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Uncovering the Reasons Behind the High Costs: Why Standing Desks are Worth the Hype

Uncovering the Reasons Behind the High Costs: Why Standing Desks are Worth the Hype

Standing desks are certainly a costly investment. A  budget-friendly standing desk can cost about $130 to $200, whereas a premium standing desk can cost more than $400.

So are standing desks worth it, or is this another gimmick that makes promises it can't deliver on? Today, we're going to find out whether standing desks are worth investing in or if your money is better spent on other workplace essentials. Because the fact of the matter is, there are all sorts of home office products that can elevate your time spent working.

Cost Of Standing Desks Explained

Components Used To Modify The Desk’s Height

The Legs

A standing desk’s legs are designed so that you can raise and lower the desk to a height that suits you. Unlike a conventional desk, the legs require much more time and material investment. 

The legs need to support the desk’s weight at various heights, so they have to be made from quality material.

If you want to know more about height adjustability, read through  standing desk tips.

The Motors

Some standing desks include mechanisms that allow you to raise and lower the desk’s height. 

Even more advanced desks use memory presets that allow you to save your height preferences onto the system so you can call up a preferred height at any time. These components have an important impact on the product’s cost.

It should be noted that an electric motor standing desk will cost you a lot more than a standing desk converter or hand-crank standing desk.

Because of their changing centre of gravity,  standing desks can become wobbly when raised to a higher position. It’s hard to make a wobble-tolerant standing desk at an affordable price given the expensive materials that are needed to make them. Consequently, the motors need to be expensive because they need to be smooth and lift heavy weights. 

The Desk Top

Another key component of a standing desk is the quality of the desk top. Natural wood is harder to source and costly. For this reason, manufacturers tend to use hardwood table tops as opposed to other wood alternatives and composites.

With regards to the standing desks’ warranty, it can be between 7 to 10 years, but a good standing desk should last up to 20 years with ease.

In essence, standing desks are expensive because the manufacturers use solid wood table tops and quality electric motors for height modifications. 

Uncompetitive Market

More companies build conventional tables and desks than invest in pricey standing desk manufacturing. Because of this, there also aren’t many suppliers and supporting industries that help to keep the cost of building the furniture down. Unfortunately, this means the cost is ultimately passed down the line to the consumer. 

As the competition continues to pick up, there will be more suppliers, fabricators, and logistics companies that can meet the niche needs of the standing desk market.

Costly Shipping

Most companies sell standing desks online and few sell their products at physical stores. As a result, many companies opt for door-to-door shipping.

Shipping furniture is pricey. This problem is compounded with standing desks, as they’re heavy pieces of furniture that require a lot of fuel and space to transport, and you can expect to pay a high price for the shipping of a standing desk. Even if the manufacturer offers to ship their product for free, the cost of the shipping is generally worked into the standing desk’s price.

Luckily,  standing desks are tax-deductible in the right circumstances, so you can justify such a hefty purchase. 

Product Research And Quality Checks

If manufacturers want to define a warranty for the standing desk, they need to send the standing desk through several quality checks.

The making of a standing desk requires the testing of materials, motors, desk stability, strength, and durability. These quality checks take a lot of time and effort. On the upside, this ensures that the end product is of the best possible quality.

If you want a more in-depth understanding of the process, take a look at how standing desks are made.

High Demand

The standing desk is growing in popularity due to its health benefits.

Many big businesses are incorporating standing desks into their offices. The goal is to create a more active and productive work environment for their employees.

When it comes to the law of supply and demand, it’s not surprising to see the price of the desks increase. As the market is less competitive, there are few manufacturers on the market to meet the demand. 

The Ergonomic Benefits

The workplace ergonomics industry has gathered a lot of traction over the past few years, possibly as a result of our increased understanding of the risks of sedentary lifestyles. The popularity of standing desks has increased significantly during this time, which makes perfect sense considering prolonged sitting at work is one of the main reasons for our sedentary lifestyles. 

