Best Sit-Stand Desk Converters Under $350
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Finding the Best Stand Up Desk Converters on a Budget
If you’re looking for a standing desk converter for under $350, you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the top 18 models across all model types, including Z-Lifts, X-Lifts, Hovers, Post & Base, and Electric—as long as a desk converter is under $350, it qualifies. Of course, included at the bottom of this list are many products we’d never recommend, but at the top, you’ll find the overall best value standing desk converters that we’ve ever set eyes on, and we’ve set eyes on 100+ over the last 5 years of our extensive research and testing.
If you want to know more about what you should consider before buying stand up desk converters, like what height range and weight capacity are ideal, we recommend our primer on the subject Top 8 Factors to Consider Before Buying a Convertible Standing Desk.
If you’re interested in a particular standing desk converter model below, click the ‘Read Our Full Review’ link to get a detailed account of the pros and cons, including more product images and specs.
It’s also worth noting that there are actually some good choices in full sit-stand desks under $400, if the main reason you’re considering a converter instead of a full-fledged standing desk is budgetary.
Top 18 Stand Up Desk Converters under $350
1. FlexiSpot Classic Standing Desk Converter
The FlexiSpot enters the standing desk converter fray competitively priced and poised to help disrupt the Varidesk’s lengthy reign.
Price: $149.99
2. Mount-It! Electric Standing Desk Converter
The Mount-It! electric standing desk converter has a lot of positive attributes for its price point but falls just short of being a best-in-class product. It is only good, but not great, due to the lack of an ergonomic negative tilt feature for the keyboard tray and a design constraint that limits its compatibility with many monitor arms. The design allows the converter to rise straight up and down, as opposed to the arcing-out motion of some Z-lift converters. The desktop work surface is also quite generous, yet the converter still sits securely on 24”-deep desks. We do wish the contact point with the desktop was better designed so it wouldn’t damage your desktop over time. The Mount-It! unit doesn’t score top marks for stability when compared with top-tier competitors because of some springiness in the frame when you push down on the unit, but when considering its bargain price point we think most users would find it perfectly acceptable.
Price: $349
3. Wallaby Adjustable Sit-Stand Workstation
The Wallaby is Ergo Desktop’s budget-class alternative to their successful Kangaroo sit stand workstation. It’s based on the same design, sporting the same free-standing steel base, impressive weight capacity, and peerless stability, but without the gas-assisted monitor lift mechanism that made the Kangaroo such an ergonomic hit. Despite this, the Wallaby still features a robust set of capabilities that make it a great value for any office.
Price: $348
4. Versadesk Power Pro Plus
Backed by their “sitty” marketing campaign, the Versadesk Power Pro electric is a standing desk converter that operates on an X-Lift system. For the same price as the Varidesk Pro Plus Electric, you get twice the lifting power with a whopping 80 lb capacity. However, this converter is also slow to rise, and a little unstable at its lowest height setting due to a number of cost-saving choices by the manufacturer.
Price: $370
5. WorkEZ Portable Desktop Workstation
One of the quickest, easiest ways to get standing without selling an internal organ. WorkEZ desks can be frustratingly shaky, and don’t adjust as quickly as we’d like, but those gripes seem relatively minor given these risers’ tiny price point and ergonomic benefits.
Price: $99.99
6. QuickStand Eco Desk Converter
The latest addition to Humanscale’s QuickStand series of converters, the Eco is yet another example of great-looking design meets ergonomic insufficiency. The tray is too wobbly to type comfortably on, and the monitors are not independently adjustable relative to the work surface (without a great deal of hassle). It may work as a laptop stand for short work sessions, but in general this product is a lot nicer to look at than it is to use.
Price: $499
7. Standee Desktop Converter
The Standee’s low asking price may persuade those deterred by more expensive options to stand more at work. But without a height adjustment mechanism, Standee users risk different ergonomic maladies that can make their standing breaks uncomfortable and short.
Price: $99.95
8. Vivo Standing Desk Converter – Manual Version
Vivo’s manual standing desk converter is yet another affordable option in a sea of competitors attempting to undercut the Varidesk and the Ziplift. While it lacks an ergonomically tilting keyboard tray, it promises many of the other key features buyers would want in a converter. Its low cost, however, comes from the use of several cheap components, as well as design decisions that render the product difficult to use.
Price: $189.99
9. FEZiBO Standing Desk Converter Series H Review
This standing desk converter is as cheap as it gets, in every sense of the word. While it does provide decent size options, and limited colors as well, it shares the concerns of other commodity-grade sit-stand workstation converters manufactured in Asia that are popular on Amazon solely because of their price – quality. “You get what you pay for” is the name of the game when keeping the price this low for ergonomic office equipment.
Price: $130
10. Varidesk Laptop 30 Standing Desk Converter
With the smallest footprint of any VariDesk desktop converter, the Laptop 30 is the most compact workstation in VariDesk’s catalog. Its height adjustment mechanism looks identical to the easy-to-use lever locking system of the original VariDesk and, unlike other Vari models, its vertical adjustment doesn’t force the work surface to arc out towards you. However, the VariDesk Laptop 30 still leaves much to be desired when it comes to work surface space and ergonomics.
