Flexispot is at it again with the Flexispot Q8, a big bold, and beautiful standing desk with integrated charging and a beautiful bamboo tabletop that will make any office space feel sophisticated and chic.
With its four customizable preset heights, integrated wireless phone charging and handy drawer, it’s a fantastic choice for a desk with a little more than variable height. But with the company's other models topping our round-up of the best standing desks, how does the Flexispot Q8 Comhar Pro compare?
Flexispot Q8 standing desk: Specs
While Flexispot’s Q8 standing desk might not be built from deluxe materials, its bamboo tabletop and flared three-stage dual-motor steel legs make for a durable desk that can handle up to a 100kg load. It’s fairly robust with marginal wobbling, offering a height range of 60cm-124cm and a wonderful 140 x 70cm (W x D) surface.
It retails for $700 / £600 - but at the time of review, the desk is is discounted to $500 / £360 on both the Flexispot US and Flexispot UK websites.
It's a semi-frequent discount that puts the desk at an excellent value proposition compared to its typical slightly expensive price. There are several accessories available on Flexispot, however it’s worth noting none of these are fitted add-ons.
The legs move at a rate of 38 mm/sec, and are wonderfully quiet in motion; Flexispot advertises the Q8 as making a maximum of 50dB in use, but on test it rarely surpassed 45dB. It also offers anti-collision technology and four personalizable presets, as well as contactless phone charging and both a USB-C and USB-A port.
Flexispot Q8 standing desk: Shipping and unboxing
The Flexispot Q8 arrives in two boxes; one for the legs and one for the tabletop and accessories, which arrived on different days. Delivery takes 2-6 working days as standard.
Barring an inexplicable light wood block included with the tabletop, both boxes were well packaged, encased in plastic bagging and using foam inserts to keep all the components safe and secure.
Both boxes are, however, very heavy, with the tabletop weighing 28.5kg and requiring two people to move.
Flexispot Q8 standing desk: Assembly
While the Flexispot Q8 is simple enough to install, you’ll certainly need two people handy to upturn this hefty workspace. It took two of us just over an hour to assemble, though it’s worth highlighting that the time frame was added to by an unfortunate instance with a screw which I’ll detail shortly.
As well as the tabletop and legs, the desk comes with a screwdriver, Allen key and the appropriate fittings. The instruction manual is, broadly speaking, clear, although Flexispot appears to have redesigned the original brackets for holding up the under-desk cable tray which led to some mild confusion. The cable tray we received had one large bracket rather than two hooks, which the base of the tray slotted into; not the most secure or strong fixture, but a functional one nonetheless.
After unboxing the legs, you simply need to affix them to the underside of the desk and then attach the feet. This is where I had my only real issue with the desk; the screws and fittings are a little cheaply made, meaning it was very easy to miss the groove and install the screws at an angle. Luckily, this only happened with one screw, and with some careful realignment we were able to salvage it; but given it’s a large desk carrying heavy weights, this was a little annoying.
It was also a tad unclear how you were supposed to slot in the cable tidy across the main beam of the desk where the leg motors are wired to the power supply, but otherwise, the instructions were easy to follow. Once everything was in place on the tabletop’s underside, simply turn the desk - which, as I say, is a two-person job for most people - and plug it in.
Flexispot Q8 standing desk: First impressions
Simple and chic, the Flexispot Q8 earned nothing but praise as soon as it was in situ. Especially in the darker colorway I opted for, it’s very suave and sophisticated in looks, and I really appreciate all of the finishing touches with cable management that help the desk feel well organized and tidy.
I was impressed on my initial testing how the motors are so quiet and soft-sounding, unlike the loud and more invasive whirring standing desks I’ve used previously. The digital display is bright and clear, and the buttons easy to operate. Both the USB-A and USB-C ports work well, and the integrated wireless phone charging also works perfectly.
I was a little disappointed to see that there were no portholes given the desk’s size, which did make the wiring a little messy. Especially given the cable management tray isn’t particularly large nor robust, this feels like a missed opportunity.
Flexispot Q8 standing desk: Design
As I’ve highlighted numerous times, I love the aesthetic appeal of the Flexispot Q8. Its bamboo surface is finished wonderfully, with curved edges to help prevent nicks and scuffing, and the steel legs are slick and robust. Despite suffering an unfortunate drop during construction and denting ever so slightly, the steel legs didn’t chip or discolor, which is great for clumsier users like myself.
It’s a shame there are only two colorways; my darker option and the lighter bamboo with white steel legs. Both are fairly neutral and will fit in most environments, but it’s always nice to see broader options. The bamboo tabletop feels solid, supported by a steel frame that features the integrated drawer, which is plenty spacious (66.6 x 31 x 5cm (L x W x D)) albeit very simplistic.
The cable management shelf included with the desk isn’t the most robust; you slot the base in to a bracket screwed into the desk, and neither the bracket nor the base feel particularly strong, so I’d recommend against shelving a fully loaded extension lead there.
On the right-hand side of the desk you’ll find the integrated wireless phone charger, denoted by a signal symbol, and just below this on the front of the desk is the digital display, height controls, four preset buttons and USB-C and USB-A charging ports.
Flexispot Q8 standing desk: Performance and app
Overall, the Flexispot Q8 performed wonderfully on test, with a few small quirks worth highlighting. Its height adjusts smoothly, swiftly and without making a racket, registering at just 45dB in an ambient environment. Pressing and holding one of the four preset buttons will save the current height as a preset, and with four to choose from it’s great for hot-desking or multi-user home offices. It does drift slightly (by about 1cm) after you take your finger off the button to change the height manually, presumably to reduce any abrupt movements that might disturb the contents of your tabletop, which takes a little getting used to.
While it feels very robust, it’s worth noting that it wobbles ever so slightly on my carpeted floors, but not so much so to cause anxiety in operation. In particular, it wobbles if you sharply close or open the drawer, so I’d advise careful consideration when storing heavier items in here.
Other than one occasion where I somehow triggered an error message while changing heights (in which instance, the instructions advise you leave the desk for a very specific 18 minutes. I powered the desk off and on again as it was still non-responsive, and had no further issues) the desk broadly operated as expected. I placed two heavy speakers, a synthesizer, a laptop and the usual peripherals on my desk and it didn’t seem to be under any added strain.
Its anti-collision feature works well, pausing any motion when an obstacle is detected above or below the desk, and the phone charger and all ports continued to work as expected throughout my testing.
Flexispot Q8 standing desk: Accessories
While Flexispot doesn’t offer any accessories that can be integrated into the desk, there are a number of add-ons available on Flexispot, from office chairs to monitor arms and other peripherals.
For more office furniture accessories, we reviewed the best standing desk mats.
Flexispot Q8 standing desk: Final verdict
The Flexispot Q8 is a great all-rounder that’s got a lot to offer and not much to complain about; barring the slightly cheaper build materials (which, in fairness, allow for that often affordable sale price) it’s a very accomplished standing desk.
I love that it offers so many added benefits and features, and the overall premium look and feel of the desk belies its lower price point. However, its long-term durability might come into question given these build materials, so it would be prudent to take good care of the Q8 to make it last.
The Q8 is a fantastic desk with some genuinely useful features, and while its build quality does leave something to be desired, overall it’s a great device with a beautiful design and solid performance.
For more workspace extras, we reviewed the best office chairs.
