I’ve recently been building out my home office in our new apartment, and one of the key components is, of course, the desk. In my day job, I’ve gotten quite used to my adjustable sit/stand desk, and wanted something similar at home. Unfortunately for me, a five to seven hundred dollar purchase was going to be in the budget, and so the search for an inexpensive, but not cheap, desk began.
Eventually, I settled on the Skarsta Sit/Stand desk from Ikea, selecting the 60″ tabletop version, and so far I’m really liking it. The wide tabletop gives enough room for my desktop, 4K 27-inch monitor, mouse, keyboard and 2.0 speaker set to sit comfortably on top, while still leaving quite a bit of space for a book, project, or cat. I’ve also been really appreciating the fact that when sitting, I can set the desk up a bit higher than a normal sitting desk, keeping my legs from pressing up against the bottom as they have with nearly every fixed-height desk I’ve ever used.
That’s not to say it’s all sunshine and roses. The desk is incredibly spartan, lacking any kind of storage or cable management, or really, any features at all. While it is an adjustable sit/stand desk, that ability is accomplished by an extendable hand crank mounted on the underside of the desk. To me, these aren’t really unreasonable considerations, given the sub-$300 price tag of the desk, but I could see both points becoming a turn-off to some, though neither really bother me. Some reviews I’ve read complain about the crank grinding or sticking against the lift mechanism, but mine has been just fine. Personally, I find the crank quite satisfying, but I can see how someone might grow tired of the many turns you need to make to raise or lower the desk any significant difference. That said, even with a loaded desk, the crank does not require much effort, and never feels at risk of slipping and falling.
Another thing I’ve noticed in reviews is complaints of wobbliness, especially when raised. There’s no more than to be expected. If your desk rattles when you bump it, I’d suspect the tabletop isn’t secured as tightly as it should be.
Overall, I’m not sure there’s a better option for less than $300 US. I’m certainly excited about the possibilities the desk opens up, both work space wise, and as a project in and of itself. I think it’d be cool to hook up a motor in place of the crank, and get it controlled by a Raspberry Pi (or USB) and make myself a “smart desk”. Alexa, raise the desk please?
