Flexispot Deskcise Pro Review

Review

Everything but the kitchen sink

Flexispot has been refining their desk cycle and bike desk product line over the last few years, and the new Deskcise Pro is the culmination of their efforts. It stands out from other bike desks on the market with its ability to function as a standing desk, sitting desk, or desk cycle all by itself (see our comparison review page for info on competitors.) This is big news for anyone looking to save space or money (which should cover just about everyone). At a reasonable price, the Deskcise delivers great bang for your buck, but how well does it fulfill its role in each of its three modalities? Let’s go through them one by one.

Sitting

Ok, so you have to sit on a bike seat, which will turn some users off from the get-go. But you’ll have to be willing to put up with this to use the Deskcise as a traditional seated desk. The good news is that the seat is quite comfortable, and Flexispot promises that more cushion sizes are on the way as well. Still, many users won’t like sitting on a bicycle seat for long work sessions. At Workwhilewalking, we don’t mind this so much, because comfortable seats tend to keep people from standing, tempting them into unhealthy sedentary patterns—however, we also understand that this type of seat isn’t for everyone.

Cycling

This is where the Deskcise shines. Eight levels of tension, adjustable via a dial, let you go from casual activity to serious workout in a breeze. This adjustability also gives the product increased versatility for users of an expanded age range, from children to the elderly, without excluding the core fitness audience of young to middle-aged adults. The pedals operate smoothly and quietly, a testament to Flexispot’s history with producing desk cycles—they’ve learned how to craft a quality pedaling experience. Watching TV while pedaling is no problem, nor should the Deskcise cause any noise complaints in an office environment.

Standing

The Deskcise is at its weakest as a standing desk. The work surface is not as stable as it should be, meaning that if you tend to hammer your keys while typing, you’re going to notice some shaking. This is a byproduct of the design— the lightweight and adjustable nature of the work surface comes at the cost of stability. And there’s no getting around this one: the seat bumps unapologetically into the user’s legs or crotch while standing, depending on your height. Even with the work surface pulled all the way towards the user, the seat is still in the way. This makes it tough to achieve ideal ergonomics with the Deskcise, as you’re likely to stand too far away from the desk to avoid the obtrusive seat, hunching your posture and causing you to over-extend your arms. While this doesn’t render the Deskcise unusable as a standing desk, we recommend changing your position before you start to notice any discomfort so you can save yourself strained muscles in the long run.

Jack of all Trades, Master of One

The appeal of the Deskcise lies in its smooth, versatile pedaling. We’ve already established that desk cycles are more suited for fitness than work. Pedaling is cardio, and the brain doesn’t function at a high capacity when you’re doing cardio. While the Deskcise doesn’t seek to change that, its ability to quickly shift from cycle to standing desk means users can inject small bouts of exercise throughout the day, potentially while doing passive activities like watching videos (so they’re able to focus while pedaling). When it’s time to start typing, the sitting and standing modes are easily accessible.

A number of factors add up to make the Deskcise an overall user-friendly choice. The product is both lightweight and portable. For the home user, this should be a huge selling point. You can keep the compact (35” x 32”) desk cycle stored away until you need it. This is great for users who simply want to cycle while watching TV—although those users might want to consider a bike without the attached work surface. The castor wheels enable easy repositioning, and they automatically lock when the cycle is in use. Additionally, the Deskcise is virtually assembly-free. You simply attach the work surface to the bike and viola, you’re done. This plays into the product’s niche: incredibly accessible with mass-market appeal.

The work surface is large enough to hold a laptop and mouse, but not much else. The Deskcise is all about being lightweight and easy to use, but it falters when you’re looking for true “extended use” comfort. We think the Deskcise makes the most sense as a supplementary desk to your main workstation. Its bicycle seat and compact work surface just don’t lend themselves to long term, primary use. While the work surface is more stable when not in standing desk mode, its size will always be a limiting factor.

The Takeaway

It’s far from perfect, but the Deskcise Pro from Flexispot offers more functionality as a fully fledged workstation than any desk cycle we’ve seen. It does this while maintaining a low price point, with user-friendly features like auto-locking caster wheels and a one-minute assembly time. We’ve seen Flexispot refine desk cycles over the years, and the pedaling functionality on this product is superb. We hope to see this process of gradual improvement continued, as issues like obtrusive seat positioning and a shaky work surface are hard to ignore.

Specs

• Desktop size: 19.6” x 22.8”
• Bike size: 35” x 23.2” x 42.5”-48.4”
• Height adjustable seat range: 29.7”-37.2”
• Ideal fit for people between 5’1” and 6’2”
• 8 level magnetic tension resistance
• Weight capacity: 300 lbs.