Price: $195
11. Stand Steady X-Elite Pro
The X-Elite Pro presents itself as a simple solution for those seeking a height-adjustable work surface. Its woodgrain laminate top and lightweight body make it appealing to home markets and first-time buyers. Unfortunately, it lacks both a keyboard tray and the ability to support monitor arms, meaning we can’t recommend it for any kind of frequent computer use.
Price: $229.99
12. Leband Electric Standing Desk Converter
The Leband Electric Standing Desk Converter is the cheapest electric standing desk converter we’ve ever tested. The USB and wireless charging options are great. As is the memory preset and child lock. However, the minimal frame looks nice but is woefully weak and flexible. The motor feels and sounds weak, plus it is very slow, which may make it annoying to adjust your height throughout the day. The biggest problem is ergonomics. Unlike most every other standing desk converter that may add a half-inch to an inch of height to your desktop when in the seated position, the Leband adds a whopping 2.75” of height at its lowest setting. Without a descending keyboard tray, or for that matter the ability to even add an adjustable monitor arm, we can’t recommend spending much time typing on this converter either in the sitting or standing posture.
Price: $199.99
13. Lunadesk Portable Laptop Workstation
The Lunadesk Standing Desk Converter Review is ideal for working at home if you don’t have a good desk and you’re shuttling your laptop to work in bed, on the sofa, on the floor or at a counter. This is not by any stretch an “ergonomic standing desk” in the usual sense but is the only product we’ve ever seen that works well for people who like working in various yoga poses (i.e. you need to be limber). Being made-in-the-USA is usually a good thing, but it is made from Chinese bamboo, which is anything but ecologically friendly, despite all the greenwash marketing. To be used in such places and postures the unit needs to be lightweight (10 lbs) but that also makes it structurally flimsy. The lack of warranty and the lack of market traction outside of a tiny successful Kickstarter campaign (88 units were sold) makes this one a questionable consumer value in terms of likely durability.
Price: $499
14. Harmoni Standing Desk Converter
The Harmoni Standing Desk is an different kind of portable converter to give a sit-stand workstation that is relatively simple to break down and transport between office spaces.
Price: $129
Discontinued Standing Desk Converters
At WorkWhileWalking we’ve been lab testing and writing reviews of ergonomic office furniture and accessories for over a decade. In that time, we have seen many of the products we reviewed fall by the wayside. This is inevitable due to the cycle of continuous improvement, with new models supplanting their predecessors. Of course in some cases products weren’t as competitive as they needed to be, or their manufacturers ran into financial challenges (which very much accelerated as a result of the post-pandemic economy).
For whatever reason, these products now fall into the discontinued category, but we will still keep their reviews published and available to read. Whether you want to know more about the desk, monitor arm, etc. that you bought years ago, need more info because someone is selling one second hand, or just want to compare current offerings with what was available in the past, these reviews will remain here for your reference.
1. Eureka 31.5" Electric Sit-Stand Converter
This is unprecedented price territory for a quality electric standing desk converter. We’ve seen $299 before (like the Autonomous SmartDesk Mini) but they pale in comparison in technology, structural stability, quality of components, durability and overall value. This new unit is bound to dethrone the Varidesk Electric.
Price: $ 299
2. Eureka Sit-Stand Desk New Generation (31B)
Eureka’s $199 X-Lift standing desk converter offers the best feature set in this price range. Silent lift, space-saving X-Lift design, unlimited stops within its height range (instead of limited preset options), and even a unique buffering system for smoothly lowering the unit to the sitting position.
Price: $199
3. Eureka Ultra Slim Portable Sit-Stand Desk Converter
Eureka’s Ultra Slim Portable Standing Desk Converter packs a sturdy X-Lift frame and silent lift mechanism into an easy-to-move device designed for laptops.
Price: $149
4. Fully Cooper Standing Desk Converter
The Cooper is Fully’s debut into the competitive world of standing desk converters. While it doesn’t break any new ground, quality components and an eye-catching bamboo surface option make it stand out from the rest. Lack of ergonomic tilt on the keyboard tray means it doesn’t check all the boxes, and we have some concerns about reliability when coupled with the short two-year warranty, but overall the Cooper is a respectable choice.
Price: $299
5. Autonomous SmartDesk Mini Desktop Workstation
A first leap into the realm of budget electric standing desk converters ends in an underwhelming performance, but we expect more of these low-cost options to arrive on the market soon. Our advice? Stay tuned for better budget options or opt now for a manual design.
Price: $299
6. StandUpDeskStore AirRise Plus Standing Desk Converter
When a new standing desk converter comes into our test labs with a really low retail price we’ve learned to contain our optimism about its potential to set the world on fire, because at the end of the day the only way to make something this cheap is to cut a lot of corners in design cycles and component quality. Indeed, we quickly discovered that the Stand Up Desk Store AirRise Plus converter has some big drawbacks: The cheap foam feet provide no traction control whatsoever, the wobbly keyboard tray floats above the desk when lowered all the way to the seated position, and you can’t center a monitor mount and not have it interfere with lifting mechanism when the converter is lowered to sitting height. There are some other minor issues, but those three factors mean we can’t recommend it, even with the cheap price.
