In Review: The Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk by Fully

Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk 48 x 30 – $559+*

*NOTE: Full retail price on these varies quite a bit by build. Fully offers a large selection of add-ons that quickly inflate the price.  The author selected a desk specific to his needs. Your mileage – and cost – may vary.

Legions of office workers have been in their homes for months, making due with second bedrooms, kitchen tables, couches and whatever other seating and countertop space available to them to build a makeshift office. As the nation faces the reality of an ever-extended work from home culture in the interim, and likely an increase in telework whenever pre-COVID normality returns, assembling a proper home office to make the most of your work day at home is essential to staying at your peak.

And that means having a good desk. A desk where you can do your best work. And a powered standing desk, one where you can go from sitting comfortably one moment to standing and conquering your to-do list at the touch of a button… (productivity really is fantastic when you’re standing)… those? Those are sensational.

But having one at home is an expense a lot of us just weren’t willing to take on. Until now.

Behold. I have seen the future of WFH. And it involves standing.

The Jarvis Standing Desk by Fully has been a home office favorite for years, and when news came in May that I would be working from home until October at the very least, the idea of four more months of sitting hunched over a kitchen table made me miserable. It was time to take the plunge.

A desk like this is by all accounts a large purchase. In the base form, the desk costs $529. Fully offers a bevy of add-on options, and some might be worth your time, but seeking a minimalist look that fit my basic needs, I opted for only one add-on: the $30 48 x 30 desktop. There are seven (!!!) desktop sizes to choose from, ranging from the base 30 x 24 to the monster 78 x 30. The size pictured here was my goldilocks porridge; big enough to spread out keyboard, mouse, laptop, monitor, notebook, and drinks for the day without feeling like I have a mega desk. The bamboo option is gorgeous; the incredible color adds brightness to any room. Heartily built, the desktop is smooth and durable, with rounded corners and tight construction. Excellent.

Top notch construction and a striking contrast between frame and desktop.

Surely, the question of utmost importance: how effective is it as a standing desk? I’m happy to report, it is exceptional. The simply up/down switch smoothly lifts and lowers the desk with a quiet buzz. There’s no noticeable shaking or instability at a standing height. After a month of use, it’s easy to see that this desk was built to last and keep the home professional comfortable all day long. The standard range is from 29″ to 48.5″, but for an extra $20, this range extends from 24.5″ to 50.” Your need for the extra range will depend upon your height. For this worker, at a stout 5’7″, the standard range is perfect.

All the way down. 

 

TAKE IT AWAY FAT JOE

 

 

 

 

Good range. Super stable, even when maxed out on height.
Many thanks to Fat Joe, Remy Ma, and French Montana for their contribution.
I’m sure they’re thrilled.

As mentioned, Fully provides an enormous number of options to customize your desk. A programmable handset to set specific heights gives you a “set and forget” option for lowering and raising your desk, but interrupts the sleek look of the desk and doesn’t seem worth the extra coin. The simple up/down switch raises and lowers the desk with ease. Simply lift “up” on the underside of the switch to raise the desk, or push down to power it down. Other items, like standing mats, drawers, hooks, and even a monitor arm are neat, but it’s up to you whether they’re worth tacking on to an already pricey item. If you go the route of an external monitor, and you should, it’s unlikely you will need a desk-mounted arm for it. Stick with a stationary stand to put on your shiny new desk and save the cash. Guessing you won’t be swinging your monitor out of the way to take in-person meetings at home? Probably?

Save money and opt for the simple, subtle, and sleep up/down switch.

One item you might want to spring for is some sort of cord management system. Fully offers a few different cable management trays, and the desk comes standard with a few zip ties that stick to the metal frame to keep things a bit more tidy. As you can see in the header photo, they aren’t a perfect solution. The provided zip ties are more effective with the skinnier wires, but for the thicker cables connected to the battery pack, they don’t work as well. It doesn’t bother this worker, but if it’s something to consider if you decide to make the leap and purchase this desk.

Things can get messy down below. These help, but they’re not a cure all

I could go on for days about the benefits of a standing desk, but simply put,  by standing more often during the day, you’re more likely to maintain proper posture for longer stretches of time, leading to improved blood flow and spinal alignment. It must be said, however, that a standing desk has limited benefit without the accompanying wireless keyboard, mouse, and large monitor. Using all of these complimentary pieces will achieve the posture and alignment for better overall health. In the photos above I’m using a 27″ Dell LED monitor to keep from craning my neck downward all day. The keyboard and mouse are both low-cost items that make a huge difference in daily use. All-in, this setup cost me $800+ tax. Steep, right? It took me some time to make these purchases, but after almost (only?) two months of use, they have already proven to be worth the price.

Maximize your ergonomics with a proper wireless keyboard, mouse, and large monitor to maintain proper posture

A desk might be a utilitarian item, but this handsome desk will certainly sharpen up your home office. And having the option to stand or sit at the touch of a button really is something. There are a LOT of benefits to standing desks… productivity, comfort, physical health, the works. And yes, there are more than a couple powered-standing desk brands out there. And while working from home is an adjustment that takes time, items like the Jarvis Standing Desk by Fully and following a few tips from one of our own will keep you on your feet.

Pun intended.

I might like standing, but when I do choose to sit? Lucy gets head scratches.
A win-win.