MotionGrey Standing Desk Review
With working from home proving to enhance staff productivity and employee happiness, it's clear that this is the norm. Investing in a standing desk for home is definitely worth it. I owned three standing desks from different companies, with the latest addition being this one from MotionGrey. They offer three models: a single motor and dual motor version of a standard desk, as well as a dual motor L-shaped desk.
The version I am reviewing is their dual Bosch motor standing desk. It is designed in Canada, reaches a height of up to 49", includes free shipping across Canada, an 8-year warranty, and a 30-day risk-free trial.
This standing desk offers great quality at an affordable price. The dual motor version with a tabletop is priced at $499.99 CAD. However, if you choose to purchase the legs only, it is priced at $349.99 CAD.
Disclosure: I received the desk and 2 accessories for review but opinions are my own.
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ORDERING process:
The website ordering process is straightforward. You have 3 options for the table size, 2 frame colors, and 3 table top colors to choose from. Please note that the white marble and oak brown table top is a $40 upgrade from the black oak.
Scroll down a little you’ll find an add-on section for a desk cord organizer cable tray, table clamp mounted surge protector and an anti-fatigue mat.
Their cable tray and surge protector are available in black or white. I chose black for the surge protector to seamlessly integrate with the tabletop, and white for the cable tray to match the standing desk frame and legs. The great thing about this specific tray is that it mounts directly onto their frame, making it quick and easy to install. There's no need to drill extra holes into your tabletop! The tray is made of stainless steel and feels durable. It's definitely a nice addition if you want to organize your cables. The table clamp power bar is a great add-on for easy access to charging. It includes three power outlets, one USB-C, and one USB-A.
Compared to Fully, there are limited options for customizing the desk, but they also charge double the price. I think it's a fair trade-off for MotionGrey to keep the desks affordable for customers. I appreciate that MotionGrey's desks come with a memory controller as a standard feature. With Fully, the memory controller is an upgrade option. Speaking of the controller, I like that it has physical buttons, allowing me to navigate without having to look. Some memory controllers are touch-based like our smartphones. Although an all-digital touch display looks better, it can be more cumbersome to use
SHIPPING:
The packaging is very compact and easily fits in the trunk of a Mazda 3 hatchback, which is one of the smaller cars on the market. You won't have to worry about needing a big vehicle to pick up the medium-sized table top or smaller. The boxes are also not too heavy. I was able to carry everything myself.
While shipping is free nationwide in Canada, we actually missed our delivery person, so we had to pick up our package from the local post office. If you live in BC, local pick-up in Vancouver is available. You can contact them via email at websupport@motiongrey.com or call +1 (778) 231-5660 to schedule a pick-up.
PACKAGING:
Everything is well-protected with the cutout foam, so I wouldn't be concerned about shipping damages. Surprisingly, their box was much lighter to lift compared to Fully and Effydesk. With the other competing brands, I had to have my wife help me carry it into the home, but with MotionGrey, I was able to handle it all on my own.
ASSEMBLY Process:
The assembly can be mostly done by one person but having 2 will make it easier. I was happy to see the various screws comes in separate packages andclearly labeled. For Effydesk all the screws came in one package that isn’t labeled. The table top doesn’t come pre-drilled so you’ll need a power drill.
The instructions were easy to follow. You can easily complete all the steps yourself, but the final step of flipping the table over would be much easier with two people. When you have the legs and frame flush to the ground, the holes are unable to line up, so you'll want to tilt it sideways to make it easier to screw in the bolt.
The frame telescopes making it compatible with table top sizes from 47” to 65”. It comes with some cable management 3M ties which help keep the cables from dangling. They sell a cable organizer tray that works good to keep all the cables for the black box out of sight but the profile of the tray is low and challenging to access if you want to squeeze a power bar in there and do updates to what’s plugged in down the road.
accessories:
To deal with accessing the power bar easily I used Steelcase’s Universal Cable Management Kit (small) I like how the tray can open up and you have a clear view of everything. For me, I need quick access to the laptop charger is important so I can bring it with me when I’m on the go. This system comes with a bunch of red stretchy straps with pill shaped ends that anchor into the grooves of the tray. The material of the tray is made of recycled plastics and feels quite flimsy. Considering the price I was expecting a more durable material. It felt like something I could 3D print myself if they sold the digital file. As you can see below the Amazon Basic power bar just fits in the small tray. If you look closely at the base of the power bar you see two lines. Those are actually a raised spot because Steelcase wants you to buy their powerbar that has cut outs to lock it into place. Because of that normal power bars won’t sit flat in the small tray which does annoy me as it’s not truly “universal” if it not designed to fit a standard power bar. I also own the large tray for my other desk and would recommend that one over the small. It’s not as crammed in and since it’s longer there’s a section in the middle that’s wide enough to have a standard power bar sit flat.
