Do Electric Standing Desks Break? [Honest Answer]

“Electric standing desks will break down soon” – This is the first thing that comes to our mind when someone suggests an electric standing desk t us. But, is it really true? Do electric standing desks break?

You will have to face several electronic hiccups throughout the electric standing desk’s lifetime. Refusing to move, getting stuck at a weird height, not activating at all, etc are some of the most common issues people have to deal with an electric desk. It is also harder to fix than the pneumatic ones because of the higher level of complexity happening inside.

Throughout this article, we will explain our answer in detail. More importantly, we will also discuss the common issues electric standing desks causes along with their reasons and simple solutions. In the end, we have a segment containing our opinion on whether it is worth spending your money or not.

As you can see, we have so many things in the store for you. So, without further ado, let’s start.

Do Electric Standing Desks Break?

An electric standing desk is just like any other electronic component within your house. It provides supreme comfort and efficiency. But, not even the manufacturer can guarantee that it won’t break. You see, even though the item is supposed to serve you for 10+ years, nobody has any control over the electronic hiccups.

So, if your question is whether electronic desks malfunction or not, the answer is yes. Electronic standing desks can show several complexities throughout the lifetime. Now, are you wondering how long an electric standing desk lasts anyway? Follow our article on this topic for an elaborate answer.

Sometimes the issues with the electric desk can be resolved with a simple change in the settings. For example, when the desk is refusing to move up or down, you don’t need an expert to fix this. Just go through the settings and put the desk into a “reset” mode. It’s as simple as that.

But sometimes the issues could be more internal and complex. You won’t be able to fix it yourself following the DIY tricks. It might end up costing way more than you anticipated.

But even with those cons, electric standing desks really give you the best ergonomic experience. That’s for sure.

How Do I Fix My Electric Standing Desk?- 5 Common Issues & Solutions

Here comes the interesting part. Let’s check out five issues that most users have to deal with and the reason behind them.

1. Overheating

You are all satisfied with the electric desk until it starts to overheat. And you don’t know what to do except panic. No worries, every electronic piece of equipment is vulnerable to this issue. It can happen when you are moving the unit way too much than normal.

Sometimes if you have kids in the house, they tend to push the button randomly which confuses the system. This can cause overheating and other minor damages to the system.

Let’s Fix It

Experts suggest you put the desk into resetting mode when it raises the temperature. You can say it is kind of a ‘resting” period after all that extra work.

Here’s how to reset the desk properly.

• Start by unplugging the cord from the outlet.
• Then check for any obstacle underneath the desk that might cause a collision. Please remember that when the unit is in reset mode, it can’t detect obstacles in the way. That sensor doesn’t activate while resetting. So, you have to do the scanning for your desk.
• Once, everything is out of the way, plug the cord. Then, push the “down” arrow until it reaches its lowest sitting height.
• Wait for a bit and push the down arrow again. You will see the desk slightly moving up and then going into a “reset” mode.

2. Power Issues

You have plugged the cord in, but the desk still isn’t moving. What’s the reason? Well, before complicating the situation, it is advisable to look out for loose cables. Yes, sometimes the cord doesn’t fit the socket properly. It can be way too big to go in or way too small. As a result, even if you put it inside carefully, electricity might not pass.

The opposite can happen too. You think you have pulled the cord slightly out. But it is still giving access to electricity. Both cases can mess with your electric sit-stand desk and interrupt a healthy operation.

Let’s Fix It

Check out whether all the cables are secured or not. If the wires need a solution or the socket needs modification, don’t hesitate to call your local electrician. Such a wire management problem can be a little hard to fix through DIY techniques.

3. Refusing To Move

Your sit-stand desk might refuse to go up or down. It is actually because of a built-in sensor that detects objects above or under the desk during the transition. It is known as a “collision detector.” Because of this feature, the desk identifies shelves or other obstacles that can lead to a collision or damage.

Apart from this, the user might have specified a maximum height in the settings. For example, the desk is capable to expand up to 48 inches. However, due to the home office settings, you have saved the highest standing height to be 40 inches. That’s why, even if you move the desk to somewhere else, it refuses to rise above that limit.

Let’s Fix It

Don’t worry. First of all, we will check for the items that might get caught under the collision detector’s radar. Even if you see no clear danger or obstacle, try to remove things around the desk.

As for the preset height, you can go into the settings and change it again.

4. Wobbling/ Uneven Legs

You must have heard how stable and durable electric standing desks can be. Then, why do you see uneven legs?

Wobbling/uneven legs is mostly an assembly issue. It happens when you try to assemble the unit by yourself without any help. Most of the time people don’t tighten the nuts and bolts enough. Or, they might fail to scale the desk legs properly. That can lead to uneven parts and a rocky feeling.

Another reason behind a flimsy desk can be the motor itself. Every motor comes with a designated life-cycle. It can be 5000 to 10000 depending on the quality. So, even if the standing desk seems perfectly fine from the outside, the motor can run out of enough cycles. It will affect the stability of the desk.

Let’s Fix It

First and foremost, carefully assemble the whole unit following the instruction manual. If you are not confident in your installation skills, hand it over to an expert. The process shouldn’t require more than 30-40 minutes.

As for the motor life-cycle, our suggestion is to check it before purchasing. If you wish to move the desk 3 to four times a day, get more than 5000 cycles. Otherwise, it will start causing issues within 3-4 years. That’s something you have to be mindful of.

5. Stuck In A Position

Is your standing desk stuck in one position for a long time? Well, it’s time to check the lifting capacity again. As you push the button the desk might recognize the base weight to be too heavy. In this situation, the desk is programmed to go into “sleeping” mode instantly. That might be the reason why your sit-stand desk has suddenly stopped showing any motion.

