How Long Do Motorized Standing Desks Last?

Motorized standing desks have become an office favorite recently. And, why not? With comfort, ease & adjustability, it seems like an all-in-one package. However, these desks can be pretty expensive. And it will be only worth the money if it can serve long enough, right? And, that brings us to another question: How long do motorized standing desks last?

Motorized standing desks usually last for 5 to 15 years depending on the quality. The average motor capacity is between 5000 to 10000 cycles. But the high-end ones can complete up to 20000 cycles easily. You can increase or decrease the lifespan by manipulating the frequency of use, motor capacity & maximum weight limit.

If you are wondering whether it will be a good idea to buy a motorized standing desk or not, this article is for you. Here, we have discussed the lifespan and how to estimate it correctly in some simple steps. Plus, you will learn some interesting facts regarding the desk motor and how it works.

So, without spoiling it anymore, let’s jump into it.

How Long Do Motorized Standing Desks Last?

Motorized standing desks can serve you for 5 to 10 years on average. For some buyers, the desks might last up to 15 years. And, for the others, the desks might malfunction within a few days. You see, with greater convenience & ease, there are greater risks involved too.

To guess the real lifespan of a desk, check out the manufacturer’s warranty card carefully. If the manufacturers are not willing to give more than 5 years of warranty, then the desk is not supposed to last longer than that. Not for desks only, use this trick before buying any furniture.

Also, the tested life cycle of the motor should be written on the warranty card. You can easily figure out its longevity through that information. We have shown the full calculation down below. Don’t forget to check it out.

Here, you must also consider the factors that affect a standing desk’s lifespan. For example: how many times you are using the lift mechanism, its maximum weight capacity, and whether you follow the maintenance guidelines or not. You can increase or decrease a desk’s potential lifetime by manipulating any of these factors.

Motorized VS Manual Desks- Which One Lasts Longer?

Manual sit-stand desks with hand crank lifts can last up to 30 years. It’s crazy, right? Well, the desks are built to complete 30,000 to 50,000 up & down cycles throughout their lifetime. We can say the straightforward lift mechanism enables the desks to enjoy a long life. Plus, the repairing process is fairly easier for the manual desks. Because there are only a few parts involved in the inner chambers.

On the other hand, the modern electric/ motorized desks hardly last for 5 years without causing a disturbance. That’s 5 to 6 times less than a pneumatic desk. The thing is, there are too many electric components required to pull off the whole “touch & lift” mechanism. That’s the reason why it’s hard or trickier to repair than its manual counterparts.

Our advice is to get a sit-stand desk with the maximum amount of warranty. Ikea desks come with a warranty of 10 years while its competitor Jarvis & Uplift desks are offering 15 years warranty. However, standing desks from Vera only includes a 5 years warranty promise. It’s totally up to you, which marketplace you choose.

As for the comparison part, manual or pneumatic standing desks surely last longer and win the race with flying colors.

How Do You Estimate The Lifespan Of A Standing Desk? – Easy Calculation

Here’s the fun part. Remember we said that you can estimate a lifespan for the desk from the motor’s cycle capacity? Well, you don’t have to wait any longer.

To calculate the lifespan of any office equipment, you should assume the year to be 252 days. Because that’s the number of days you work excluding holidays or weekends. You can also round it up to 250 days if you want.

• First of all, we have to determine how many lifts we will use per day. Try to be very honest here. Is it, 1, 2, 3, or more? Once, you have figured that number, multiply it by 252. For example: if you need 2 cycles per day, it would be (252×2) = 504 cycles per year.

• Secondly, we will calculate the number of operating years. How do you that? Just divide the overall life cycle with 504 or whatever number you got. Suppose, the motor has been tested to withstand 20,000 cycles. So, the number of operating years would be 20,000/504 = 40 years. It’s only an example. People hardly use 1 cycle per day. If you use 3 cycles per day, the answer would be (20,000/756) = 26 years.

That means, with each increasing cycle per day, the overall lifespan decreases. Whereas, as the lifecycle keeps increasing, so does the lifetime. A motor having a 20,000 cycle capacity in it will last longer than a motor with only 10,000 cycles.

Can You Replace The Motor On A Standing Desk?

Yes, it’s very much possible to replace the motor on a standing desk. But before doing that, you must be sure. Sometimes, you assume the motor to be a culprit while the real issue is something else.

That’s why first make sure the desk is not overburdened. Sometimes too many commands at the same time confuse the desk. It can happen if your kids relentlessly press the buttons.  Your job is to reduce the burden and give it enough time to cool down. If the desk still shows no sign of improvement, it’s due to a faulty motor. Finally, you can start the replacement without any more thought.

