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I never thought I’d ever want a sit-stand desk but with so much more time working from home and wanting the ultimate set up in productivity, versatility, and sparking joy, I recently made the switch and I’m not looking back.
This is a ergonofis Shift 2.0 review. Find out what my experience has been with the table so far and why you need to consider this Canadian-company standing desk.
Why a standing desk?
This is what my home office set up looked like before.Well, with the work-from-home life amped up to the max, instead of being on the road travelling, I’ve had a lot more time to check out, research, and obsess over my office set up.
In fact, that’s what initially started the Level Up Your Home Office series on YouTube and in line with that, I’ve been continuously on the lookout for ways to make working from home better.
So what’s all this hype around standing desks all of a sudden? I first started seeing it in tech companies, others started adopting it, and now it’s made its way home.
There are lots of claims about standing desks:
If you read some of the research, its unclear if standing desks alone can do this but what really drew me to sit-stand desks were their versatility. I can stand when I want to and can sit when I want to. It opens up a whole other dimension to working.
Even if a fraction of those claims about standing desks are true, I’ll take that over not being able to do anything about it.
Save 5% on All Ergonofis Products
They’re having a huge sale on their sit-stand desks from March 14 – April 6, 2022 where you can save up to $200 CAD off on their Sway and Alive desks.
Use the code 5AWESOME if you’re planning on levelling up your home office.
Get $50 – If you’re buying a table and you can save more money by getting a fixed $50 discount, make sure to go through this ergonofis discount.
CHECK OUT ERGONOFIS
ergonofis Shift 2.0 review
I’ll be the first to admit, there aren’t exactly that many reviews of the ergonofis Shift 2.0 standing desk.
The below are my personal experiences from setting up and using the desk as a content creator. I’ve included important details, anecdotes, and things to consider when making your purchase.
Who is ergonofis
Inspired by helping people live healthier lives, co-founders Sam and Kimberley started ergonofis. Their mission is to build exceptional office products and bring great work experiences to more people.
Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, in Canada, what makes them unique is that many of their products are Canadian made, using local materials.
Their core products are the sit-stand desks. It starts with The Shift but if you’re looking for a desk that uses various species of local wood, check out The Sway and The Alive.
Save at Ergonofis
Save 5% on all desks and accessories at ergonofis by using code 5AWESOME.
Get $50 – If you’re buying a table and you can save more money by getting a fixed $50 discount, make sure to go through this ergonofis discount.
SAVE ON ERGONOFISShift 2.0 Specs
Okay let’s get into the details. What’s the ergonofis Shift all about?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Shift Table Top:
Sit-Stand Frame:
Warranty:
CHECK IT OUT
Ordering Process
ergonofis uses Shopify for their e-commerce platform so the ordering workflow should look familiar.
When ordering your Shift 2.0, one thing you’ll need to decide is how many grommets you need and where you want them. One grommet is $24 CAD and two grommets is $34 CAD.
I opted to not have a grommet because I wanted a clean look. What I did add, however was a power bar outlet.
Using the code 5AWESOME, this is what the the final order screen looks like.
Due to massive demand and logistics issues during COVID-19, things took a bit longer to get to me but their customer service was on point. At one point, even co-founder Kimberley reached out to explain the situation and that put my mind at ease.
Delivery
The delivery process will vary from person to person but if you’re in Canada, the good news is that shipping is free.
Since I live near Toronto, I was contacted by a third-party delivery company. They called me ahead of time to schedule a delivery date and time and they came right on schedule.
In terms of the delivery, they won’t bring it up all the way to your room but they will bring it up to the main floor of the house.
For those in the US, shipping is an added cost. ergonofis will use use a local white glove delivery partner in your area where they’ll similarly schedule the last mile delivery. If you live far from a big city, FedEx is most likely used.
Packaging
The ergonofis Shift 2.0 comes in two different boxes, one for the frame and the other for the table top. They’ll be labelled with your name on them.
