Healthy Desks Stand Up Desk with Drawers Sneak Preview

This is a “first look” synopsis. A full review is coming soon!

Healthy Desks is a line of adjustable-height desks manufactured by Earthlite, which also makes electric adjustable massage and medical tables. We liked it when we first saw this desk at ErgoExpo, and a further look at the desk’s specifications and attributes bolsters our sense that this is a promising product. With its attractive, high-quality desk top and a powerful, well-regarded base, we are looking forward to receiving an evaluation unit from Healthy Desks.

While we work on a more comprehensive review, take a look at this quick preview of the new adjustable-height desk.

The Healthy Desk is an electric adjustable-height desk that has a digital LCD controller. Their desk tops are made of bamboo and feature a rounded contour design and a curved front edge. The hand controller is recessed into the right side of the desk top and is equipped with up/down buttons, an LCD height display, and three programmable height settings.

The Healthy Desk’s adjustable-height base appears strong at 360 lbs. This is necessary due not only to the added weight of the desk drawers but because of the side-loading on the leg actuators due to the effect of the weight imbalance on the electric base. The desk rises from 22” to 48” – an acceptable range, though we would want to test the desk’s stability at the top end. The recent trend on standing desks is to abandon the outdated ANSI/BIFMA standard, raising their bottom end and top end height limits, so that taller users don’t suffer from excessive lateral shaking when the actuator legs reach the last few inches of their stroke range. See our advice to taller users using standing desks and treadmill desks.

What really sets the Healthy Desk apart from other adjustable-height desks is its optional cabinetry package, which outfits the desk with cabinets and file drawers on either side of the desk and is styled to match the desk’s bamboo top. While a few stand up desks – e.g. all of iMovR’s desks – come with optional mobile file cabinets, Healthy Desks builds their storage units directly into the desk. This makes it easier to access your files, whether you’re sitting or standing and provides a unique solution to storage at a standing desk. However, these drawers, and whatever is inside them, count against the desk’s lifting capacity, which can impact the desk’s capabilities and raises a question about wear-and-tear on the lifting leg “glides” (the gaskets between the different tube segments) and reliability.

The bamboo top and drawers come in four colors: carbonized, cherry, walnut, and ebony.  One thing you can’t select is the size of your desk: 73” x 30” is the only option.

We love the fact that HealthyDesk is only offered pre-assembled, just as iMovR does with their Synapse conference tables and, optionally, most of their desk models. We couldn’t imagine the typical consumer tackling assembling a complex desk like this given the geometries of hiding a height-adjustable base inside a desk with drawers.

While a standing desk with drawers is an exciting prospect, we still have some questions about how the desk will support different use patterns. We are currently awaiting a review unit so that we can evaluate the Healthy Desk’s performance in our testing labs. In the meantime, read up on other adjustable-height desks we’ve reviewed, like the Omega Everest, Uprise, and Olympus. And be sure to subscribe to our free monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest product reviews, expert advice, and blog articles.

If the storage possibilities in a desk are what you are looking for, see our other reviews on desks with built-in storage options.