Review: FlexiSpot Kana Bamboo Standing Desk

I’ve always wanted to try a standing desk, but with my large 98” and dual-computer setups, it wasn’t really an option for me. However, FlexiSpot reached out to me and wanted me to try out their standing desk, the Kana Bamboo desk, so I decided to give it a try and see if it would help my productivity (just fyi I’m standing and writing this article).

I initially saw this desk review completed by Badseed Tech, a YouTube channel that I follow for his great approach to reviewing computer peripherals. In his review he pointed out several flaws of the desk and ultimately could not recommend it, but that was back in April of 2019 and from my experience of building it and using it for the last several days, I can definitely say that FlexiSpot have addressed those concerns and fixed most of them.

The model that I received for my review sample is the 55” top with the curved profile, paired with the standard keypad on the Eco 2-Stage frame - as spec’ed it would run $389.99 MSRP.

Packaging - 9/10

One of the main concerns that the initial review by BadSeed Tech was that the desktop and several other components within the box had arrived damaged - pretty badly might I add. The desktop corners arrived extremely scuffed on one corner and even had a giant dent in the surface - even the casters arrived pretty damaged for his review unit. My unit arrived clean, with no visible damage and the packing materials used to pack the desk were top-quality. The surface of the desk was covered on both sides with a soft, yet strong sponge material, and the corners were padded with the same material but also had thicker padding to keep the corners from being damaged during shipping.

Building - 7/10

As for building the Kana desk, it took me about an hour, was relatively easy with clear instructions. There’s a few things that I didn’t care for though. First, there was a missing grommet that is supposed to guide a screw into the center part of the frame onto the desktop, which wasn’t really that big of a deal for me since I did not want to drill any holes into the desktop. That brings me to my other concern, which is that the holes for the screws to go into for the control mounting were simply not large enough and needed to be bore out. For a desktop that is only about 1” thick, I don’t think a lot of people would be comfortable with doing that.

Usability - 9/10

The Kana standing desk utilizes their Eco 2-Stage frame, which the height ranges from 28” to 47.6” in height, controlled by a simple keypad that houses 3 presets, and supports up to 150lbs. I set one low one for sitting, a second one for standing at my height, and the third for my wife’s height. I found that the control pad was a bit cheap feeling but didn’t hinder any of the button presses. The added grommets that the curved option provides a great place to route cables to keep the desk area tidy as well, and found that cables are easily hidden behind the frame. FlexiSpot even goes as far as to provide 4x cable routing pieces - not necessary but still a nice gesture, and I ended up using all 4 of mine. As far as height-adjusting desks go, it’s very simple but at the same time very usable.

Quality & Value - 8/10

When it comes to the overall quality, I think this is top-notch for the asking price of $389.99. The top is extremely solid with no bending, and the frame is heavy-duty with minimal wobbling at the highest setting. I did find a bit of wobble as I chose not to drill the holes for the center section of the frame, but that was my choice and I think there would be even less wobble when those screws are in place. As for the motor, it is very quiet and the noise is not unbearable or distracting at any given time.

Conclusion

While this is my first height adjustable standing desk (or just standing desk in general), I think I am sold when it comes to increased productivity when standing up and would recommend that everyone at least give it a try. In times when people have been working remotely for around a year now, it’s not a bad idea to invest in your health and posture. I plan on adding a standing stepper for a little exercise while working and see how that will work out until we get back to the office.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this desk for the price.

Available here at FlexiSpot