If you purchased any additional accessories, those’ll come in their own individual boxes.
Everything is extremely well packed and protected so you shouldn’t need to worry about damage during shipping.
Assembly
Assembling the ergonofis Shift Desk 2.0 is pretty simple to do and can take 20 to 30 minutes to do.
Due to the weight and size of the frame, it is recommended that you have two people for the assembly. Two people are required to lift the frame box into the right room and two people are also needed to maneuver the frame and eventually the whole thing together.
TIP: If you’re assembling the standing desk on hardwood, I’d recommend re-purposing the cardboard from the boxes or bringing in carpet to allow you to move things around without worrying about scratching your floor.
The good news is that the instruction manual that’s included is pretty easy to follow. Also, the Shift table top has pre-drilled holes so once you line everything up, all you have to do screw in the fasteners.
Your own tools needed:
Once you’ve flipped the table around with legs down, don’t forget to use the levelling studs underneath the feet to make sure the table top is level if you have uneven flooring. Also use felt pads to make it easier to move the table on hardwood.
TIP: Make sure to keep the boxes for the table in case you aren’t happy with them within the first 30 days.
Remember that additional ergonofis power bar outlet that we picked up?
It took some thinking to figure out where to install this but ultimately what made the most sense for my home office was to install it on the back left corner of the desk.
Hidden from sight, the idea is that this gives me quick access to surge-protected outlets and USB outlets to charge things on the fly without relying on whether my monitor was on or not (it has USB-outlets on the side).
Installed like this, this means I don’t need to fuss with the power bar underneath the table for temporary charging and that bright blue light doesn’t disturb me.
Cable management
If there’s one thing that’ll really annoy you off the bat, it’s the cable management.
With a traditional table, you can often hide all the cables behind the back but with a sit-stand table you realize that everything is exposed and even more so when it’s in standing mode.
This is why cable management is important. ergonofis will include in your kit 5 stick-on cable clips but they didn’t stick well. They’re the generic Amazon variety that don’t use 3M tape so don’t have high hopes. I had to buy a bunch of other things to clean up the cable mess.
Good news coming!
NEW – ergonofis released a better Cable Management Solution which I installed in the latest update to the home office so while I used the below for my initial set up, I’m really happy with the new system.
Here’s a list of my first take on building my own cable management with the ergonofis Shift 2.0 standing desk:
One of the keys to making this as easy as possible is to minimize the amount of wires and cables running from outside of the desk. Also, if possible, you should try to run any external cables from one side only.
I’ll be honest, this will take some time and patience to get right depending on how many devices you have.
TIP: Leverage the metal stand below the table top as places you can hide cables. There’s a small gap between the metal and table top as well which is perfect to feed twist ties or jute wires through.
Overall desk performance
Once I got everything all set up and cleaned up, I’ve been extremely happy with the ergonofis Shift 2.0 standing desk.
At the end of the day it just works. I usually start off my mornings sitting down and in the afternoon I shift to standing mode. It’s this kind of versatility that has really opened my eyes from a productivity stand point.
Have I lost weight? No, but I’ve had less of that chair fatigue that you feel at the end of the day when you’ve been sitting too long.
I will say though that standing is taxing on the feet, knees, and back. That’s why I ended up picking up an anti-fatigue comfort mat. It’s made a huge difference. When I’m not using it, I simply push it to the wall.
Feature-wise, everything that the table’s supposed to do it does.
The memory positions work with a single tap. I’ve played around with the min and max settings too and they work well. Overall, the control pad is really slick – lights up with a tap and is sensitive to touch. It doesn’t provide tactile feedback but that means no clunky buttons and a super clean look.
The table moves quietly and at speed. I’m not sure if I’d want it to move any faster though so 1.5″/s is perfect. The speed gives me enough time to move my chair and set up my standing mat.
