Best smart desks: Standing, adjustable and technologically-advanced home office essentials

Say goodbye to the old wooden clunky desk that sits in the corner of the room piled high with paraphernalia.

Sure, it’s seen you through the best and worst of WFH days in recent years, but now your home office deserves a revamp, and there’s no better way of bringing it into the 21st century than by investing in a smart desk.

What is a smart desk?

A smart desk is similar to a normal desk but comes with a host of tech features such as wireless charging pads, built-in monitors and adjustable height settings. As good as it sounds, the technology can help you be more productive, comfortable and prevent that daily back pain struggle.

Those working an office job are likely to spend hours sitting at an uncomfortable desk, often in a position that even a contortionist would be impressed by. The sedentary nature of these jobs is proven to have a negative impact on both physical and mental health.

Luckily, a smart desk can help alleviate this - it can prompt you to move around if you’ve been sitting for too long, it will track the number of hours sat down, and it can be adjusted to standing height so you spend more time on your feet and looking at your screen from the correct angle.

Alongside the physical benefits of a smart desk, there are also aesthetic reasons for buying one of these must-have gadgets. If you hate the sight of tangled cables trailing along the floor from the socket to your laptop or phone, then the wireless charging pads and USB ports on these desks will be revolutionary.

A smart desk is also a great option for those tight on space as some fold against the wall meaning they can be stored away easily when not in use.

Now you’ve been convinced of the benefits of a smart desk, shop below our top recommended products. If you’re upgrading your home office, don’t forget to add a splash of colour with a new rug, floor lamp and cushions.

Pith & Stem DropTop Classic

For those of us without the luxury of a separate home office, WFH days can result in your dining room table being converted into a workstation atop with monitors, laptops and notebooks galore. Pith & Stem have created a new concept desk that will mean you never have to work on the kitchen table again.

The DropTop table is the world’s first fully integrated wall-mounted folding desk that comes with the option of in-built monitors (a choice of either two 24” or one 29”) and can be turned into an attractive piece of art on the wall when not in use. Far more than just a WFH solution, it’s stylish, practical and will save an enormous amount of space.

The range includes the Classic, Pro and Light - all of which come with a frame and picture, and can be fully customisable to seamlessly fit with your surroundings - there’s a choice of seven different finishes, you can upload your own artwork for the front picture and it can be wall mounted at exactly the right height for you.

Impressively, the desk can support a weight of 125kg, so once the fixing bracket is installed, the possibilities are endless.

Buy now £895.00, Pith&Stem

Height Adjustable Electric Standing E-Desk

Forget the tangled wires underneath your desk, this smart gadget from Purus Life features an exceptional wireless charger that’s built into the desk - simply place your phone on the wireless sign for quick and immediate charging. For any must-have wires, there’s a discreet cable tray and a large pull-out storage draw to keep the top of the desk clutter-free.

There’s no need for an extension cable, as there are two USB and one USB-C port that allows for up to three devices to be plugged in at once - ideal for a laptop, monitor and mobile phone. The desk also has an adjustable height setting, and it can move anywhere from 72cm to 121cm. It’s also impressively sturdy and with a 30mm thickness, it’s clamp-friendly for a monitor.

Buy now £429.00, Amazon

Autonomous SmartDesk Core

The Autonomous SmartDesk is here, and it’s guaranteed to increase your productivity and wellbeing. There are three different sizes available to purchase - 109cm x 59cm, 134cm x 73cm or 179cm x 76cm; all are incredibly easy to self-assemble and take around 15 minutes. Impressively robust, they have a thickness of 4cm and can hold up to 120kg.

It’s available in wood or natural bamboo, and with five different finishing colours you can be sure your desk will perfectly match your office space. If you’re purchasing a new desk through your employer, you can charge it to your company for a cheaper price (£501). There’s also a five year warranty in case anything goes wrong.

Buy now £538.00, Autonomous

E8 Standing Desk For WFO and WFH

Available in fourteen slick veneer finishes and built with sturdy steel legs, this motorised standing desk is extremely easy to assemble, making it a seamless job to get it up and ready for use.

