“Love my new desk. Slightly different colour than expected with some large and obvious areas with quite a bit of black where nail and larger holes have been filled. However, it has no impact on the function, it is kind of cool and it’s great to give the timber a new life.
The desk itself is pure quality. The installer was very patient with me deciding which side to put the drawer and controller on. I am right handed so felt the drawer on the right would be better for me and so far I love it. This meant the left side was better for the controller, but if you were going to use the up down a lot maybe you’d prefer it the other way around.
The up down is smooth and pretty quick. The desk feels steady and it can be leant on without any drama in any position. It was easy to do the preset heights. As there are 4 you could set a high and low height for two people.
With 64cm the lowest height (slightly higher with castors) it might still feel a little high for a petite person, so an adjustable chair and foot raise or possibly the ergonomic mat might be useful.
I was going to go for the 120cm, but am so glad I went with 150cm. Amazing how you spread out when you can. Tons of rooms for books, papers, my laptop on a raised stand and a separate keyboard and mouse. I am using a large gaming mat to put everything on to protect the desk, but you can still see enough of it around the sides to enjoy admiring the real timber.
I got the cable tidy which is helpful, but with the opening facing towards the front of the desk (hiding the cables from the back because it is up against a window) it does mean climbing under the desk to plug cords in and out. This is a bit of a pain and has made me consider getting an additional laptop cord. I could have gotten a power board, but don’t really need it. I personally didn’t want to put a hole in my desk so am happy to put up with the cords coming over the back etc.
I also got the castors. They are fantastic. Really solid, they lock well and it makes the desk easy to move to clean and have different light and vantage points in the room. However, they may make the desk a little tall in sitting for a petite person.
The desk also has a bit of a resin smell. This has persisted for at least a couple of weeks, but it is quite pleasant. It might bother some people, but will probably go away eventually. I also got the drawer. It is genius that it has the shelf above it. I opted not to put the controller on the same side to maximise the ease of putting stuff on and off it. Having a keyed drawer is also a nice touch. The drawer moves nice and smoothly, but isn’t soft close. It isn’t huge, but big enough for basic needs. Some people might prefer a rolling drawer set to put underneath with more drawers, but this wasn’t an current option through up desk.
I also choose to get the ergo mat. I love it. Rolling the ball is fun, it is so comfy to stand on and with the raised edges it is super easy to change position and keep my body happier for longer whilst standing. I also like using it as a foot rest and for calf stretches and changing the position of my feet even in sitting.
Overall if you want a quality desk that looks beautiful, works really well and is likely to last for a long time this is the one. I should also mention the installation was completely worth it as the installer took around an hour with the right tools, tucking cords into the right spots and knowing what to do. Plus he showed me that if there is any problem with the motor how it can easily be slid out and replaced. This was a big spend, but I am absolutely thrilled with my up desk, totally glad I paid the extra for the recycled messmate and am using it daily.”
“The UpDown desk has great ergonomics and looks beautiful, but I did not expect the fumes from the stain and finish on the recycled messmate to be so strong. I still can't use my office after 3 weeks! I tried washing with mild detergent and vinegar, but I still get headaches when I work on the desk. Why not use a less toxic finish? I paid top dollar to buy what I thought was a high quality product but it's been let down by a highly toxic finish. Pitty.”
