A Functional and Versatile Workspace

Vari, formerly known as VariDesk, started out in 2012 making its namesake VariDesk Converters, which were designed to sit on existing desks or tables, but have since branched out to full desks, seating, storage, partitions, and accessories for home and office. Now, Vari has turned their attention to creating an L-Shape Electric Standing Desk with their largest work surface yet, and, to my delight, I found it a transformative experience. Thanks to the outstanding build quality and thoughtful design elements, such as sloped edges that create comfort points for wrists, this is my new favorite standing desk and workspace.

Vari L-Shape Electric Standing Desk

The Vari L-Shape Electric Standing Desk is a large, premium surface for any corner workspace.

Pros

• Large work surface
• Fast and smooth motion
• Sloped edges for wrist comfort
• Surface resists fingerprints

Cons

• No grommet holes to run cables
• More challenging to assemble than regular standing desks

Price and Availability

The Vari L-Shape Electric Standing Desk is available direct from Vari for $1300, ships in three separate boxes, and comes in one of four finishes: Reclaimed Wood, Black, Light Wood, and Walnut. The Reclaimed Wood variation is also available from Amazon.

The first box, which measures 33.5 x 23.2 x 6.3 inches and weighs 86 lbs, contains the legs. The second box, which measures 52.4 x 32.7 x 4.3 inches and weighs 80.5 lbs, contains the long top and frame. The third and final box, which measures 37 x 37 x 5.3 inches and weighs 64.2 lbs, contains the short top and corner.

Assembly and Setup: Big and Involved

Because of the size and weight of the three boxes and the need to line up and move the various surfaces, setting up the Vari L-Shape Electric Standing Desk is a two-person job. Since this desk has an L-shape, the first step is to determine if the lower half of the L goes on the left or right as per your room requirements. In my case, I assembled the lower half on the right.

The only tool needed and not supplied is a Phillips screwdriver—otherwise, most screws are tightened with one of the three included Allen keys. It’s important to note that, unlike a typical single surface standing desk that more or less requires placing the legs on a base, the L-Shape of the Vari complicates the build process. Besides the fact that the materials of this desk are on the more premium side (meaning more weight to each piece), you need to secure two sets of support rails on each of the three desk sections, as well as three multi-part legs. Between all of that and placing the electronics, you’re looking at more than a dozen steps.

Overall, thanks to relatively detailed instructions, the build process went fairly smoothly, taking no more than a few hours, not counting breaks. Besides the quality of the materials, I also appreciated the grooved areas and bumps that helped guide certain pieces in place. It was a challenging build in comparison to other standing desks, but in the end, everything lined up correctly and the electronics worked on the first try, which is always a big win.

One thing to note is the size of the desk. It is large, nearly 80 inches wide and 60 inches long on the curved middle and lower half of the L. During assembly, I made a mistake measuring my home office space, requiring me to move some other furniture. Fortunately, it all worked out, but needless to say, this is not a desk for tight spaces.

Form and Functionality: Premium Materials and Design

For my desk finish, I chose Black to match other elements in my home office. This was a slightly textured laminate that does a good job of resisting fingerprints. Compared to my previous standing desk, with its glossy black surface that showed as many fingerprints as a typical smartphone or tablet display, I can say Vari made a great choice in materials here.

Similarly, my previous standing desk had slightly beveled edges that dug into my wrists. The L-Shape Electric Standing Desk has on the front portions what Vari calls a ComfortEdge, with a downward slope that creates comfortable resting points for wrists when typing or doing any other activity. At first, I was disappointed that I lost about 2.25 inches of front desktop to the slope, but once I actually used the desk, I decided I never wanted to go back to any other edge type.

The L-Shape Electric Standing Desk can handle a maximum weight of 200 lbs, or as Vari likes to joke, 2,667 pairs of scissors. While I have no plans to test its maximum weight capacity, I believe it as my work surface is not only fully loaded with heavy items, I can also lean on it without so much as a creak. I cannot state enough how solid the desk is.

