vindje.com / Guides / Furniture
A used electric standing desk is good value if both motors run smoothly, it reaches the heights you need, and it doesn't wobble at standing height. Office clearouts and post-pandemic home offices put plenty of them on Marktplaats, often at less than half the new price. Run it up and down at least twice before you take it apart.
The frame is the expensive part of a standing desk, and the motors and control box are the parts that fail. A replacement control box or motor for a known brand is usually available, but for a cheap no-name frame you may never find one. That is why a well known frame with a tired top is often a better buy than a pretty desk on a frame you can't identify. Ask for the brand and model, and look for a sticker under the crossbar or on the control box.
Most desks go from about 65-70 cm to 115-125 cm. Check the range against your own height: standing, your elbows should be at about 90 degrees with the desktop at elbow height. Very tall people (1.90 m+) need a frame that goes up to about 125-130 cm, which usually means three-stage legs. Short people should check the lowest height, as many desks can't go below 70 cm.
Desktops are commonly 120x60, 140x70, 160x80 or 180x80 cm. Frames with telescopic width can take a bigger top, so you can buy a frame and a separate top.
Do these with the desk assembled and a bit of weight on it.
IKEA Bekant and Idåsen are very common. Idåsen uses a Linak system, known for reliability. Flexispot (E5, E7, E7 Pro) is popular in home offices and good value used. Fully Jarvis and Steelcase Ology or Migration come from offices and are solid. Office refurbishers sell checked desks with a short warranty, which is worth it if you are unsure about the electronics. Cable trays, monitor arms and anti-collision sensors are nice extras; check if they are included, since sellers often keep them.
Electric desks weigh 30-60 kg with the top, and the frame is long. Take the top off the frame (usually 8-12 screws) and keep the legs and crossbar together if possible. Label the cables. Don't carry the desk by the top while assembled, the legs are heavy and can bend the brackets. On vindje.com you can ask for a dual motor standing desk with a 160x80 top and memory buttons under 300 euro, and it skips hand crank models and frames without a top.
| Item | Typical asking price |
|---|---|
| Hand crank desk (slinger bureau) | EUR 50-130 |
| IKEA Bekant electric | EUR 120-280 |
| IKEA Idåsen | EUR 250-450 |
| Flexispot E5 or E7 with top | EUR 150-350 |
| Office refurbished dual motor desk | EUR 180-400 |
Rough Marktplaats asking prices in the Netherlands. Condition, age and season move them a lot.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
Electric dual motor standing desk with 160x80 top, memory buttons, up to 125 cm high, under 300 euro, within 20 kmSearch Marktplaats like this
Yes, if both motors run evenly, it reaches the height you need and it is stable at standing height. They often sell for less than half of new.
Dual motor is smoother and carries more weight. Single motor is cheaper and fine for a light setup.
The desktop should be at elbow height when you stand. For most adults that is 100-120 cm, tall people need up to 125-130 cm.
Usually the control box, a motor or the hand controller. For known brands like Linak-based IKEA desks and Flexispot, replacements are available, for no-name frames often not.
It is Dutch for sit-stand desk. Search zit-sta bureau or elektrisch bureau on Marktplaats.