But, extracting the motor from the desk legs is a difficult task. Especially if you haven’t done this before. Another issue is to find the right motor capacity and model for your standing desks. Most companies import these parts from China. As a result, you have a hard time finding a replacement. We suggest you buy the desk from your local store. That way, you can easily communicate your problem with them and get help.

However, there is another way to fix it. Replace the whole desk leg instead of the motor only. Yes, it will be expensive, but you can save a lot of time & effort.

How Do You Fix A Standing Desk Motor?

Let’s clarify one thing. If your standing desk is severely damaged, you need experts to fix it. But that doesn’t mean, you can’t try some harmless DIYs. One such technique is putting the desk in a reset mode.

If you have maintained all the guidelines (weight limit, Cycle per hour limit) and still the desk refuses to go up or down, it must be a malfunctioning motor. And, an easy method like ‘reset” allows you to give it a last shot before calling the professionals.

Let’s take a look at the process below:

• Start by removing any obstacles under or above the desk. Motorized standing desks come with a scanner to detect any object between its transition path. It’s better to remove anything near the desk while resetting.

• The next step is to reduce the weight as much as possible. Since your desk is having trouble functioning, try not to burden it even more.

• Okay, follow these steps by unplugging the cord from the outlet. No electricity should pass from the socket to the motor.

• Now, wait for thirty seconds. Don’t insert the cord before 30 seconds or the reset won’t be successful.

• After the wait is over, plug the cords into the outlet again. Make sure the cables are in good condition.

• The next step is to push the “down arrow” button. It commands the desk to go downwards.

• Keep your finger on the button until the desk reaches its lowest point. Once it hits the lowest limit, release your touch for a few seconds.

• Then, push the same button again and hold it there. It commands the desk to go into a reset mode. Some models don’t need the “hold & release” gesture at all. It is different for every brand.

With that, the mission is accomplished.

Keep in mind that, this reset process works for the majority numbers of standing desks. But there are always exceptions. So, make sure to check the specific instructions provided by the manufacturers.

What Kind Of Motors Do Standing Desks Use?

There are two types of DC motors normally used for manufacturing sit-stand desks. And, both of them have their pros & cons. If you don’t know already, we are talking about brushed & brushless motors. So, what’s the difference?

Brushed motors come with simple wiring while the brushless ones are more sophisticated. The efficiency rate for brushless motors is 85 to 90%. While it’s 75% for a brushed DC motor. What do we mean by efficiency here? It indicates how successfully a motor can convert electricity into rotational energy and reduce heat waste.

Moreover, brushless motors save you from the irritating motor noise. Not just that, it even cuts your replacement costs. Since there is no brush to replace or maintain, you can be trouble-free for a longer time.

Then why do people opt for brushed motors? Well, it’s because brushed motors are inexpensive. If you want a standing desk urgently and don’t have “too much” money to spend, a brushed motor is the right choice. But, remember that you have to let go of a lot of interesting features of a premium brushless motor.

Another interesting fact about motors is that they can be either single or dual. At first glance, you will be tempted to choose the dual motor. Because it seems like two is better than one. But, when it comes to motors, quality wins over quantity. You must check the strength of the motor before anything else.

Be it single or dual, check out what the maximum weight limit is. And, how long is the transition time? Suppose the maximum weight is 290 pounds. How many seconds does the desk require to lift this weight? Less time indicates higher motor strength.

Do Motorized Standing Desks Use A Lot Of Electricity?

That’s a common myth around motorized standing desks. And, we are here to debunk it. Firstly, a sit-stand desk draws close to 200 watts of electricity while operating. Hear us out before you react. The number might seem too big. But, it’s only during the lifting process which lasts for 20 to 30 seconds only.

After that, your desk gets into standby mode. Now, many people ask whether it’s okay to pull the cords out while the desk is in standby mode. Well, you can if you want. But, there’s no need for that. You see, the desk only draws around 0.2-watt if it’s not working. That’s not even significant enough for you to prevent it.

The desk requires energy during the standby period to keep the responsiveness intact. As a result, it can react to any kind of adjustment as soon as possible. Pulling out the cord would affect its fast responses. Our suggestion would be to stop worrying about the electricity bill. If you can limit the cycle per day, your utility bill would not increase at all.

Wrapping Up

It’s time we started seeing standing desks as an investment rather than an expense. After all, it increases your productivity at work and helps you perform better. But, the only question preventing us from getting a motorized desk is how long motorized standing desks last.

In this article, we addressed this issue. We have discussed how to estimate the lifespan of motorized standing desks. Not just that, we compared it with the manual desks to give you a better insight. Finally, we mentioned some quick tips to fix the desk motors during an emergency.

So, that’s all for today guys. Hope you found the information useful.