Evodesk review: Solid standing desk with loads of accessories

Standing desks are all the rage these days. Science has told us how horrible sitting all the time is, and many of us would like to be up and on our feet more during the work day. There are options available when it comes to standing desks. This Evodesk review will talk about why your search should start and end at Evodesk when it comes to your standing desk needs.

Specifications

The Evodesk desktop and frame include the following features and specifications:

Desktop:

• 100% reclaimed/recycled wood desktops
• Available in 100% Recycled wood, Natural Bamboo, or Reclaimed Rubberwood
• EvoGuard™ durable & stylish non-VOC seamless coating on 100% Recycled wood.
• Natural Bamboo and Rubberwood protected by 100% solid ultraviolet cured finish (non-VOC and solvent-free)
• Soft comfort edges eliminate nerve compression and pressure fatigue
• Corners are slightly rounded for improved safety and style
• Oversized 3” x 6” Cable Pass Through
• Pre-drilled for quick and easy setup
• Available sizes: 48″ (30” x 48″ x .75”), 60″ (30” x 60” x .75”), 72″ (30” x 72” x .75”)
• Available Finishes:Carbon Black, Polar White, Slate Grey (in EvoGuard™) – Light, Medium, Dark UV cured finish (in Rubberwood & Natural Bamboo)
• Studio L Size: Return Side (72” x 46” x .75”) User Side (72” x 28” x .75”)
• Meets California Air Resources Board’s (CARB 2) stringent emission standard
• Backed by a no-nonsense 5-year limited warranty
• Optional Extended Warranty Coverage for an additional 3 or 6 years for 8 or 11 years total.

Frame:

• Power-adjustable height with over 250 positions
• Expandable frame works with any 48” – 90” desktops
• Low-profile push button height controller
• Best-in-class 1.5 inches per second transitions
• Best in class 355 lbs frame weight capacity
• Best in class maximum height: 49.5”
• Min height: 23.75”
• Solvent-free and environmentally friendly finish
• EvoSync™ guidance system ensures precise & level movement
• Dust, air, and moisture resistant frame design
• Frame and motors are backed by a no-nonsense 5-year limited warranty
• Optional Extended Warranty Coverage for an additional 3 or 6 years for 8 or 11 years total.

What’s in the Box

What you get will depend on the options you choose. Our review unit as tested included the following:

• Evolution Frame system
• 48″ Rubberwood desktop
• High-Rise Monitor Stand
• Pod under-desk storage
• Cable Management System

Design

Design is a bit tricky to really nail down here. Since the Evodesk features all sorts of customization, your results will depend largely on how you choose to equip your desk. In this review I’ll talk about the configuration that I had, as well as a few of the available options, but you’ll really want to dive into the Evodesk site to see all that they have to offer.

The Evodesk base is going to be standard no matter what options you choose. The Evolution Frame System is the workhorse of the whole desk. The frame moves up and down as you’d likely expect from a sit/stand desk combo, but its adjustable frame system also expands horizontally to accommodate anywhere from a 48” all the way up to a 90” desktop. If you order a 48” desktop to start, but end up moving or having more room for your desk in the future, your frame can remain the same and you’ll simply need to order a new desktop. The frame is definitely solid — and heavy — and will easily move just about anything you’d have on your desk without issue. The frame is strong enough to lift 355 pounds, though I resisted the urge to hop on and take a ride. The Evolution Frame is available in either white, grey, or black.

The next piece that you’ll definitely need to order to make this a “desk” is of course the desk top. Evodesk has three options to choose from, and several color options for each of those three choices. The first option is the Renew Recycled wood, which is available in Polar White, Slate Grey, or Carbon Black. This is the least expensive option, but allows for good flexibility in shape and features. Up next is genuine Rubberwood, which is available in light, medium or dark finishes. Last but definitely not least is the genuine bamboo desktop, which is also available in light, medium, or dark finishes. The desktop that you choose will depend on some circumstances, for example the bamboo desktop is not available in all desktop sizes. For the purposes of this review, I was using the 48″ Rubberwood desktop with the dark finish.

Any other features of the desk will depend on your preferences, and I’ll talk more about some of the various accessories in the sections below. The Rubberwood desktop that I had looked fantastic though, and the dark finish was definitely very nice. The frame provided stability and strength, and the integrated motors deliver an impressive 1 ½” per second of lift. That might not sound like a lot, but it gets your desk up and down quite quickly.

Installation/Assembly

Depending on your setup, you’ll receive several boxes including your various Evodesk components. For my testing I received a total of five boxes, which I’m sure made my FedEx driver very happy. The frame will come in a box on its own, as will the desktop. Really, each component that I tested came in its own box, and each piece was sufficiently wrapped in bubble wrap and other cushioning material to keep them in great shape during their travels.