The focus with my desk setups is to create a minimal ergo space with as little wires visible as possible. With the accessories under the table covered already, we can move to what’s on the desk. To continue the wireless look I used a bluetooth products like the Keychron K6 keyboard, Logitech MX Master mouse and Sony active noise cancelling headphones. Anker’s MagSafe Wireless Charging stand helps me see notifications and charge my phone and Nexstand K2 elevates the laptop to a position where I don’t have to bend my neck so far down.
With wireless products, they only last so long before they need to be recharged. The additional of this table clamp powerbar comes in handy to recharge when low on batteries. I went with black so it blends in with the table doesn’t stand out as much.
The desk comes with a grommet hole pre-drilled. It comes with cable pass through cover which I’m using for the laptop charging cable but you can check online for use grommet holes in other ways like a storage cup for pens/tumblers, power grommet if you don’t like the look of the clamp, or wireless charging station. The grommet cover is very loosely fit. If I pull on the cable to get more length out, it will cause the entire cover to pops off. To help fix this you add some masking tape or elastic bands.
I often take photos of products on my desk and like being able to move my desk around for optimal lighting but I don’t like the look of casters. I am using X-protector furniture sliders to allow me to move the desk around easily, while being low profile enough that you don’t notice it. Also in the future if I decide I don’t want these to be permanently there I can pull it out without removing everything on the desk and flipping it over to uninstall casters.
COMPARING STANDING DESK FRAMESWITH OTHER BRANDS:
Lift Capacity:
350 lbs - Fully Jarvis ($901)
310 lbs - Effydesk Business ($745)
300 lbs - Ergonofis The Ergo ($895)
265 lbs - Effydesk Home ($630)
230 lbs - MotionGrey Dual Motor ($350)
Lift Speed:
38.1 mm/s - MotionGrey Dual Motor ($350)
38.1 mm/s - Ergonofis The Ergo ($895)
38.1 mm/s - Fully Jarvis ($901)
35 mm/s - Effydesk Business ($745)
30 mm/s - Effydesk Home ($630)
Expandable Frame Width:
44.5"-78" - Ergonofis The Ergo ($895)
39“-73” - MotionGrey Dual Motor ($350)
40”-70“ - Effydesk Home($630)
40”-70“ - Effydesk Business ($745)
42.25"-70" -Fully Jarvis ($901)
Motor Noise:
40 dB - MotionGrey Dual Motor ($350)
42 dB - Effydesk Business ($745)
42 dB - Effydesk Home ($630)
45 dB - Ergonofis The Ergo ($895)
50 dB - Fully Jarvis ($901)
Height Range:
23.6“-50" - MotionGrey Dual Motor ($350)
23.1"-48.75" - Fully Jarvis ($901)
24"-50" - Effydesk Business ($745)
24.5"-50.2" - Ergonofis The Ergo ($895)
28”-46" - Effydesk Home ($630)
Warranty:
15 year - Fully Jarvis ($901)
10 year - Effydesk Business ($745)
10 year - Effydesk Home ($630)
10 year - Ergonofis The Ergo ($895)
8 year - MotionGrey Dual Motor ($350)
From looking at the numbers, it does great compared to other brands costing much more than it. It has class leading lift speed, height range and least motor noise. It will make transitioning between sit and stand quickly and quietly. The height range is excellent and usable for people of many sizes.Being able to support the smallest table top is a benefit for those living in a small condo with limited space.
overall impressions:
MotionGrey is currently the most affordable dual motor standing desk for Canadians. If you’re on a budget and have an existing table top at home you can score a standing desk setup for $349.99 MSRP or $315 CAD if you use my discount code below.
The desk comes with everything you need to get started, a programmable memory controller with 4 stored positions and wire management cable ties. The tabletop itself has a glossy finish and feels smooth to touch but the black oak makes finger prints very visible. Going for the lighter colour options may help reduce them from being seen if it bothers you.
It’s sturdy, fast and quiet when transitioning between sitting and standing. Extended at the standing height there is a little bit of wobble if you push on the side of the desk but my Effydesk and Fully also does that. One thing you’ll want to pay attention to is how much you’re planning on putting on the desk as the weight capacity is on the lower end. I like that it’s the fastest and quietest of the brands I’ve compared it with.
The 8 year warranty and Bosch motors give peace of mind that this is a quality product that will last.
If you’re interested in receiving a discount on their ergo products,
Go to https://motiongrey.com
At checkout use “ANDREWC” to get 10% off!