Price: $199.99
7. Halter ED-258 Standing Desk Converter
Halter’s ED-258 standing desk converter is an X-Lift budget option that’s popular on Amazon. It features a decent looking wood grain laminate top and a notably deep keyboard tray. However, incredibly poor machining standards and cheap components render it difficult to use and unlikely to stand the test of time.
Price: $199.99
8. FlexiSpot ML2 GoRiser Portable Standing Desk Converter
The FlexiSpot ML2 GoRiser Standing Desk Converter is a compact and highly portable standing desk converter, and is great for that purpose, especially with the low price. But being that, it is very limited in its other capacities, such as supporting monitors and other ergonomic accessories that help make an ideal sit-stand workstation. It’s biggest problems are that it can’t be ergonomically used at sitting height (so you’ll be taking the 18 lb unit off your desk every time you want to sit) and only has a couple of fixed height settings (out of 5) that are in the standing height range for most people. And not very tall people, because its max height is only 15.9″. So it’s really a portable standing desk, not a sit-to-stand converter. Might be good for other home applications like raising a sewing machine to a more comfortable height, but for long-term use with a laptop computer, its ergonomic limitations leave a lot to be desired. The price is great, though, so if you need something portable to use once in a while for short stints it might be worth the small investment.
Price: $119.99
9. Readydesk 2 Standing Desk Converter
The Readydesk 2 Standing Desk converter can is a portable standing workstation option with wide platforms for keyboards and monitors that can be set at different heights.
Price: $160
10. Original Well Desk
The Original Well Desk converter lets you set your keyboard and monitor at a variety of different heights to make standing work more comfortable and ergonomic.
Price: $160
11. Fitueyes 30" Basic Series Portable Standing Desk Converter
The Fitueyes Basic Series 30″ standing desk converter is the cheapest option in the market for average-height individuals looking to get on their feet while working. The only thing going for it is that it is technically portable, but that also means it can’t handle a lot of weight, has a minimal height adjustment range, and isn’t a very stable mechanism.
Price: $109
12. Fitueyes 2-Tier 32" Standing Desk Converter
Fitueyes has produced several non-electric standing-desk converters, and the 32-inch two-tier converter checks the box for a workstation that is pretty compact but large enough for two smaller monitors. It requires just a little assembly, attaching the second tier to the main frame, and is relatively easy to operate. The design might appear sleek, but cheap thin-gauge metal and particleboard construction in China likely won’t last all that long for most users. Its height range is suitable for pretty tall individuals. But if you want to make a truly ergonomic workstation with a monitor arm, you might not find it compatible with most arms out there.
Price: $139
Top 3 Factors to Consider When Buying Stand Up Desk Converters
Keep these points in mind as you’re comparing standing desk converter models.
Do You Use Dual Monitors?
If you’re looking to support multiple monitors, some desk converters will handle the weight better than others. When evaluating your options, consider three factors:
- Work Surface Width
- Advertised Weight Capacity
- Counterbalance Force Mechanism
The first two are fairly self-explanatory. A wider work surface will offer you more space for your monitors and ensure better lateral stability. A heavy weight capacity means the device can handle the extra weight of the monitors.
However, weight capacity alone is not enough to tell if your device can handle the extra weight. This is where the engineering term “counterbalance force” comes in. It’s more difficult to assess counterbalance force without actually seeing the product in action. Our in-house reviews can help. Basically, the best devices have large, high quality air pistons that assist in lifting and lowering the workstation. This way you don’t have to lift up all (perhaps 50 lbs!) of the workstation using your arms (or back) alone.
Of course the great irony is that many of these devices designed to help workers with back pain actually aggravate it with their poorly designed lift mechanisms. In our detailed reviews, we point out which products have solid lift mechanisms.
How Noisy is the Unit?
You may not expect it, but switching between sitting and standing can be a noisy affair, a minor disturbance your coworkers won’t appreciate. If you’re in a quiet office environment, look out for models with lift mechanisms that latch into place at predetermined height intervals. They ‘click’ noisily and can be a nuisance. You’ll hear us distinguishing between ‘spring lift’ and ‘gas lift with brake’ mechanisms. Gas lift is smooth and silent.
Is it Ergonomically-sound?
Monitor arms are not included with most standing desk converter models (except Post & Base types). They will be an extra cost. As for tilting ergonomic keyboard trays, there are only a few models we’ve seen with this feature, correctly emulating a proper ‘neutral’ position for your arms and wrists to rest at while you type and stand; they include iMovR’s ZipLift+ and the Ergotron WorkFit-A.
If you want more items to consider when purchasing a standing desk converter, see our article Top 8 Factors to Consider When Buying a Standing Desk Converter.
Looking For More Standing Desk Converter Reviews?
• Overall Best Standing Desk Converters
• Best X-Lift Standing Desk Converters
• Best Z-Lift Standing Desk Converters
• Best Post-And-Base Standing Desk Converters
• Best Hovering Style Standing Desk Converters
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