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

what best successfully crowdfunded standing desks have in common topo mat calculated terrain kickstarter indiegogoThe 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

what best successfully crowdfunded standing desks have in common topo mat calculated terrain standstand

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

what best successfully crowdfunded standing desks have in common topo mat calculated terrain standdesk

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

what best successfully crowdfunded standing desks have in common topo mat calculated terrain upstanding

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

what best successfully crowdfunded standing desks have in common topo mat calculated terrain cardboard chairigami

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.

what best successfully crowdfunded standing desks have in common topo mat calculated terrain

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!

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27 Comments

  1. David said:

    I just got my StandDesk recently and I love it so far. I’ll have to think about the StandStand because I do work at starbucks a lot on fridays.

    I was standing for a while at my own DIY desk before that and I totally got locked out a lot. That mat looks awesome. Did you really move a lot more on it?

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
    • QS Admin said:

      OH YEA WE DID. Seriously though, it was fantastic. I miss my proto :'(

      On our review post, you can see a data visualization video comparing Topo to flat.

      January 12, 2015
      Reply
  2. Jessica said:

    I want that mat! Do you know if it’s ok for people with latex allergies? I like to work barefoot a lot and don’t want itchy feet 🙂

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
    • QS Admin said:

      Kit from Ergodriven should be dropping by sometime this morning. I’m sure he can answer that.

      January 12, 2015
      Reply
    • Kit Perkins said:

      Hey Jessica,

      Topo is 100% polyurethane. Some googling shows that is typically fine with a latex allergy, but since I don’t know your condition personally, I can’t guarantee you won’t have a problem. Let us know if there’s a better material for latex allergies and maybe we can do a limited run.

      January 12, 2015
      Reply
      • Jessica said:

        I’m totally fine with pu. Ordering now! Thanks Kit! 🙂

        January 12, 2015
        Reply
  3. Julianne said:

    How did I never see the StandStand before? You’re right, laptop ergonomics will always suck, but standing has to be better at least and there are only 3 bar seats at the cafe by my house.

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
  4. Ashley said:

    So exciting to see all of these together. Makes me so proud of my generation. The future WILL be crowdfunded.

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
  5. Robert said:

    *Pats back*

    I like being a hero and all that, but there’s something in it for us too. It’s really cool to get to see the behind-the0scenes stuff that goes into getting a product to backers.

    Sometimes I just pledge a dollar to ks campaigns to watch haha.

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
  6. Forest said:

    Wow the chairigami guys have a ton of other cardboard furniture!

    Ordering the mat for sure, now they just need a cardboard one to match my new decor. 🙂

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
  7. Timothy said:

    That mat video inspired me to go do some weird stuff on my lunch break!

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
    • QS Admin said:

      Hahaha at least legal I hope! Shoot a video and send it to @QuittingSitting on twitter!

      January 12, 2015
      Reply
  8. Johnathon said:

    I saw Katy Bowman posted about Topo too. Somebody on her fb page had the idea to fill the flat part with gravel. I’m definitely trying that when mine comes in.

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
    • QS Admin said:

      That’s a great idea! Movement + extra neural development FTW!

      January 12, 2015
      Reply
  9. Dustin said:

    +1 for UpStanding Desk. I backed that ish the second I saw it. I was gonna make something just like that at techshop but they did it prettier than I could have.

    That mat website is crazy. When is QS gonna get full screen alternating backgrounds? 😉

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
    • Dustin said:

      I actually really like the QS layout but that page is cool. I’m working on something that could use that. Looks like some of it happens server-side but it loads really fast. Gonna find out how they did that!

      January 12, 2015
      Reply
      • QS Admin said:

        Shoot an email to infoATergodriven I’m sure they’ll help you out!

        January 12, 2015
        Reply
  10. Matt said:

    Where can I get in on the hat that StandStand guy is wearing? It’s like he’s a fed, but in a good way! Back to standing in my cube…

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
    • QS Admin said:

      HAHA Matt you know you need to be styling’ at the coffee shop!

      Besides, fedoras are the most ergonomic hats. Scientific fact.

      January 12, 2015
      Reply
    • said:

      Thanks, Matt! I bought the hat at Ole Curiosidades in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It’s on its last legs though, so I hope to make it back there someday for a replacement!

      January 12, 2015
      Reply
      • Matt said:

        Thanks Luke! I didn’t expect to actually reach the guy in the photo. Wow! I’ve never been to Puerto Rico. But when I go, I’ll bring one back for you 🙂 I take it you’re with StandStand? Congrats on the campaign. Beautiful design. If I start doing more cafe work I’ll pick one up.

        January 12, 2015
        Reply
        • said:

          Thanks, Matt! (And thanks, QS, for including us in the post!) Designing StandStand was a really fun process: you can see how far it came along by checking out the early prototypes on our Kickstarter page. Right now I’m trying to think of a way to incorporate a mouse platform, something that some users are recommending.

          January 12, 2015
          Reply
  11. Dallin said:

    I just got my StandDesk all set up a few days ago. I love it so far.

    They even shared my tweet on their fb page – cool to see, and just another benefit of backing campaigns like that for us “heroes”.

    January 12, 2015
    Reply
  12. Dale Almond said:

    What happened to PressFit? I want to order one of their desks, and they seem to have disappeared. Is this true?

    February 28, 2016
    Reply

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