Lastly, I also tested collision protection and when I had the table a bit too close to the shelves, it rebounded back without any issues. The table looks for evenly distributed force against the table top and when it detects something, it’ll reverse by a few inches.
Aesthetically, it looks awesome and really compliments my space.
It has a clean and contemporary look to it which matches the straight lines and edges that my home office has.
The Shift table top in Deep Black has impressed me the most out of everything. It’s a dark black but in certain light it also comes off more of an extremely dark grey.
As promised, it doesn’t scratch easily, water marks are easy to wipe off, and I’ve gotten rid of my coasters because I don’t need them anymore.
If you do manage to scratch it, I found out that its really easy to fix with a Magic Eraser which I found quite remarkable!
Another added bonus is the cool touch the counter top has. I often have an issue of my arms sweating when they sit on the desk. The special laminate they use has this combination of a matte and soft-touch that prevents that stickiness that leads to sweating.
One trade off of the Deep Black is that it does show dust quite easily.
What I really liked
This is more of my personal opinion but there are a bunch of things that I’ve really been enjoying – some expected and some unexpected.
What could be improved
I don’t have any major gripes with the ergonofis Shift 2.0 desk but if I were to nitpick on a few things, here are a couple of things you should be aware of.
Save at ergonofis
Save 5% on all desks and accessories at ergonofis by using code 5AWESOME.
Sway and Alive Clearout – They’re having a huge sale on their sit-stand desks from March 14 – April 6, 2022 where you can save up to $200 CAD off on their Sway and Alive desks.
Get $50 – If you’re buying a table and you can save more money by getting a fixed $50 discount, make sure to go through this ergonofis discount.
SAVE BIG WITH ERGONOFISWhy ergonofis vs. the competitors?
I know what you’re thinking. Why should you buy an ergonofis sit-stand desk compared to the plethora of companies out there that sell similar products?
Here’s why:
If you are looking for an alternative, make sure to check out Effydesk. I recently did a review of the Effydesk TerraDesk for my wife and I have tons of thoughts about the table top, their frame, and more.
FAQ
Can I add casters onto the table?Yes, casters are compatible with the frame and they are sold by ergonofis.
Is customs and duty a concern if ordering to US?No, extra border taxes or fees will never be on the customer. If it does happen, ergonofis will pay them.
Does ergonofis ship to Europe?No, currently they only ship to Canada and the United States.
Is there an ergonofis showroom?Yes, there is a showroom at their head office at 51 Rue de Louvain O, Montréal, QC, H2N 1A4. Currently, this is by appointment only.
Do any retailers carry ergonofis?No, you can only purchase these products directly from ergonofis.
How does the 30 day risk-free trial work?If within the 30 days from the ship date, you aren’t satisfied, you can return it to get 100% of your money back. This only applies to the sit-stand desks and shipping is only covered within Canada. If you’re from the US, you will be subject to a return fee.
How do you clean the ergonofis Shift?Simply wipe using a damp cloth without cleaning products. You’ll find that the tables are quite low-maintenance.
Is there an installation option?For a fee, installation through a third party partner is available but in Canada only.
Are custom table top sizes available?Yes, if there’s a specific size that you’re looking for, you can ask ergonofis for a custom quote.
Is the ergonofis Shift easy to disassemble?Yes, only 16 screws are required to assemble the desk so to disassemble, all you’d have to do is do the reverse.
Bottom line
I’m a bit of a pacer and I like moving around and that’s why I always loved working from coffee shops. Working exclusively from home now, this gives me that change that I need to stay focused.
Overall, I’m very impressed with the ergonofis Shift 2.0 standing desk. The table top is something I didn’t think I’d really love but the soft and cool-touch material is so good.
From a raising to dropping, it has all the features you’re looking for in a sit-stand desk. The memory, collision detection, and height limit functions simply work. It moves with speed and in perspective I think the inherent wobble is acceptable.
