The Best Photographer Work Station? We Review the FlexiSpot Standing Desk

Standing desks have become somewhat ubiquitous over the last few years and hold a number of benefits for photographers and content creators. Having used them in the past with mixed results, I was pleasantly surprised by the standing desk from FlexiSpot in terms of quality, form, and function. 

The FlexiSpot Standing Desk

Lots of Options

Although this review is of the Flexispot E7 Standing Desk, the company offers a variety of custom desks, allowing customers to create a configuration that works best for their specific needs. There are dozens of options for the size, shape, and finish of the desktops, as well as for the motorized frames. The amount of sizes and shapes available make the process of creating the perfect desk for your needs easy. For instance, as a photographer and YouTuber, I needed a desk that could work triple duty, first as an editing desk for photos and videos, second as a photo review desk when working with clients, and third, as a talking head desk for my YouTube videos. I designed the desk to address these needs, and created a configuration that works well in all three of these situations. I chose a black fiberboard top, with a pattern that looks great on camera and in person. I also had my desk configured with castors instead of standard feet, since I often roll it around my studio depending on whether I'm filming a video or conducting a photoshoot. I also added a dual monitor arm, and it was a quick and easy process to attach my BenQ monitor. Although the boom arm holds two monitors, I temporarily removed one as I wait for my second monitor to arrive. Finally, I attached my microphone boom arm to complete the desk (this was the only item not from FlexiSpot). Now, I have a workstation that does it all: it's an editing desk, a review desk, and my talking head video desk.

Excellent Build Quality

When my desk arrived and I began assembling it, I was impressed by the build quality of each component. I would recommend having a friend help you assemble the desk because of the weight of the components. The legs, feet, and top, are all heavy and solid, but it was easy to put it together with the help of my nine-year-old son. There is no advanced technical nohow required either. The mechanisms in the legs are assembled upon arrival, so it's just a matter of attaching feet, desktop, and some other small components. 

A problem I've encountered in the past is wobbly, poorly made desks. These products looked great when I viewed them online but once assembled they never held up to the demands of my studio, mostly due to wobbling. The FlexiSpot desk does not wobble, shake, or move on its own, and it is the highest quality standing desk I've owned. I was glad to find that the desk is sturdy even when leaning on it, unlike my last desk which moved so much as I used it that I had to stop including it in my YouTube videos because it was such a distraction. The electronic mechanism that controls the height of the desk works smoothly and silently, and moves from 23.6 inches up to 49.2 inches at the touch of the button. 

Ideal for Photographers and Editors

For the past few years I've been using a tall cart in my studio for my photo shoots, editing, and even in some of my YouTube videos, which looks like a TV cart. Since I had bad luck with my last desk, I decided to use this rolling cart for everything, including editing. This made for a less than optimal setup when editing videos and photos for hours at a time. Within a few minutes of using the standing desk, however, I realized what I was missing by using a proper workspace. The standing desk made an immediate and positive difference in my workflow, not just due to how easy and fast it adjusts from sitting to standing position, but also because I was able to get the ideal height of my monitor, so I am not slouching while I edit. Since the desktop is large and sturdy, so I can keep a number of items on it while I work, including the camera or lens I'm currently reviewing, spec sheets, my laptop, and more, and still comfortably edit. One of my favorite parts is that when reviewing images with my clients, I'm able to swivel the monitor boom arm around for my client to view their photos while having plenty of room to comfortably review images with them from my laptop. The desk I configured is perfect for my particular workflow and style.

Great for Content Creators

As a YouTuber, I appreciate how well this desk incorporates into my videos. The black finish looks excellent on camera, and the adjustable height makes it easy to get the desk at the perfect height in my frame without having to constantly adjust my tripod. Since I do a ton of camera gear reviews, I also like how the desktop looks for b-roll of products, which is the main reason I decided on the black fiberboard finish. If you make talking head videos, and want to include a stylish desktop in your video, FlexiSpot has a lot of options to match any particular style.

Stylish and Functional

The desk I designed is clean, simple, and modern, and it matches by studio perfectly. The keypad that controls the desk's elevation follows the desk's simple aesthetics, and the desk also included a tray that attaches to the bottom to hide various cables. The keypad has four memory presets and an integrated USB port on the side, which is a nice touch for charging a phone. The legs of the desk feature an embedded design and have no predrilled holes or rough edges, adding to the high-end look. Finally, the desktop can support up to 355 pounds, so there is no need to worry if you have multiple monitors and other pieces of gear on the desk at one time.

Conclusion

The FlexiSpot E7 Standing Desk is an excellent and well-made product. It is sturdy, made of quality materials, and has finishing touches that make it stand out while fitting in perfectly with my studio and work needs. After using the desk for a number of weeks, I am very happy with it and how functional it has been in my studio. The only negative about this desk is that it's easy to accidentally hit the buttons with your hand or body, but this can be solved by setting the keypad back further from the edge of the desktop.

What I Liked

• Sturdy
• Made of high quality materials
• Tons of customization
• Stylish design
• Easy to assemble with a helper

What I Didn't Like

• Adjustment buttons can be pressed accidentally by leaning against them