With a large seated-to-standing desktop height ranging from about 25 to 50.5 inches, without extra-long cables, I had to situate my two large monitors and small desktop tower a particular way on top. As with any standing desk, cable management and necessary cable length are something you’ll want to plan for in advance.

Something that Vari eschews are, so cables can’t be run through the desktop itself. This is a double-edged sword in that it creates a consistent work surface, but it also means cables have to be run out the back or sides, again contributing to both placement and extra surrounding space considerations compared to other desks.

The included control panel, which can slide forward or backward depending on whether you want it outside the front desktop lip or behind it, has a simple LED display that indicates height, and you can switch between centimeters and inches. To the right of the LED display are four programmable buttons for preset positions and an M key for setting one of the four positions. Unlike other standing desks that use flat membrane buttons, the L-Shape Electric Standing desk’s control panel uses rubber buttons that are easy to press. For me, I only preset two positions, 42.1 inches for standing, and 29.1 inches for sitting.

Surprisingly, even with the extra size and additional section, the L-Shape Electric Standing Desk can go from its minimum to maximum height in about 20 seconds. This is not only faster than my previous desk, it’s also paired with super smooth motion. A drop-stop safety sensor detects when the desk hits anything when in motion and freezes to prevent damage.

Accessories: What’s Really Needed?

As any standing desk enthusiast will tell you, accessories can further enhance your workspace. Vari includes a single branded rubber coaster, a set of hook-and-loop cable ties, and two bag hooks. The latter are particularly useful as they slide securely on the desk ends and can support headphones or anything under the 15lb weight limit.

Vari sells a variety of accessories for their standing desks. Although I couldn’t try all of their accessories, I got a chance to try out their Undermount Storage, Standing Mat 34×22, Studio Lamp, and Task Chair. Some worked better for me than others.

The Undermount Storage is a metal drawer that comes pre-assembled and is quite sturdy. It has a nice PET felt lining and an attractive slate coating. While it’s a universal drawer for any desk, including the company’s other standing desks, several pre-set places exist to install it on the L-Shape Electric Standing Desk. Unfortunately, as nice as the drawer is, I ended up removing it from the end of the bottom of the L portion of my desk because it didn’t leave enough room for my legs when sitting and trying to make use of the secondary portion of the desktop.

The Standing Mat, on the other hand, is a must-have for a standing desk. While any good standing mat will do, helping to cushion your feet when standing for long periods of time, the materials in this particular mat are a stand-out, with just the right amount of give and support. The non-slip bottom kept it in place, and the beveled edges eliminated any chance of tripping.

I didn’t expect to give much mind to the Studio Lamp, but I again appreciated its build quality and stability. It’s easy to adjust to warm and cool lighting and its overall brightness. I personally prefer pure white light when at my desk, and this was able to bathe the entire bottom L of the desk in tons of light. It’s now a permanent fixture on my desk.

Finally, there’s the Task Chair. This is the same type of chair How-To Geek previously gave high marks to for comfort, just minus the headrest. I concur that it’s a surprisingly comfortable chair that was, fortunately, easy to assemble. Even the base with wheels was pre-assembled. It’s absolutely a chair I wouldn’t mind using daily.

Should You Buy the Vari L-Shape Electric Standing Desk?

It’s telling how much a new and better workspace can freshen your enthusiasm for getting things done. I personally wanted the Vari L-Shape Electric Standing Desk to try and consolidate from two different desks down to one. While the lower part of the L is smaller than a regular desk, it’s still plenty of space for me to do what I need on a secondary basis, and allows me to turn my body or chair to get to what I need. It’s definitely a boost in efficiency, and frankly, looks really good doing it. Even though it’s a more challenging build than other standing desks, the result, from build quality to speed of movement, makes the extra effort well worth it.

Vari L-Shape Electric Standing Desk

The Vari L-Shape Electric Standing Desk is a large, premium surface for any corner workspace.