Let’s Fix It

Fixing is super easy. All you have to do is take off all the extra weight from the desk surface. The instruction manual should clearly indicate the weight capacity of the unit. electric standing desks can carry as much as 325 pounds easily. some high-end units even go up to 700 pounds.

As for the lower limit, you can put as little as 30 pounds on top of it without affecting the result. You see, any decent quality desk is built to support your desktops, laptops, and other useful items.

However, try not to stuff that area with unnecessary things. Because even though the overall weight stays inside the ideal lifting capacity, those extra pounds take away from its efficiency. Yes, you heard it right. You can have a quicker transition if the weight stays lower than the recommended threshold.

How Does An Electric Standing Desk Work?

The mechanism to operate an electric sit-stand desk is fairly simple. You have to tap a button that instantly lowers or raises the desk legs. Unlike the manual desks that work on the pneumatic principles, Electric standing desks depend on a small DC motor for the job. You see, when there is a need to regularly control the speed & torque of a system, a DC motor serves better. Because it’s highly controllable.

DC motors however come in two different forms. It can be either brushed or brushless. So which version is used in an electric sit-stand desk? Well, both. A standing desk can work on both motor types. A brushed one comes cheaper while a brushless one stays at the expensive end.

 And, that’s not it. A brushless motor justifies its cost with noise-free and more efficient operation. In case, you don’t want to hear the motorized sounds constantly, a brushless motor is the right thing to consider.

You can expect an increase/ decrease of 1.7 inches per second. Moreover, the latest versions are offering a unique feature called “digital memory.” This means the desk can accommodate a separate memory system that can remember all your commands. It can memorize your ideal sitting/standing height.

So, you only have to put the height measurement for the first time and save it in the system. Consequently, there is no extra step to adjust the desk height every time you use it. One single tap is enough. Talk about convenience!

Do Electric Standing Desks Need To Be Plugged In?

Yes, almost every electric standing desk needs to be plugged into the main power source. The package includes a cord that goes into the nearest outlet in the room. You can only activate the desk once it is plugged in. Otherwise, you can’t change any setting.

 For example, you want to move the desk or adjust the height. It should be connected to the outlet through a cord during the operation. If not, it won’t budge a bit even after you tap the button.

That, however, doesn’t mean you have to keep it pugged always. We understand some people are very energy conscious. Either to reduce the electronic impact on the environment or to cut costs in the long run. We have some good news for you. You can unplug the cord after the transition is successfully over. The desk doesn’t require electricity to hold a position.

All you have to ensure is that the motor is receiving electricity while making any kind of adjustment. It is true for pre-set height adjustment. The “digital memory” feature also works when the cord is plugged in.

But, let’s clear out another misconception. People assume that the desk keeps drawing a lot of electricity even though it is on standby mode. It might be true for other electronic gadgets like computers which can draw 30-65 watts while being shut off.

However, in the case of an electric sit-stand desk, that’s a myth. It draws around 0.6 watts to stay in one position. Compared to the computer, it is really nothing.

Apart from that, there are newer models that don’t need any cord. It works solely on a rechargeable battery. The purpose behind this invention is to allow better mobility around the home office. You don’t have to install the desk near the power outlet anymore.

Are Electric Standing Desks Worth Your Money?

Standing desk owners have different opinions regarding electric desks. Most of them don’t like is complexity. To be honest, it is not easy to fix. Because there are so many things going on inside the exterior. And, one minor component can affect the whole unit. It’s a hard job to even identify the faulty component and treat it.

That’s the reason it doesn’t last as long as its manual compartments. So, do we still prefer electric standing desks? And, why?

Easier To Operate

When it comes to ease of handling, nothing can beat an electronic standing desk. Instead of pulling a lever or crankshaft every time, all you need is a tap. And, then you wait for the transition. It comes in super handy for people who operate the desk multiple times a day. Each transition requires only a few seconds to complete. Plus, it is noise-free to keep the work environment intact within the office.

Object Detecting Sensors

You can’t imagine having a collision detecting sensor on any other kind of standing desk. Every time you operate a pneumatic desk, you have to be careful to not let it hit another object. Sometimes your judgment can go wrong. It can lead to severe damage to the desk’s components. Electronic desks however scan the overall area to detect any obstacle in its way.

If it finds any object in the room to be too close, the transition won’t start. You have to remove that thing it is assuming is dangerous for itself. That saves you a lot of trouble.

Digital Memory

The electric sit-stand desk comes with an in-built digital memory. It can memorize your prior settings and react according to that. For example, you can save a maximum height into the settings. And, the next time you command it to raise, it will automatically stop after reaching that pre-determined point. You won’t have to specify the height every day.

Consumes Less Electricity

Any electric home appliance tends to affect your electricity bill. However, the electric standing desks save you money by drawing as low as 0.6 watts while being in standby mode. It only needs close to 200 watts to make any transition.

 Since you only need to change the desk’s position a few times per day, the electricity requirement is very low. So, the tendency to blame sanding desks for consuming huge loads of electricity is wrong.

Apart from these factors, you should also consider the price point before making any purchasing decision. Check out our article to find out how much you need to spend on a standing desk.

Wrapping Up

Standing desks are the new trend for home offices. If you love to experiment with your office items, we think it’s time to invest in an electric standing desk. Even though it has a bad reputation to break down sooner than the manual ones, we are rooting for it. We love the 21st-century office vibe it gives along with the cool features.

As for the question of whether electric standing desk break or not, we have tried to clear out all your confusion around this topic. We went through the most common problems people face and provided one simple solution. Hopefully, that will be enough to help you decide whether to give it a try or not.

So, what’s your opinion?