Over the last month, I've been reviewing the FlexiSpot E5 3-stage dual-motor standing desk. I've been looking for a standing desk ever since the ongoing pandemic started, as I'm sure many of you have been too. It's more important than ever for us to be comfortable and healthy at home while working by being more active, and I think getting yourself a standing desk of some kind is a great way to do that.
So, here's our review of the FlexiSpot E5, reviewed by me, someone who works from home every day and views his desk as an essential tool for his job.
The desk
The FlexiSpot E5 can be configured with or without a tablet top included. Of course, opting for a tabletop costs a little more, but I think it's worth it. The tabletops are super high quality and are available in two sizes; 120x60cm or 140x70cm. My review sample included the mahogany tabletop at the largest size, and I must say I'm very impressed.
For the longest time, I was using a cheap, small desk from Amazon, and I really didn't know what I was missing until I got to work on a premium high-quality desk like the one you get from FlexiSpot. The wood is solid, and the quality is great. If you're like me and currently working on a cheap desk from Amazon or Ikea, moving to an actual real desk like the E5 is like entering a whole new world.
The tabletops are available with multiple different finishes too. As I mentioned above, mine is the mahogany model, but you can get it in maple, black, white, graphite, grey wood grain, marble grey, special walnut, and white wood grain. Some of the finishes are a little more expensive, but the tabletops themselves start at an additional £60.
The FlexiSpot E5 itself refers to the table legs, which feature a 3-stage dual-motor hidden within. This is what you're really paying for when you go for the FlexiSpot E5. The desk is an electric standing desk that can move up and down between 620mm at its lowest point and 1250mm at its highest. The height is controlled by what FlexiSpot calls the "Advanced all-in-one keypad" that attaches to the desk's underside.
FlexiSpot calls it advanced, but it's super simple to control. From left to right, the buttons are: up, down, saved height 1, saved height 2, saved height 3, save height button, and a sit/stand reminder button. FlexiSpot calls it an advanced keypad because it has the ability to save up to three different heights that you can jump to with just one press.
For example, in save position 1, I've set the table to around 71cm. That's my comfortable sitting position when at the desk, and instead of holding down the down button to get to that height from a standing position, I can just hit the number 1 button, and the table will lower itself to 71cm on its own. The lift speed is 3.8cm a second, which is perfectly adequate.
To program the keypad and save specific heights, just manually adjust the desk to the height you want to save, then hit the "M" button, then tap either the first, second, or third save spot to save that height to memory. It's that simple, and it remembers that height until you reprogram it. The keypad also has an LED display that shows you your current height in centimeters too.
The setup
If you order the table legs and tabletop together, they will arrive in separate boxes and possibly at separate times. The unboxing experience is super straight forward, and the contents of the boxes themselves are very well packed, especially the tabletop, to avoid scratches or anything like that. The setup process looks a little daunting at first, but you realize it's really not that difficult once you begin.
The legs themselves already come prebuilt, so you won't have to deal with fitting the motor into the legs on your own. All you have to do is join the left leg with the right leg, connect the two motors, and install the tabletop and keypad. I was able to do all this on my own with no help. However, having someone to help you install the tabletop is a good idea, as the top is a little heavy.
The tabletop attaches to the legs via screws that come in the box. You can hand-crank the screws or use a screw drill driver. The underside of the tabletop, if ordered from FlexiSpot, comes with holes pre-drilled for you to align with the legs. I found that the drilled holes in the tabletop didn't align with the holes in the legs.
I think this may be by design, as it allows you to adjust the positioning of the tabletop on the legs. However, if you want to use all the screws in all the holes, you'll have to drill your own for the third hole. There are also pre-drilled holes for the keypad that can go on either left or right sides of the tabletop.
Once the setup is complete, the desk should be ready to go. I love that the legs themselves have a built-in rail along the top that sits right under the desk for cable management. You can use it to keep the underside of your desk tidy, including the cables for the table itself.
Final thoughts
The table as a whole is incredibly sturdy. There's no flex in the tabletop, and the legs are nice and heavy so that the table doesn't get wobbly around when franticly typing an email. I really like this table, and have no real complaints about it. If I had to nit-pick, I'd say the huge FlexiSpot logo on the keypad is a little unnecessary. I'd have preferred the keypad to be a little smaller, but as I said, nit-picking.
The FlexiSpot E5 is on sale now for £359.99, and a tabletop can be grabbed for an additional £60. FlexiSpot also sells several other accessories designed to enhance your work from home lifestyle. Check out their store for more. If you're looking to enhance your desk, perhaps FlexiSpot's keyboard and mouse tray is a good accessory.
Electrical Standing Desk
If you're looking for an excellent, straightforward to use, electrical standing desk, the FlexiSpot E5 is a great choice.
