

A simple wooden top is the ideal, but any flat surface should do. Before you go this route, make sure your existing desk has removable legs and isn't one big welded piece, so it can be screwed into the new sit-stand base. You put the frame together and then use (the usually provided) screws to fasten your old desk's surface to the frame. Whether you opt for a more affordable option or not though, the process of building one of these desks is much the same. Alternatively, the expensive options will have greater support for different heights, electric motors in the legs and a memory module so you can return to your preferred height at the touch of a button. The entry-level options tend to only rise so far, have thinner and less supportive frames overall, and are almost always manually operated-meaning to lift and lower the desk you'll have to flex some muscle on the built-in crank handle.

#STANDING DESK CONVERTER CORNER MANUAL#
There are manual sit-stand desk frames that start at around $180, like the Vivo Manual Stand Up Desk Frame (opens in new tab)($180), and much more costly electric options like the Seville Classics Airlift S3 frame (opens in new tab) ($400). Since you are technically buying a sit-stand desk but without the costly surface itself, you tend to save some money with this option. A pile of Moby Dicks and functional Transformers can't quite match up. If converting your existing desk into something that allows you to stand and sit isn't for you, how about repurposing it instead? If you already have a decent sized desk you can save yourself a lot of money by buying a sit-stand desk frame and attaching your existing desk surface to it.
#STANDING DESK CONVERTER CORNER FULL#
But considering how much cheaper they are than a full standing desk, risers are a fantastic solution. They also have weight limits, which may restrict you to a single monitor, and all but the most expensive options require manual operation, which means you will need to roll up your sleeves each time you make an adjustment. Your overall desk surface space is significantly reduced: risers can take up a lot of room and they tend to have much smaller surfaces than your full desk. There are still some letdowns with this kind of system.

But if cost is a major factor for you, then some of the entry-level riser platforms provide you everything you need to enjoy most of the benefits of a proper sit-stand desk. There are more elaborate versions that include specialized keyboard and mouse trays at different heights from your monitor, ones with built-in monitor mounts and larger desk surfaces, like the Conquer Ergonomic Workstation (opens in new tab) ($122). Treat it like an extremely real, functional version of Optimus Prime. The Vivo Sit Stand Converter (opens in new tab) ($100) is one of the most economical and with a little effort can transition from sitting to standing height in one smooth motion. There are a number of solutions out there in this bracket, some costing hundreds of dollars, but there are also a number of more affordable options. The sit-stand riser platform fixes that at a fraction of the cost of a full sit-stand desk.

The biggest let-down of the true DIY option above is that you can't easily switch from sitting to standing and back again.
