Most standing desks are a clunky, expensive affair. Up until now, I had written off the possibility of ever investing in a standing desk, despite their numerous health benefits. That was until Leandesk popped up on my Instagram feed, and I was inspired. These beautifully-designed bamboo desks are not only home office eye-candy, they’re also compact and much more eco-friendly than your average sit-to-stand desk. After a few weeks of use, here’s my review of the Leandesk Compact, covering first impressions through to how I’ve found working and studying from my new desk.
Why Leandesk?
Leandesk is a small maker of sit-stand desks that fuse heritage craftsmanship with modern ingenuity. Unlike traditional standing desks, their iconic design is both minimalist in appearance and operation, as it does not require electricity to operate.
Founded in 2023, Leandesk’s range is centred on one clever design that makes the most of physics, with the overall frame leaning between the wall and floor, and the desk itself held by ultra-strong Dyneema rope. Despite the clever design, they’re incredibly easy to assemble – it took me around 30 minutes to build mine. From there, you can customise the desk’s height, angle, and switch between sitting or standing in under a minute.
How Sustainable Is Leandesk?
As a brand, Leandesk approaches sustainability from the design stage. Their lightweight, minimalist desks are made from as few materials as possible, with bamboo being the main component. Bamboo grows at an extraordinary rate, making it a more sustainable choice than most wood, with a much lower CO2 impact, and it’s compostable at the end of its life. However, don’t let this fool you: the finish of the desk is quite impressive, with a super smooth finish.
Next, its fixtures are made from metal, cork, rubber, and revolutionary Dyneema rope, which is admittedly a synthetic material, but one that is essential to the security of the desk. Dyneema is the ‘world’s strongest fibre’, and means that you can place a great deal of weight on the desk without issue.
Finally, Leandesk provides clarity over its supply chain. Desks are made in Vietnam, with a manufacturing partner that uses solar panels and has a strong focus on providing a healthy working environment.
My Review of Leandesk Compact Standing Desk
As A ‘Sitting’ Desk
In my tiny home, I need a tiny desk. The Leandesk Compact was my choice (being just 66cm wide, a saving of 20cm from the traditional model). As a sitting desk, it’s fantastic, as it sits at a height that matches my office chair. (I actually find it’s now my desk chair that is the bulky piece of furniture!) The desk itself has to sit at least 40cm from the wall to be secure, and this creates a nice bit of legroom underneath. I also enjoy the feel of the desk as I work from my laptop; it has a smooth finish and stays steady no matter how aggressively I type.
You may be wondering how secure the desk is, due to its leaning style and ropes. I can assure you it is 100% secure, and surprisingly so. The arms and feet are wrapped in red rubber, which grip the wall and floor effortlessly. The rope, as before, is quite literally the world’s strongest. And what you can’t see here are the fittings that grip the rope inside the arms themselves. These hold the ropes securely, and can only be changed if you use both hands to feed the rope through.
As A Standing Desk
With all that security, you’d be surprised at how easy it is to change the Leandesk from sitting to standing. I can switch mine around in under a minute. It is very simple: first, you rotate the desk 180°. There are burnished icons to help show which side is which. Next, you slide the desk out of its current position, and place it at your desired height. Finally, you use the ropes to tighten or loosen the angle.
As a standing desk, the Leandesk takes up even less space. It’s sturdy and reliable, and again, feels very secure. The fact that the Leandesk is easy to switch from sitting to standing means that I will do it on a whim during my working hours. It gives me an opportunity to stretch, ground into my body, and enjoy the benefits of standing while working.
My Rating of the Leandesk: 9/10
To summarise: the Leandesk is a very clever, considerate entry into the standing desk world. In fact, it doesn’t need the ‘standing’ qualifier. The Leandesk is a very clever, considerate entry into the desk world. It offers users the ability to sit or stand at ease, and can be tailored to your height and angle preference on a whim. It has a tiny footprint, and a tiny environmental footprint too. It doesn’t require much to put together, and it doesn’t use electricity either. Finally, it is designed with both minimalism and sustainability in mind, with Cradle-to-Grave thinking applied to its manufacture and use.
Leandesk gets bonus points for its 5-year warrantee (I always interpret warranties as a promise of longevity). I also love the fact it can be hung from the wall when not in use. When space is a premium, this desk delivers.
The one downside to the Leandesk is its lack of storage. When switching to my Leandesk Compact, I suddenly realised how much stuff I had stored in my previous desk. I also see the desk as an impermanent surface, i.e. you can’t keep items on it if you want to change from sitting to standing often. However, if you’re a minimalist at heart, or simply a laptop user, it’s perfect.
What are your thoughts on the Leandesk? Let me know if you have questions!
