Flexispot E8 Height Adjustable Desk – Test: Get on your feet! You will be surprised what happens
Yes, like you now, I also looked when the request came in whether I would like to test a height-adjustable desk. But when you talk about gaming chairs, it is only logical to also talk about a table, the “chair” for mouse, keyboard and monitor, so to speak. And to be honest, I was curious.
In fact, I’ve always been a little wary of desk clerks. Probably as suspicious as this species of people would probably look at me if they knew that I have had minor lower back problems for ages and have not yet thought of doing anything about it. So I agreed without further ado and had the Flexispot E8 sent to me.
First of all: There is also a gaming table from this company that is not exactly expensive at 229 euros, but despite nice gimmicks it looks like a cup holder (as someone who has already distributed various showers and other soft drinks over his table hardware, not so silly, as it sounds) a little too awful to fit in an early 40’s study. So I chose the E8 which looked like a device I would buy too. From a technical point of view, you only buy the frame, which at 469 euros doesn’t look cheap. After all, you still need a board that costs between 80 and 230 euros depending on the size and material.
That’s in the E8
I opted for a white laminated tabletop measuring 160×80 cm, which brought the price of the table to just under 640 euros. However, the workmanship seemed worth the money. On one corner of the very heavy board I did discover a few glue residues on the edge band, which I was able to remove easily. The steel frame itself has no visible welds and looks pretty solid. The oval legs are a nice touch, and the left- or right-side control panel, while lightweight plastic, gives a confidence-inspiring feel. It’s a pity that the cable from the controls to the heart of the table isn’t easier to hide. You have to help yourself with cable ties and guide the wire along the support arm to the center column. That would have been more elegant, I guess.
Either way: That’s not exactly a small amount of money, but my office chair cost about the same and there’s less technology in it, I assume. This desk has two motors that raise and lower the worktop height between 60 cm and 125 cm. Four memory storage locations, child safety and anti-collision system and serve comfort and safety. The latter protective measure stops the table, which can bear loads of up to 125 kg, in the event of obstacles and moves it back slightly. However, this was switched off at the factory, which could be pointed out more clearly.
The intensity can be adjusted in three stages with just one movement and now the table does what it is supposed to do if something is in the way. However, I’m not sure if it reacts optimally to “soft” obstacles. He still fully compresses my Doom Kacodemon stress ball as it shuts down, only stopping when he realizes the closet underneath won’t give way. So I’d always rather make sure the road is clear than risk him yanking a socket out of the wall or squeezing the Sheba out of a smaller pet. At over 60 kilograms, the table is not exactly light, so be careful.
The construction was … I don’t want to say “easy as pie”, which is also due to the weight, but very logically and understandably illustrated. A second person is always desirable when setting up the frame or placing the separately supplied table top. A cable tunnel is attached to the width-adjustable center column, which is just deep enough to hide the strips that ensure that the touch control, which can be screwed on the left or right, can “talk” to the motors and to the same via cables with power to supply. If, like me, you have a whole bunch of other cables to stow away, you can buy additional cable tunnels from Flexispot or elsewhere. Other manufacturers don’t do it any differently.
In any case, the table top, which is not quite one inch thick, had no problems supporting my double monitor arm with a 27 and a 24 inch monitor and the table remains stable throughout. If you are very precise or live on a sloping floor (like me starting next week), he will be pleased that four feet can be adjusted in length by turning them. Nice that the spirit level is being used again. Then just plug in the socket and basically you can start.
Working without procrastination – standing up
When I tested the Razer Leviathan V2 Soundbar last week, I indicated that there are currently two devices that would transform my everyday work to some extent. Well, this table is the other of the two gadgets. In fact, working while standing has become an integral part of my daily routine. Above all, I like to start my day standing, because not only do I have the feeling that I struggle with my back less often or at least less intensively, I also work more concentrated when standing. I did not expect that. That must be a psychological effect, perhaps because the cosiness of a comfortable chair often makes one’s mind wander. When I’m standing, I’m razor-sharp on the text in front of me. Yes, I even have a better sense of time, because my feet remind me how long I’ve been sitting, sorry, standing.
In any case, it has almost become an automatism for me: whenever something has to be done particularly quickly, I press the button for working while standing and less than 20 seconds later my fingers are already flying over the keyboard. I really experienced an a-ha effect here and rarely worked as precisely as when the table’s LED display reads 115 cm. It’s a pity that my feet also have a say and at some point – usually after 1.5 to 2 hours – want to let my butt do the carrying work again. I would also say that this position is not really suitable for playing fast shooters. But I often enjoy quieter strategy games and RPGs while standing still.
Buy Flexispot E8 from the manufacturer. There is currently a sale going on there. The E8 will be 120 euros cheaper on May 25, 2022 if you enter the code BDE8 enters.
Another theoretical point of criticism is the cable management: If many devices are connected to the PC and there are perhaps speakers on the table, you have to think a little about how you want to go about it. However, this is not an exclusive problem of the Flexispot E8, but rather a reality that has to be dealt with when the table top covers a vertical distance of almost 50 cm two to four times a day and nothing should fall down or be pulled out. I haven’t found my optimal configuration yet, but I’m moving and can really start next week. i will find a solution
Flexispot E8 review – conclusion
The Flexispot E8 is an unexcited table that does exactly what it is supposed to do – ok, it should react even more sensitively to obstacles. But it’s an understated, blendable pro that’s a little more than the sum of its parts, because standing work actually enriches the way I get through my day. And not even for the reasons I would have previously suspected. I mean, I’ve experienced it myself and didn’t really think it possible to develop a great passion for a table that doesn’t exactly look like Vitra. But I’ve actually become a passionate standing worker because standing tears me out of a resting position that used to paralyze me. Anyone who’s been at their computer for more hours than they probably should owe it to their backs – and their heads, it seems – to take a look at a power-adjustable desk!
Reference-www.eurogamer.de