The Autonomous website says the SmartDesk Core (opens in new tab) was “Purchased by 2,100+ Microsoft workers”. That is virtually 10% of the corporate, if my calculations are appropriate. And whether or not there’s a whole ground at Microsoft headquarters rocking these infants, or a big chunk of the hivemind determined to go for a similar desk for his or her residence places of work, I figured there’s bought to be one thing in it. So what can this desk provide that different standing desks cannot? And what’s so good about it?
I have been despatched the middling mannequin. At 53 x 29 inches, it sits between a diddy 52 x 24-inch model, and a ridiculous 70.5 x 30-inch XL model. As a medium form-factor, the pictures on the location actually do not do it justice. There’s a substantial amount of real-estate right here, greater than sufficient for a few gaming displays and my mid-tower PC.
There are just a few body color choices all for a similar worth, so you possibly can combine and match them with the totally different worktop types. The total desk together with customary black and white worktops retail at $599 for the medium, $499 for the smaller, and $949 for the big. The actual wooden look goes to set you again a little bit extra, with white oak and walnut pushing the medium mannequin as much as $649, whereas the bamboo and darkish bamboo variations add a full $150 {dollars} premium on prime of the bottom colors.
As a result of, uh, bamboo is in proper now?
SmartDesk Core specs
Top: 29.4–48-inch
Weight help: 265–270lbs
Desktop dimensions: 43 x 24-inch min | 70.5 x 30-inch max
Guarantee: 5 years body | 1 12 months prime
Worth: $599 (opens in new tab) | £539 (opens in new tab)
As for the UK, the choices are a bit extra restricted. Solely the medium desk is on the market for £539 in black and white, or £599 for the wooden look. No bamboo right here, sadly.
Based on Autonomous “Even a whole newbie can have the entire thing put collectively in about half-hour.” It took me extra like an hour on my own, and though the directions admittedly warn that the method is a two individual job at instances, I really feel my tardiness was partly all the way down to getting caught on the primary instruction step. It wasn’t worded all that nicely, asking me to easily get it within the “correct place”. The illustrations did not assist in any respect, so I needed to actually pause to consider which holes went the place.
Furthermore, aligning all the pieces was a little bit tougher than it ought to’ve been. Even as soon as I might deciphered the directions, among the holes had been a bit misaligned.
Regardless of among the screws having gone in at a slight angle it is now lastly collectively and stands mightily in my spare room, and I am unable to fault it for materials high quality. Not one of the screws stripped as I fought with them, the vinyl that covers the warp-proof MDF is thick and never simply picked off, and the body is sturdy even on thick carpet. Bashing into it with my chair does not ship it rocking and spill my espresso all over the place, which is at all times appreciated.
Coiling the cables up beneath, I used to be capable of neatly tuck them between the body and the motor unit, and the included cable ties made it tremendous straightforward to tidy all the pieces up. Whereas that and the 2 chrome wire holes on both aspect of the desk do win some factors for cable administration, it does not fairly measure as much as one thing just like the Secretlab Magnus Professional XL (opens in new tab)‘s magnetic cable administration answer. That mentioned, cable administration on a standing desk may cause issues when shifting positions—simply once you assume you have left sufficient slack, there go your fancy audio system.
Both means, the underside appears to be like comparatively neat from the get-go, the Walnut prime is polished to perfection, and the corners have a beautiful curve to them. The highest edge is not too sharp both, one thing the Arozzi Enviornment desk I am now utilizing sans mousepad does undergo from.
Picture 1 of 3
Total the SmartDesk Core is a brilliant glossy and trendy desk. It is actually fairly sufficient to offer the posh $1,450 BDI Stance on our greatest gaming desk (opens in new tab) information a run for its cash. And whereas it does not come prebuilt, the SmartDesk Core is available in at lower than half the value for a a lot bigger mannequin, even with the flamboyant walnut wooden prime. When it appears to be like this good with a saving like that, I am prepared to miss some holes within the featureset.
When it appears to be like this good with a saving like that, I am prepared to miss some holes within the featureset.
And but, the SmartDesk Core manages to match the Stance at each degree, solely with out the premium price ticket.
The principle factor I am stumbling over is the title. I’ve spent the week attempting to grasp what precisely is wise in regards to the desk. Aside from remembering 4 distinct heights, it does not actually match the fashionable understanding of the phrase. There isn’t any AI concerned, neither is there an automated collision sensing characteristic on the medium sized mannequin. The corporate’s different mannequin, the Join, does include Bluetooth capabilities which appears to justify the nomenclature a little bit extra, however in any other case do not get caught up an excessive amount of on the title.
The SmartDesk core is a implausible, trendy desk for the value, and though it was a little bit awkward to place collectively, and does not fairly match the financial savings on one thing just like the Flexispot EN1B—which does have a sensible anti-collision characteristic—it is nonetheless price a glance as a less expensive various to the BDI Stance within the luxurious standing desk market. Perhaps not a lot in case you’re a bamboo liker, or after the huge XL mannequin, however I might actually pay the $599 for the usual mannequin in its primary colors.
Heck, I might even pay that little additional Autonomous is asking for the walnut look.