To put your desk together, you’re going to start with the frame. The legs of the frame attach to the “feet,” and then the cross section of the frame can extend or retract based on the size of desktop you’ve ordered. The directions are very clear about how to set up the frame based on whatever size desktop you may be using. The brains and most of the under-desk accessories should be installed while the desk is upside down. The topside accessories will, of course, need to be installed after the desk is set right side up.

The good news is that for any available attachment, the appropriate holes, anchor points, or cutouts will already be present in your desktop. In my testing, I used the High-Rise monitor stand, the cable management tray, and the pod under-desk storage system. The directions for each were clear and easy to follow, and other than a slight mixup with the first High Rise that I was sent (which was quickly remedied), everything installed quickly and easily. When all was said and done, it still took a little while to get everything assembled, though nothing you wouldn’t be able to handle in an afternoon.

Ease of Use

Aside from putting the desk together, the hardest part of its operation is finding the appropriate levels for your sit/stand positions. Depending on which controller you choose, you’ll have to either eyeball the levels each time, or really, you’re just going to want to shell out the extra $59 USD for the memory programmable controller. You’ll still need to figure out the appropriate level initially, but with four memory slots to save your four favorite desktop heights.

Accessories

I mentioned before, Evodesk is all about customization. Sure, you could just order the frame and a desktop — and you’ll even have several options to choose from with your frame and the size, shape, and material of your desktop — but you can get so much more out of the experience with even just one or two accessories. I’ll talk about a few of the available options here, but you’ll want to check out evodesk.com for all that they have to offer.

First and foremost, I mentioned in the Ease of Use section, but you’re definitely going to want the upgraded programmable memory controller. Having easy to save/recall settings for your height adjustments is very nice, and $59 USD isn’t a whole lot to add on for the convenience.

Another must-have accessory in my opinion is the High-Rise monitor stand. It really is best to have your monitor at eye-level, and the High-Rise stand helps with that in both sitting and standing positions. It provides extra space on top for your monitor and other items, but also gives a little extra room underneath the High-Rise as well. The High-Rise matches the length of the 48” desktop, so larger desktops will still have some extra room on the ends. This is a $149 USD accessory, but it definitely beats what I’ve seen with other standing desks where people will stack books or other items on top in order to get their monitors at a comfortable level.

The Pod under desk storage solution is definitely well constructed and a quality addition if you need some under-desk storage. My main problem with it was how much leg room it blocked. It’s pretty clear by this point that I’m a big dude. Having a desk that I can actually adjust to a comfortable height for my height is amazing. Having to scoot it just a little bit higher than I want because the under-desk storage gets in the way is just a little bit less amazing. Your mileage will obviously vary, so users of a more normal height may not have the issues I had. The Pod Plus is available on some larger desktop sizes, and may be a better option, but I was not able to try that out myself. The Pod will run you $149 USD while the Pod Plus sets you back $239 USD.

DeskShields offer a way to add a bit of personality to your desktop. I wouldn’t personally recommend covering up the Rubberwood or Bamboo desktops, but that’s maybe just my personal preference there. Evodesk does have some pretty cool DeskShields available though. You can go with a regular solid color shield for $147 USD, or choose one of over 80 designs in the Designer Series for $179 USD. A new option allows you to put a whiteboard shield on the top of your desk, allowing you to scribble down notes and then erase as you see fit directly on your desktop. That DeskShield will also run you $147 USD.

Other available options include a Harman Kardon speaker system, integrated power strip and USB hub, keyboard trays, monitor arms, and even a treadmill system to keep you moving while you’re standing. These options range in price, so just be sure to check out all of the available options when you’re building your desk. Evodesk has even recently rolled out a desktop mounted standing desk solution for those that maybe have a built-in desk but would still like some of the benefits of a standing desk.

Price/Value

Price here will depend entirely on the options and accessories that you choose. You can get an Evodesk for as low as $599 USD if you choose the most basic options and don’t add anything to that. The options for the review sample that they sent me added up to a total of $1209 USD, and I would have only made a few adjustments to that lineup. I’d probably ditch the Pod storage personally for the reasons outlined above, but really no matter what options you pick, you’re going to get value from Evodesk. The desk itself is incredibly solid with fantastic lift. The accessories are pretty reasonably priced overall, and Evodesk gives you adequate descriptions of what you’re getting to give you an informed decision on your order.

Wrap Up

Standing desks have seen a huge jump in popularity recently, and for good reason. There are a wide variety of options available if you’re looking to start standing more at work, and Evodesk should definitely be on the top of your list when you start to look. They’ve got an incredibly solid base with their Evolution Frame system and desktop options. Add to that the customization and available accessories and you should really be able to equip your desk in a way that really works for you. Evodesk easily earns a Techaeris Top Pick for 2017.

*We were sent a review unit of the Evodesk for the purposes of this review.