Flexispot E7 Pro review: An affordable standing desk with a massive weight capacity

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I've been working from home for nearly 10 years and in that time, I've had a few different desks — some that I made and others that I thrifted. All the desks that I've used required me to sit, and I know how unhealthy sitting can be. Even before I worked from home, I'd heard about the benefits of standing desks, but I never thought to get one myself. I was ecstatic to see what the fuss was about with the Flexispot E7 Pro Standing Desk.

The Flexispot E7 Pro Standing Desk is minimalist in style but offers an easy-to-use touch control panel that raises and lowers the desktop to your preferred standing or sitting height. I put the desk together myself and tested it over two weeks to determine how well it suited my work life. Keep reading to see why it's one of the best standing desks on the market.

Design

Everybody's work requirements are different, so it's nice to see that Flexispot lets you customize the E7 Pro Standing Desk to your exact needs. The first step I took in ordering this desk was choosing a desktop material. I chose the blonde bamboo option as I thought it would fit nicely with my home décor. Other options include solid wood, chipboard, and solid wood texture (a board made of poplar and eucalyptus and then wrapped in what looks like wood-textured material). There is also an Ergo Series desktop described as "soft, skin touch panels" that are "slip resistant and durable." It's not exactly clear what they're made of. You can also opt to purchase just the frame and use your own tabletop.

From there, customers choose whether they want the desktop curved or straight. In terms of size, I ordered a 48 by 24 inch desktop. In person, the desk looks like a typical-sized desk that can fit a single monitor. Desk sizes go up to 78 by 30 inches, which is something to consider if you have multiple monitors and an office with a lot of space.

Since I ordered the E7 Pro, it was outfitted with a solid carbon steel base C-Frame, which I ordered in white. (If you order the E7 version of this desk, it will come with a T-frame). The C-frame's thicker leg columns are set on the back of the base, providing extra under-desk space. The legs and the dual motor, which is under the desktop and has had 30,000-plus lift tests, have the capability to bear 440 pounds. For reference, the dual motor looks like a large rectangular battery with cords that connect to the keypad, the legs, and an outlet. The desk must be plugged into an outlet for the motor to work.

Due to its minimalistic design, you'll need to outfit the desk with organization and storage elements. Additional accessories for this desk, such as caster wheels, chairs, power strips, docking stations, and some cable management tools, can be added to your Flexispot order.

Setup

Although the packaging was a little heavy, I could set this desk up on my own. The desk arrived in a few boxes over two days. When I began assembling the desk, I discovered that the instructions were a little lacking. Like most instruction manuals, it had pictures and some text, but at times, I became confused on how to exactly proceed. (I should mention that I'm a practiced reviewer who has assembled far more technical things like grills and yard tools.)

For instance, there were some holes that were pre cut into the bamboo, but the instructions made no mention of aligning the beam or the frame to those holes. (Even when I tried to align the beam to the holes, it didn't really work.) I had some trouble figuring out how to adjust the length of the frame. While the instructions say that the distance from the support plate to the edge of the table should not exceed 7.87 inches, the way that it's shown in the instructions is confusing.

Not to mention, it was difficult to screw in the screws with the provided screwdriver. If you have a drill, I suggest using it, as there were times when the screwdriver that Flexispot provided came close to stripping the screws. Other times, I was unable to get the screw all the way into the desktop as the screws are very thick and the bamboo is hard to push through.

Installing the control panel was far easier than I expected. It took me seconds to connect it and set up my preferred standing and sitting heights. Then, I could push just one button and watch the desk lift and lower to my exact needs.

Living with the desk

Using the Flexispot E7 Pro Standing Desk on a daily basis was easy enough. I found myself switching between sitting and standing throughout the day. Because I had preset my standing and sitting positions, moving between the two positions was no problem at all. The desk felt stable whether it was raised or lowered, so much so that when I leaned against it while standing, it didn't wobble or move under my weight.

After assembling the desk, I set up my laptop, keyboard, and mouse. I don't have a lot of equipment and, thus, a lot of cords, so I didn't utilize the cable tray organizer. I liked that the control panel had a USB port, making charging my phone while I worked much easier.

Speed

The Flexispot E7 Pro Standing Desk lifts and lowers quite smoothly. The desk rose from 25 inches to 50.6 inches in 17.5 seconds, which is about 2 inches per second. Most of the time, you'll only be lifting the desk from a sitting to a standing height, which should take about 7.5 seconds — just as it did for me.

No matter the speed, the motor has a 61 dB sound rating. This is slightly louder than others on the market, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not loud or bothersome at all.

Weight capacity

The Flexispot E7 Pro Standing Desk has a weight capacity of 440 lbs. To test this out, I sat atop the desk and lifted it up and then down. For reference, I weigh 175 lbs. The motor worked perfectly fine during this test. Most people's work equipment will not weigh 440 lbs. or even 175 lbs., but if yours happens to, this desk can surely handle the weight.

Cons to consider

In relation to the desk itself, there aren't many cons. The only drawback that I discovered in my use of the Flexispot E7 Pro was in the assembly process. The instruction manual wasn't as easy to understand as I would have liked, and the provided screws were quite difficult to screw into the bamboo desktop with the provided screwdriver.

What are your alternatives?

Flexispot specializes in standing desks, offering a wide range to suit many budgets. The E7 Pro is its most premium desk. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we've also tested the E2 Pro Standing Desk, one of Flexispot's most affordable options and our favorite budget pick. The two-stage design has a slower and shorter range of adjustability (28 to 45.6 inches), reduced weight capacity, and a simple control panel.

The Flexispot E7 Pro resembles the Uplift V2 Standing Desk, especially since it starts at a similar price range. The Uplift V2 has more customizable options regarding the desktop style (i.e. whiteboard, acacia, etc.), grommet colors, frame color and type, and keypad or foot switch design. Some of the options have an additional fee, but if you're going to spend money on a good desk, you might as well design it to your preferences. The Uplift V2 also has a slightly quieter motor than the Flexispot E7 Pro Standing Desk.

The bottom line

I didn't think I'd be as impressed as I was with the Flexispot E7 Pro Standing Desk. I couldn't believe how well it did during the weight testing process — lifting and lowering my entire body with ease — or that it was so easy to program the standing and sitting height. What won me over was the price, especially when I compared it to others on the market. Sure, the assembly process was a little complicated, but I could still put the desk together with time and patience, resulting in a fantastic product that I enjoy using. The Flexispot E7 Pro is an ideal option for those looking for a sleek, simplistic, and customizable standing desk at a decent price.