Electric vs Crank vs Converter Standing Desks – What are the Differences?

According to recent studies, it is estimated that more than 1 in 2 people are now sitting for at least six hours each day on average.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle is not beneficial in the slightest as it can lead to a wide variety of different ailments and health issues. To begin with, it increases your risk of obesity, not to mention the fact that hypertension risks also increase, plus you’re more likely to suffer with poor posture and back issues.

One of the main reasons why people are suffering so much is because more people now work office jobs in front of a computer whilst sat at a desk.

Something as simple as standing instead of sitting can help burn more calories and can ease pressure placed on the joints which is why standing desks are now so popular.

With electric, crank, and converter standing desks to choose from, finding the right one can be tricky.

Here’s a look at the different types.

Electric standing desks

First up, we’re going to begin by looking at electric standing desks.

These standing desks are found in most workplaces with standing desks, due largely to the fact that they’re so simple and so easy to operate.

Simply plug them into a mains electricity source and then push to operate the desk and adjust the height.

If you want a reliable, easy-to-operate standing desk that does exactly what it says on the box, an electric standing desk is ideal.

Pros

Some of the main benefits associated with electric standing desks include:

Simple to operate as you simply press a button to adjust the height of the desk

Heavier weight capacity. These desks can hold more weight than converter desks and crank desks, making them ideal for offices with a lot of equipment

Faster adjustments. Not only is it easy to adjust these desks, it is also much quicker to adjust them, so they’ll get from A to B much faster

More space. Generally, electric desks are also larger so there’s more storage space.

Cons

A few of the drawbacks of electric standing desks include:

Greater cost. Because they’re generally superior, electric standing desks tend to cost more

Uses power. Another consideration here is that these desks use power, so your electricity bill will be higher than normal

Power dependent. If for whatever reason, there is a power failure, the desks won’t be able to be adjusted.

Crank standing desks

Up next we have crank standing desks.

These standing desks are manually operated and are therefore more simple in design to electric standing desks.

They are of course adjustable, but they require more effort. They are, however, more affordable.

Pros

A few pros associated with crank standing desks include:

Reliable. One key benefit of crank standing desks is the fact that they’re more reliable than electric standing desks because they don’t require power and there is less to go wrong.

Affordable. Because they don’t have expensive electronics inside, crank standing desks are more affordable than electric ones.

Cons

A few drawbacks associated with crank standing desks include:

More effort required. In order to operate these desks, you have to manually crank them.

Slow adjustment speeds. These desks also adjust in height much slower than electric ones.

Standing desk converters

Finally, we have standing desk converters.

These are the cheapest of all 3 options listed today, and they’re great for testing out whether or not you think you could benefit from complete standing desks.

Pros

A few pros include:

Affordable. These are even cheaper than crank standing desks and are ideal if you’re on a budget.

Keep your own desk. Remember, these are desk converters which means that you can use them in conjunction with your own desk to convert it to a standing one.

Cons

A few drawbacks include:

Limited working space. Because they’re not very large, you will only have limited working space with these desks.

Heavy and bulky. Despite being the smallest of the 3, standing desk converters tend to be the heaviest and the bulkiest.