum height of 64cm, which is perfect when my chair is at its lowest point. It means I can sit ergonomically with both feet flat on the floor and my elbows at right angles to my desk. I think our dingoes like my new desk: they’ve discovered that when it’s at its lowest height, they can steal my food in the blink of an eye.  

How high does my sit and stand desk go?

My UpDown Desk stands as high as 127cm however I use mine at 102cm when standing. I’ve tested it’s stability by giving it a good shake and I’m confident there is zero chance that our dingoes will knock over my desk — it’s a super solid sit and stand desk.

Being able to stand at my desk improves my posture, prevents injury and improves focus. It’s also great for my health, given that sitting all day isn’t ideal in the long term. 

How fast does my desk go up and down?

The frame of my sit and stand desk moves at about 32mm/sec — it takes a few seconds to switch from my preferred standing height to sitting height. It’s a good pace. When I switch desk heights I usually take the opportunity to stand up and refill my water bottle or give my eyes a quick break. The speed wasn’t a factor in my decision making, to be honest I’m just grateful it moves on its own. 

How noisy is my sit and stand desk?

When my UpDown Desk is moving, the motor sound is 40dbA. It’s quiet enough that I don’t hesitate to use the motor, even at 5am and the whole house is sleeping. 

If my desk was in the same room as a sleeping person, I probably wouldn’t use the motor — but then again, typing is actually louder than an UpDown Desk motor — my Logitech keyboard is about 43dbA while a MacBook Pro is about 56dbA. 

UpDown Desk Review: First image show the desk with a laptop, monitor and drink bottle. The second image shows the electric button controls for the sit stand desk height. The third image shows the desk, it has a curved edge.

Black Metal Cable Hole Grommets (includes 2 holes drilled)

I wanted to hide the cables as much as possible, so I opted to have two holes pre- drilled at the back end of the desk. I definitely recommend these if it suits your desk setup. 

UpDown Desk bundle and special offers

At the time I bought my UpDown Desk, they were offering a free bundle which included the Cable Tray, Anti-Fatigue Standing Mat and the Cable Management Set. 

It looks like UpDown Desk has regular offers — at the time of writing, they had a $500 free bundle including a free metal drawer, cable tray, cable management set and anti-fatigue mat.  The drawer wasn’t a good option with the Ergo Curve desktop, so I didn’t opt in for a drawer.

I’d say the Cable Tray is 100% essential, it keeps things super tidy, along with the Cable Management set. 

I was a bit dubious when it came to the Anti-Fatigue Standing Mat — I’d never used one before so I didn’t really know if it would make a difference. I can report that with the Anti-Fatigue Standing Mat, I can stand for two to three hours without difficulty, but without the mat, I last about 30 minutes — get the mat!

Shipping my UpDown Desk to Western Australia

How much does it cost for UpDown Desk shipping?

If you’re in Australia, shipping varies depending on what you purchase. If you buy a Pro Series Standing Desk with desktop or PRO Series Corner Standing Desk with desktop, shipping is FREE. If you live in Melbourne, you can also pick up items from their warehouse in Keysborough.   

How long did it take for my UpDown Desk to arrive?

My sit and stand desk took about seven business days to arrive, which is normal for a large item travelling across Australia. It’s a bulky item, so I assume my UpDown Desk travelled by road, not air, and it’s 3400km from Melbourne to Perth, so seven business days was fine. 

Did my UpDown Desk arrive in one piece?

Well, yes, and no. My desk arrived in multiple packages, I think it was 5 packages, and the courier was happy to carry it into the front hallway of our house.

A dingo lying under an UpDown adjustable height desk.
With adopted dingoes at home, desk stability was my number one priority.

Assembling my UpDown Desk

Fortunately my years of buying Lego for my teenage son paid off, and he assembled my UpDown Desk. UpDown Desk offers an installation service, depending on your location. I live in Perth, so it wasn’t an option, although you could probably find someone on Airtasker. 

Installation Guide for an UpDown Desk

There were no instructions included with my desk, but the full Installation Guides are on the UpDown Desk website, including PDFs and a video or two. 

Almost everything you need is included with your order, such as screws and an allen key. Additional parts that come in useful are a tape measure, pencil, Phillips head screwdriver and a power drill (more on that below). 