However, questions have been asked lately about the benefits of standing desks. Questions such as, Are standing desks any good for you? Do standing desks actually work? What evidence is there to support the use of standing desks?

The short answer is yes - standing desks are, in fact, worth it!

And you don't just have to take our word for it. We've reached out to, connected with, and bounced our questions off a physiotherapist. We would like to thank Jordan Lees, Principal Physiotherapist from The Ergonomic Physio, for helping write this article. Without any further ado, let's get into the topic at hand.

Reduced office-related injuries

It seems these sit-stand desks are all the rage these days... but do they really benefit your physical health the way they claim to? Let's take a look.

From a physiotherapist's perspective, there is absolutely no doubt that standing desks are beneficial. We know that the majority of injuries sustained by office workers are due to overuse and prolonged periods of sitting leading to poor postures. Our bodies simply are not designed to spend long periods in the same position. This is what happens when you spend all day sitting at your desk. In doing so, small physical stresses accumulate, and postural muscular adaptations occur. Because these stresses are so small, we usually don't notice them, until they have accumulated to the point of an injury developing. At this point, it is much harder to fix the problem. 

Take one of the best sit-stand desks in Australia, for example. UpDown Desks provide office workers with the ability to change positions between sitting and standing regularly throughout the day. Very simply, this is the easiest way to prevent overuse injuries and postural adaptations from developing, by avoiding prolonged postures. So from a preventative perspective, standing desks are brilliant. 

With that said, our team of physiotherapists at The Ergonomic Physio doesn't advocate that standing desks are a cure for all musculoskeletal problems experienced by office workers. Injured employees should be assessed and treated individually, based on their presentation. Ergonomic assessments are a great way to achieve this.

Nevertheless, for the majority of people, and the majority of overuse injuries sustained in an office setting, standing desks are likely to be a major component in the treatment and prevention of those injuries. They are the best way to prevent office workers from sitting in prolonged positions for too long, which in turn reduces the accumulation of physical stresses and the likelihood of postural adaptations from occurring.

Standing Desks Are Worth It - But With A Few Caveats

Are standing desks really worth it? In our opinion - and according to the expert physiotherapist we worked with in writing this article - the answer is yes. However, we do want to be careful in making any blanket statements about sit-stand desks.

Standing desks are just a part of the equation 

While these are worth it, they are not a cure-all. There may be other issues at play - like muscular imbalances or weakness, poor posture, and more that can contribute to serious health issues down the road. And a standing desk is just one part of the equation when it comes to fixing these. So, be sure that you're addressing other areas of your lifestyle to help improve posture and keep your body healthy. That includes regular exercise, stretching, and general movement throughout the day. It also means learning how to use a standing desk properly.

Best practices exist for a reason 

Wait - is there really a right or wrong way how to use a standing desk? Yes. If you don't understand best practices, you won't get the most out of your desk. That means you need to know how long you should stand and when to alternate between sitting and standing. It also means you need to set up your desk at the proper height for your unique body.

Desk choice matters

Of course, you also need to get the right sit-stand desk in the first place. If you really want to unlock the health benefits of standing desks, you need the best of the best. And fortunately, that's exactly what we offer at UpDown Desks. Whether you're looking for corner sit-stand desks or a manual height adjustable desk, we've got what you need. We even offer standing desk converters that can help you transform your existing desk - or, get a standing desk frame to pair with your existing desk frame.

Looking for specific recommendations? Our year-end reviews of the best budget standing desk, best standing desk converter, or best gaming standing desk are great places to start.

Wrapping Things Up

As you can see, standing desks are worth it. These are a bit pricier than traditional desks, but a height-adjustable desk helps you increase blood flow to keep you fresh and focused all day long. So, when we say standing desks pay for themselves rapidly in the form of better productivity, we mean it! But that's not the only benefit of standing desks. You'll also enjoy better physical well-being - decreasing neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, and better posture overall. All things considered, you should invest in a height-adjustable standing desk ASAP.

So, what are you waiting for? Head over to UpDown Desk and treat yourself to the quality standing desk you deserve today! You won't regret it.

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