Going from seated height to standing is quick enough and it won’t cut your concentration levels. The desk can be positioned at a height of anywhere from 60cm - 125cm (comfortable for even those over 6 foot), and the smart LED touch screen control panel allows for a very quick adjustment and four memory presets, perfect for work or for one of your kids to use for crafting. There’s also a nifty sit-stand reminder if you opt for the higher-spec model. A useful anti-collision sensor when the desk is being lowered was also something we loved in testing, which is designed to avoid catching you, your dog or any other member of your family as it goes down.

The desktop is well-sized and can be purchased in either 120 cm x 60 cm, 140 cm x 70 cm or as a curved shape that measures 160 x 8; all are more than enough for a laptop, extra monitor and plenty of other bits as the weight capacity is a laudable 125 kg.

Packed with useful features and fully customisable, this desk will not only look great in your home but make you feel more productive and healthier, too.

Buy now £419.99, FlexiSpot

FlexiSpot Kids Desk for Home Schooling and Chair Set

It’s never too early to practice good posture, and this height adjustable desk for children ensures they aren’t spending prolonged periods of time sitting down or hunched over. Using the simple up and down buttons, position the table anywhere from 77.5cm to 87.5cm.

The waterproof and clear coated top makes it easy to clean and hard-wearing. At 100cm x 60cm, there’s more than enough space for books, pens and planners. There’s also a handy bag hook on the side of the desk that holds up to 10kg.

The set comes with a chair that has the perfect S-curve for maintaining good posture and the elastic mesh covering makes it comfortable to sit on for hours. Available in both pink and white.

Buy now £219.99, FlexiSpot

Yo-Yo Desk 90

Convert any desk into a standing desk in mere minutes with this desk riser: just unpack it and place it onto any work surface. Built to incorporate a split level, this desk allows you to have your monitor on one shelf and your keyboard on another down below, making for a more ergonomic standing position that doesn’t involve hunching over your keyboard. A gas spring controlled by levers allows you to adjust the height easily and without any effort on your part.

Depending on your height, you might want to consider one of the brand’s other products, with the Yo-Yo Desk Go built for people 6”-6”5 in height, and the Yo-Yo Desk Slim designed for those below 5”.

An affordable alternative to replacing your existing workstation, this desk riser was great for standing up, but was a little uncomfortable to use when seated as it added extra height to the original desk. However, if you’re wanting to test the waters before fully investing in a more expensive standing desk, this is a great introduction to the concept.

Buy now £329.95, Amazon

ökoform miniöko-up

Best for: The desk-bound home-worker

Things have changed since early 2020, I think it’s fair to say. Working from home – something I’d been doing since 2011, by the way – suddenly became trendy with those not wishing to die, and for many, continuing to work from the confines of their crib (or working a hybrid combo) is now the ‘new normal’.

However, working from home comes with working from home power bills, all of which are rocketing into the stratosphere like a bored billionaire on a sojourn into space. But what if you didn’t have to heat your whole house when working from home? What if you only had to heat the room you were actually working in? And then, if you’re still with me, what if you didn’t actually even have to heat the room you work in? The dream of a madman, maybe, but this is definitely not: the ökoform miniöko-up.

Yep, welcome to the world’s only heated desk. Your eyes do not deceive you and, no, I’m not yet drunk, for this cunning bit of kit generates its own heat around you while you work, keeping it contained to that individual area, while proving to be 90 per cent cheaper to run than a fan heater. I know, right?

This is one of two designs on offer from the – surprisingly given the name – Dorset-based company, but both are designed in the same way to direct heat downwards under the desk using insulation and radiant heat tech to keep you toasty as you toil.

The model seen here is also height-adjustable, to provide proper comfort and keep DSE assessment people pleased, and comes as standard with a 200 x 600mm tabletop, though bespoke options are available.

Smart as lovingly warm whip and capable of keeping the energy cost crisis just a little further away from your door, upwards of £549 for a desk might seem steep, but look into the long-term costs of heating your home against a one-time expense that will keep you warm throughout the winter, keep more of your cash out of the pockets of the energy providers and, come the spring and summer months, still function as your non-warming workstation. Now that’s got to be an investment worth considering.

Buy now £549.00, Ideal World