The Sway Standing Desk: a premium desk for wide spaces

The Sway Standing Desk is one of the best standing desks this reviewer has tried out. At a glance, standing desks may all look similar, but a lot of small details add up to make this a desk head and shoulders better than the competition. It really doesn't have anything bad going for it – other than the price you'll pay for the premium materials and minimal, stylish design. For that fact only it gets only a near perfect score.

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Getting a standing desk into your home office is a big call. They're heavy, bulky things, and they often cost a fair bit. Add to that you're actually buying into a lifestyle, and it's a big commitment. However, their health benefits are undeniable, and gone are the eye-sore hand cranks of yesterday – today's standing desks are beautifully designed with intuitive features. And after three years of reviewing all sorts of standing desks, the Sway Standing Desk is one of the best I've ever used.

That's the 10-second review, but to go deeper into why I think the Sway Standing Desk is in a class of its own, read on below. Of course, there's plenty of competition when it comes to the best standing desks available right now. Also, if you're going hard into the world of healthy working, you should also check out our guide to the best ergonomic chairs.

Ergonofis was founded in 2015, and the Sway Standing Desk was the first product it released, so they've had plenty of time to work on it. In fact, this version of the Sway is the second iteration released in August 2022, and speaking to the Canadian company, the main area of improvement was user experience.

I've not reviewed the first model, but the notes on what they've worked on certainly ring true. They've included quieter dual motors, an improved anti-collision system, and the ability to cater for four users, with pre-saved heights, reminders to stand, and various language options.

Catering to four users is nice, and the anti-collision system is important, but the most noticeable thing about the Sway is its touchscreen height adjuster. With a single line, directing up and down, the interface is really intuitive. I say that as someone who was happy to play with it without any reference to the manual for the first couple of weeks. I adjusted the height, but also managed to programme my set standing and sitting heights all by myself. And though I'd like to give myself a big pat on the back for that, I think it says more about the Sway's intuitive interface than me. This is great design.

There's something satisfying about tapping once and then flicking your finger up or down once, and letting the Sway do the rest. Also satisfying is the click sound the screen makes when you initially touch it. Just another lovely detail that makes using this desk enjoyable.

The desktop itself comes in Cherrywood, Walnut, Maple and White Oak, and it's a beautiful chunk of wood! I reviewed the Maple with white frame, and it fits in perfectly with my current restrained office style. The size of the desk comes in 24 x 48 inches, 30 x 60 inches, and 30 x 72 inches, and I found the middle size was a perfect, slightly wider-than-normal desk for the space. I also think that 30 inches is a great depth, and so have my doubts about 24 inches being enough, so you should definitely measure the space you're filling before going for that version.

Dimensions: 24 x 48 inches, 30 x 60 inches, and 30 x 72 inchesHeight range: 22 – 48 inchesLoad capacity: 360 lbsMaterial: Steel frame, sustainably sourced woodsFrame colours: White and blackDesktop colours: Cherrywood, walnut, White Oak, MapleScreen: Touch screen LCDMechanism: Dual motors

A word on the anti-collision mechanism. As any good reviewer should, I only discovered how good it is by accidentally getting close to a disaster. Messing with the height while taking photos of the underside of the desktop (don't ask), I neglected to move my new, very expensive Herman Miller Aeron chair from the desk's path. No bother. It barely touched the chair's backrest, and immediately righted itself to around two inches above the point of contact. It's reassuringly sensitive, and taking a moment from writing this review, I've just swished down and made the table stop and right itself simply by holding both hands statically under it.

Assembly of the Sway Standing Desk is what you'd expect from a desk at this price range. That is, super easy. All the hard work has already been done for you, and lining up the frame with the desktop and screwing it in place is idiot-proof.

One of the things that Ergonofis changed about this 2022 iteration of the Sway was to reduce the assembly time to around 30 minutes. I did it in 20 minutes by myself, but I definitely don't recommend putting the Sway together solo. When you're paying this amount of money (see below), you don't want to accidentally drop the desk and mark it up before you've even used it. I'm just incredibly strong and capable. Also impatient. I'm really impatient!

Both the Cherrywood and Maple woods are the most affordable finishes, with White Oak upping the price, and then the Walnut upping it some more. Here's a breakdown of the woods within the three different sizes:

24 x 48-inches – Cherrywood & Maple: $1,395; White Oak: $1,755; Walnut: $1,795

30 x 60-inches – Cherrywood & Maple: $1,695; White Oak: $1,995; Walnut: $2,095

30 x 72-inches – Cherrywood & Maple: $1,995; White Oak: $2,395; Walnut: $2,495

All the above iterations come in either white or black metal frames. On top of that, you can add grommets and wire organisers to fit under the desktop. Pricey, for sure, but there's a 10-year warranty, and you've also got a 30-day full refund option should it not be for you... now that's confidence from Ergonofis!

I really love this desk – words I never thought I'd commit to print. But when something is so lovingly made, and fulfils its purpose with subtle design flourishes that make you smile, it's worth saying. I enjoy starting my day of work with the Sway desk, and taking a few moments to simply study the large Maple wood in front of me (it's great for procrastinating!) I also think the touchscreen adjuster is clever and fun to use. There are already marks on the desktop – something that will always happen with real wood. And that's OK. I'm of the thinking that it gives it character. You may not be.

But really other than the extra care needed for real wood, and the asking price that's higher than the average standing desk, there's nothing I don't like about the Sway, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

out of 10

The Sway Standing Desk is one of the best standing desks this reviewer has tried out. At a glance, standing desks may all look similar, but a lot of small details add up to make this a desk head and shoulders better than the competition. It really doesn't have anything bad going for it – other than the price you'll pay for the premium materials and minimal, stylish design. For that fact only it gets only a near perfect score.

Beren has worked on creative tech magazines and websites at Future Publishing for 13 years. He started this journey as Staff Writer on the digital art magazine ImagineFX, and in 2012 found himself bridging the magazine/website divide as Commissioning Editor on the newly launched Creative Bloq. Since then he took the editor role on ImagineFX, was Launch Editor of the fine art magazine Paint & Draw, moved to Canon Pro Europe website as Deputy Editor, and then edited the graphic design magazine Computer Arts. In 2020 he moved back to Creative Bloq, the biggest global art and design website, and as Deals Editor has applied his expertise in creative tech to help digital creatives get the best deals on the kit that they need and love. Outside of work, Beren likes nothing better than to climb himself a bit of rock.