If there’s one room for improvement, I’d say it’s the wire management toolkit which is included. The 5 basic clips included aren’t the best so you’ll definitely want to invest in your own solution (Monoprice cable tray) or pick up the cable management spine by ergonofis.
What you should read next
In the before times, I used a standing desk frequently at the MobileSyrup office.
I found it helped me concentrate better, write more concisely and generally kept me a little more engaged throughout the day. Since the shift to working from home most of the time, I find myself missing the ability to work while standing in my home office.
That’s when I came across Montreal-based Ergonofis’ Sway Standing Desk, an option that offers the best of both worlds. Thanks to its ability to move from sitting to standing, I can shift the desk’s position to my desired height with a swipeable dial on the bottom left corner and two saved positions.
This is where I should mention Ergonofis’ Sway Standing Desk is not cheap.
Even the 24-inch x 48-inch model starts at $1,795 at the base level, and the 30-inch x 72-inch model I opted for costs $2,595. Any way you look at it, that’s a lot of money, especially for a desk. But in the truest sense of the phrase, you really do get what you pay for when it comes to desks, and given I plan to use the Sway Desk for years to come and spend the majority of my day sitting or standing at it, it makes the high cost is a little easier to swallow.
Before I get into the somewhat complicated building process, let’s talk about what this premium desk offers. First off, the Sway Desk’s surface is made of solid wood. This means that it’s not constructed of junk board-like wood composite like Ikea’s desks and that, in turn, its finish won’t slowly chip away (all of my Ikea desks look awful after just a few years of use).
The Sway Desk looks and feels exceedingly premium, whether you opt for ‘White Oak,’ ‘Cherrywood,’ ‘Maple,’ ‘Walnut,’ or one of the other wood options (I went with Walnut because I prefer darker tones). Seriously, when you run your fingers across its surface, it really does feel highly premium.
Furthermore, the Sway Desk’s legs feel solid (more on this later), and the pair of grommets I added to my order make it easy to pass the ample number of cords I’ll soon have hooked up to its under-desk built-in power bar and cable holder (this costs an additional $295, though).
Moving the desk up and down quickly requires just a quick swipe. The mechanical noise of the Sway Desk’s motors is a little loud, but it’s not that bad, and unless you’re constantly adjusting the height of you’re desk, you’ll only hear it a few times a day (the noise measures in at 40dB). One important thing to remember is to organize your cables accordingly if you plan to move the desk rather high — you’ll need to make sure you have enough cord length available on the cable that powers the desk.
Unfortunately, the Sway desk’s setup process was slightly more frustrating than I expected. Its manual is a little confusing, and while building it is mostly straightforward, there’s an odd step where you need to lock the legs in place with two plastic clips (see below). The instructions don’t make it entirely clear how you need to do this, and it took me 20 minutes of troubleshooting with the help of YouTube videos to figure it out. Beyond this hiccup, though, building Ergonofis’ Sway desk is a pretty simple process if you have experience putting together other furniture.
As you can tell from the images in this story, my setup is pretty minimalist right now. That’s because I set up the Sway Desk in my basement, not my office. I plan to renovate my basement soon, eventually turning it into my key workspace and bringing all my tech devices downstairs. This means it’ll eventually be cluttered with more cables, smart speakers and probably, my Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 (nearly every surface will be covered with something, for better or worse).
Thanks to the grommets and ample space the Sway Desk offers, I’ll have room to grow my setup considerably. This is where the double grommets and excellent under-desk cable management system that allows you to attach power bricks directly to a metal mesh grid will come in handy. Until then, though, I’ve been using the Sway Desk as a secondary at-home workspace when I need a change of scenery, complete with two very out-of-touch YouTuber-like Apple Studio Displays and a powerful M2 Max Mac Studio.
Overall, I’m very happy with the Sway Standing Desk, and I’m looking forward to turning it into my main workspace very soon.
Ergonofis’ Ergonofis’ Sway Standing Desk.
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