A standing desk for the rest of us
It doesn't matter where you believe humans came from or what your stance is on evolution, one thing we should all be able to agree on is that we were never meant to sit on our rumps all day long. Studies have shown it's not healthy, yet if you make your living behind the glowing screen of a PC monitor, you might find yourself sitting for long stretches day after day, week after week, year after year.
You don't have to. Standing desks are growing in popularity and there are all kinds out there. Our current favorite is NextDesk's Air, a power-adjustable standing desk that earned a rare 100/100 verdict and coveted Kick Ass! award when we reviewed it in December of last year. With all the options available, it truly is the ultimate desk, though it's also expensive starting at nearly $2,200 before tacking on additional options.
It's one of several standing desks NextDesk offers, most of which are pricey. That's one of the things that makes NextDesk's relatively new CrossOver so exciting—it's comparatively affordable with a starting price of $399.
The CrossOver isn't actually a standalone standing desk, but purportedly the world's first powered standing desk converter. You place it on a tabletop of your choice—your existing desk, kitchen counter, living room table, whatever—and at the press of a button, the hybrid workstation lifts and lowers.
A 24V motor powers the CrossOver, which lifts up to 21 inches above whatever surface you put it on. You have a choice between bamboo or rubberwood, along with half a dozen color options.
The CrossOver lets you mount your monitor to the lifting column, or you can place it on the platform itself (the platform supports up to three monitors, for an additional cost, of course). By itself it weighs 40 pounds, making it more portable than heavier versions, and can lift up to 100 pounds at 1.5 inches per second.
We haven't played with the CrossOver first-hand, but if you're interested in it, NextDesk is accepting pre-orders now. It's estimated to ship sometime between March 25 to April 9, 2015.
