The Best Successfully Crowdfunded Standing Desks (And What They All Have in Common)

The future will be crowdfunded. And if we have anything to say about it, that future will happen at standing desks.

So it makes perfect sense that the two go hand-in-hand. As these 5 successfully crowdfunded standing desks show, that’s a premise that backers can get behind.

Kudos to both the creators and the backers of these awesome desks – people putting their time and hard-earned money toward a valiant goal: making offices everywhere healthier. Because without them, these solutions would likely never exist.

And that would be a shame, because these 5 standing desks are fantastic!

Let’s dive in.

#1 StandStand

Backers: 1,836

StandStand nails portability for a standing desk, and backers showed that portability is huge. The ergonomics aren’t perfect, but they never will be for a laptop in a coffee shop. And that’s ok. Standing imperfectly certainly beats sitting all day, so we’re all behind StandStand. And so were 1,836 people making the elegant portable standing desk solution a reality.

#2 StandDesk

Backers: 1,697

StandDesk’s primary differentiator is price, and that makes it a stand out among these entries. In fact, it’s pretty rare to compete primarily on price for a crowdfunding campaign, but StandDesk showed it can be done with flying colors. Which doesn’t surprise us one bit. A more accessible automatic sit/stand desk has been  sorely needed for years. Thanks to StandDesk and it’s backers, you can enjoy an automatic standing desk without breaking the bank.

#3 UpStanding Desk

Backers: 879

We think “drop-on-top” solutions are great, and the elegant implementation here is stellar. They did it all with plywood! Five pieces, no fasteners – that is quality engineering. The UpStanding Desk is also highly customizable and competitively priced, so it’s easy to see why backers stepped up to make it a reality.

#4 Cardboard Standing Desk

Backers: 671

When we first saw Chairigami’s Cardboard Standing Desk, we thought, “now there’s someone thinking outside the box!” Fortunately, their desk is much better than my jokes, so backers were happy to support the project. As they say, it’s affordable, simple, and green. What’s not to love?

#5 PressFit Standing Desk

Backers: 376

Displaying the excellence in design and engineering characteristic of crowdfunded projects, the PressFit Standing Desk is a shining example of ingenuity and elegance. I mean, just look at that GIF of the desk being assembled. Ikea has nothing on these guys! This desk isn’t just pretty (and we mean really pretty), it’s clever as all get-out. Backers saw that, and made the PressFit dream a reality.

All Together Now – What These Desks Have in Common

Looking at this list of desks, we notice they all have two things in common.

First – They exist because of awesome, enthusiastic backers willing to take a chance, improving the world for everyone in the process.

We’re very grateful for crowdfunding, and you should be too. Without platforms like Kickstarter driving public acceptance of supporting companies in their infancy, these great desks probably wouldn’t exist. Without hordes of enthusiastic backers (>5,000 combined in the projects above) – these fantastic ideas would never have made it to the real world. If you’re one of those backers, pat yourself on the back (“backer back”?). You’re a hero to the creators, the other backers, and any future satisfied customers.

Second – They all need a great mat!

Sitting is deadly, and standing is better. But if you’re standing on something flat, you’re not getting all the benefits standing has to offer. You’re probably experiencing fatigue, soreness, even pain – especially if you stand most of the day.

Fortunately, there’s an awesome standing desk mat that is decidedly not flat, in a clever way that addresses those issues.

It’s called Topo, and it drives more movement and healthier standing, making it a perfect complement to any standing desk.

But it fits even better with the desks above – because Topo is crowdfunded too!

Just like these 5 great desks, it brings the ingenuity, engineering, and elegance (and a sweet video). And just like these desks, it’s being made a reality by enthusiastic, passionate backers helping to make the world a better place.

And we think that is pretty fantastic.

Go check out Topo

Read our review of Topo (we beta tested)

Did you back any of these awesome desks? Did you buy one later? Let us know in the comments!