Vari Electric Standing Desk review

I don’t use a standing desk at my office or home, but the Vari Electric Standing Desk could convince me to switch. This standing desk is one of the easiest things ever to assemble. Plus, it looks fantastic, and it’s very sturdy. 

After testing it against several other models, I've learned that it’s the best standing desk you can buy. Read the rest of our Vari Electric Standing Desk review to see if it’s right for you.

Vari Electric Standing Desk: Price and availability

The Vari Electric Standing Desk is available in a variety of sizes and finishes. The 48 x 30-inch desk costs $750; the 60 x 30-inch model costs $850, and the 72 x 30-inch version is $950. All are available in reclaimed wood, white, butcher block, black, and darkwood. 

I tested the 60 x 30-inch model, which is the company’s most popular version. It supports up to 200 pounds.

Vari also sent the optional Cable Management Tray ($50), which screws into the back of the desk, and lets you keep power bricks and cords out of the way. The company also sells other accessories, such as power strips, a power hub, and a desk lamp with a wireless charging pad.

Vari Electric Standing Desk: Design

The Vari Electric Standing Desk is simple, elegant, and solid. The wood top on the model I reviewed was a good inch-plus thick, and looked and felt more substantial than the other models I tested. A useful cutout in the back of the desk lets you run cables down from the top, so that you can push the desk flush against a wall. 

A small control panel sits just underneath the front lip. It comes installed on the right side of the desk, but you can easily move it to the left side by removing two screws. The control panel has up/down arrows to raise and lower the height of the desk; a small LCD readout on the left tells you the exact height in inches or centimeters (you can switch between metric and imperial). You can also configure four preset heights, and set limits on the max and minimum height.

The Vari desk can be lowered to 25 inches (63.5cm), and raised to a height of 50.5 inches (128 cm). It will support up to 200 pounds, so I could sleep on this desk, and not worry about it breaking. However, the Uplift V2 and the Fully Jarvis standing desks can support up to 350 pounds, if you’re planning to use it for working on your car’s transmission.

I like that the company includes two hooks that can clamp onto the side of the desk for, say, a purse or a set of headphones, as well as six Velcro-like straps for keeping your various cables organized. The company also throws in a silicone coaster, to keep those coffee rings off your nice new standing desk.

Vari Electric Standing Desk: Assembly

Of all of the things I’ve put together at home, the Vari Electric Standing Desk was without a doubt one of the easiest. Even some of the best office chairs took longer to assemble.  

The desk comes together with just eight screws: four to hold the legs into the top of the desk, and four more to connect the feet to the legs. A small control panel slides into the front of the desk, and a control unit into the middle of the underside.

While the company says it should take about five minutes, I’d say the whole thing came together in about 15 minutes. That was still half the time it took me to assemble other standing desks.

Vari Electric Standing Desk: Performance

If I were to design a model home-office setup, I’d use the Vari Electric Standing Desk as the centerpiece. I liked the reclaimed-wood finish, which was nice and warm, and had just enough of a texture — a smooth, but slightly raised grain — to make it interesting to the touch. The chamfered edges also added a bit of elegance. 

The movement of the desk up and down was smooth and consistent, and the desk felt very solid. There was a little bit of rocking at its maximum height, but not nearly so much as I feared it falling over. 

Vari Electric Standing Desk: Verdict

Not only is the Vari Electric Standing Desk one of the best-looking standing desks, but it’s one of the easiest to put together, too. It also comes with some nice accessories, and, when compared with other standing desks, isn’t all that much more expensive. 

For example, the 48 x 30-inch Vari Desk costs $695; a similarly sized Uplift Desk with a comparable keypad is $708, while a 48 x 30-inch Fully Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk with programmable controls costs $640. 

If you need a standing desk for your home office, the Vari should be at the top of your list.