Our tips for assembling your UpDown Desk

Safety first

The desk frame is heavy, so take care when lifting and moving an UpDown Desk and its parts. It’s best to wear shoes and remember to lift with your legs, not your back. 

It’s easier with two people

Given the weight of an UpDown Desk, it’s easier to assemble with two people, mostly to help with lifting the desk into an upright position. 

Assemble your desk on a soft surface

You’ll need to put your desktop on the floor and assemble the desk upside down. Be sure to protect your desk surface by placing a rug or blanket on the floor. 

Consider using a power drill

I’m not sure about the other desktop surfaces, but my Natural Bamboo Ergo Curve UpDown desktop did not come with pre-drilled holes for the screws. This is probably the only downside to this sit and stand desk. It is (maybe?) possible to assemble this sit and stand desk without a drill, but I can say that using a drill made it a lot easier. 

On one hand it would be nice if the holes were pre-drilled, but not having them pre-drilled means you can choose exactly where you want everything. You can choose where you want the cable tray and you can choose where you place the control panel. 

The control panel is what you press to adjust the height of your desk. All the images I found online showed the control panel on the left, which I was a bit worried about but we were able to install it on the right hand side, which is perfect — I’m right handed and it also means there is zero chance I will bump or damage it. 

A dingo sleeping on an anti-fatigue mat under an UpDown height adjustable desk.
Dingo-approved anti-fatigue mat

Using my UpDown Desk

I am an absolute fan of my UpDown Desk. I use it everyday — I work from home full time and also spend time on home admin and my own passion projects — I spend a lot of time here, so having a desk that offers great functionality is important, and having a desk that looks great is a nice bonus. 

3 reasons to buy an adjustable sit and stand desk

Sit and stand desks like the UpDown Desk offer plenty of benefits, in particular for people who use their desk for long periods of time. These are the reasons I needed an adjustable sit and stand desk in my home office:

Sit and stand desks can improve posture 

It’s well known that sitting at a desk can lead to poor posture, and no one has time or energy for back, neck or shoulder pain. It’s true that if you set up your work area correctly, you’ll have a good opportunity to be comfortable to avoid desk injuries, but for many of us, we can only sit for so long before we start to slump, lean to one side or even raise our shoulder while using a mouse. I’ve had this happen repeatedly over the years when using a normal desk, resulting in significant pain and treatment.

Standing at a sit and stand desk can improve focus

A lot of people feel that standing at their desk can improve their focus. I tend to stand at my desk first thing in the morning for a couple of hours and again from about midday. If you start to feel an afternoon slump, an irresistible draw to nap or buy an afternoon coffee, you might benefit from a sit and stand desk.

Sit and stand desks can increase your daily movement  

You’ve probably seen it everywhere online, people using under desk treadmills or walking pads. I haven’t tried this myself, but I’m keen to give it a go. One of the major downsides of working from home is that my daily step count is quite low. For those who work in an office, just walking to your office and around your office can really add up, especially if you catch public transport. 

When you work from home, getting enough steps in a normal day can be a challenge. Unless I go for a walk, run or go to martial arts, my daily step count tends to hover around 3-5000 steps per day, which is a far cry from the recommended 10,000 steps a day. A walking pad under my UpDown desk might help, but I’m not quite sure how practical it would be when working. Have you got a walkpad under your stand up desk? I’d love to hear about it. 

Downsides to using an en electric sit and stand desk

It’s no secret that I love my UpDown Desk, but like anything, there are few downsides:

  1. Electric adjustable sit stand desks won’t work if you have a power outage. Fortunately power outages are not much of a problem in our area, so this isn’t really an issue. 
  2. Electric adjustable sit and stand desks have more moving parts than a traditional desk and therefore might be more likely to break than a normal desk. Fortunately the UpDown Desk frame comes with a ten year warranty, so I’m not too worried about it breaking down in the near future. The benefits of the motorised UpDown Desk far outweigh the risk of it breaking it down. 

Where can you buy a sit and stand desk from UpDown Desk?

Online! Hop online here and you can check out the adjustable desk options. They offer rectangle and corner sit and stand desks, hardwood and recycled desktops, desk accessories, chairs and more. Hot tip: Keep a look out for their free offers on their website. 


Note: *Dingoes are canines but are not dogs.

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