The Informant: The Standing Desk That Leveled Up My Home Office
Our editors independently select the products we recommend. We may earn a commission on items bought through our links.
SPY agents, trained to be discerning and skeptical, are tasked with identifying high-value targets for shrewd shoppers. Products curated by The Informant are the best of the best: beautifully imagined and thoughtfully made products that become instantly indispensable.
Today's Top Deals
After a little over two years of working from home, I knew I needed to invest in my workspace. It wasn’t enough to buy a nicer desk chair and a better monitor. The real problem was that I was sedentary all day. Sitting for hours on end hurt my hips and knees, and it also took a mental toll. One thing led to another, and before long I was answering emails power-walking on a walking pad treadmill. (Talk about an overcorrection.) From there, my next step, so to speak, was buying a standing desk.
Specifically, the Autonomous SmartDesk Core: a large work surface (53 x 29 inches) with an electric motor that lowers and raises the desk’s height (between 3.5 and just under 5 feet). Simply put, it was a fantastic upgrade.
Not only was it easy to put together — I did it myself in less than a full hour — it’s also incredibly simple to use. On a convenient panel on the right-hand side of the desk, there’s an arrow for raising and lowering it by hand, as well as four preset height options that you can program. (One thing to note: Pressing a preset height does create the potential for your desk to collide with a chair or other object as it’s moving automatically. After a few accidents, I’ve opted for changing it manually most of the time.)
What’s more, the desk markets itself as having a quiet motor — and it delivers on that promise. It tops out at around 45 decibels, which is much quieter than the average office environment. I’II never find it disruptive; my walking pad is much louder. The desk’s maximum height allows just enough room for me to put my walking pad underneath and stand on it while keeping my elbows perpendicular to my work surface. (I’m 5 feet 9 inches, so someone who is taller and interested in adding a walking pad to their setup will want to opt for a taller desk.)
Overall, I’m very happy with my Autonomous desk. Its work surface is large without feeling bulky, and its mechanisms for switching heights have been working flawlessly for over a year and a half. Yes, it’s more expensive than a hand-crank desk or one of those raisable work surfaces, but anyone committed to moving throughout the day — and who doesn’t want to sacrifice their workspace — should drop a little extra coin on this unit.
Autonomous SmartDesk Core
Buy Now
More Top Deals from SPY
Best of SPY
