The Sit Stand S2 Pro Plus Electric Desk
Maidesite produces a wide range of good quality office desks of different styles and sizes for you to feast your eyes on if you are in the market for a stand or sitting electric office desk. If you are like me and you spend around 8 hours a day at a desk either at home or in the office, then a height-adjustable electric standing desk is something you should seriously consider due to the health benefits you can get from them. Forget the old-style desk converter.
The top-of-the-range desk is the Maidesite S2 Pro Plus Office Desktop. The one I liked was the Antique version. It is a very nice-looking desktop and is very well put together.
Specifications include
- The Flagship electric standing desk for Pros
- Height adjustable range 62-127 cm, best for 5 ft to 6ft 3 ins
- 140x70cm Eco-friendly one-piece desktop that supports 2 oversize monitors
- Optional cable management tray, drawer, castors and hook for cozy working
- Dual motor lift mechanism with 125 kg load capacity
- 4 preset memory heights for best posture
- FREE and fast 2-5 working days delivery
To make things easy they separate their desktops from the base package products. This enables you to choose from any desktop and any base and put them together. That is a good way of allowing you to choose your own style and get exactly what you want.
Adjustable standing desks are not a new rage, they have been around for a number of years now, but have just recently started to take off as people see the health benefits of being able to stand and adjust your posture, and also benefit the body as a whole. I currently own a flexispot electric desk and have been using that for around 12 months. Both of these companies are in strict competition and both produce good quality products.
Introduction
Having just moved to Scotland I received my Maidesite electric desk sometime last week from Maidsite direct. It came in 2 packages which is great as it actually helps you due to the weight of the steel legs, and the size of the wooden desktop. This is as you would expect as Maidsite actually sell different variations of their desktops in colors and sizes, so they are packaged separately.
I am not going to go through the rather tedious and boring unpackaging details as I believe most people want to know how the desk actually functions and if the parts are of good quality. Needless to say, the packaging was very well put together and all parts were covered to stop bumps, dents, and scratches.
I have added a few images of the packaging for you to make up your own mind on quality.
I intend to compare this to my current desk which is the flexispot, which I might add I am very happy with. I will be able to compare the build quality and the components as time goes by as both desks will remain in use over the coming years.
I have sent for a set of castors as I see that Maidesite have castors for their desks. In my current place, the floors are quite soft and will be new throughout. The last thing I want is to move the desk and leave scratch marks everywhere.
Shipping & Warranty
I like to do things a little differently from many as I like to know where I stand should a product I have bought become defective in any way. One of my most important questions is the warranty for your desk. I am happy to see that Maidesite offers a 5-year warranty.
For me, this is quite important when you are splashing out around £500 for a desk with moving electric parts. Their warranty page is quite straightforward and easy to read. No excess jargon there.
Touch Controls
The touch controls are excellent with 4 options to choose from and a small but very handy clock that allows you to set a timer for when you should be standing and sitting.
They are backlit when you press one of the buttons and stay lit for a short period of time. This is great if you find the lights annoying. It would be handy if they were sensitive to feel and you could hover your hand over them for them to work. I do not think any desks do this yet.
Quality of the Components
On opening the boxes I could see that all of the main components are white steel. A number of the items are already in place which makes it much easier to put things together. The instruction manual sits at the top of the box with the legs so that you can view it straight away. There are actually not that many components to put together which means it should be up and running in less than 45 minutes.
Desk Quality
I opted for the antique-style desk and am happy with the outcome. There is a slot in the right-hand bottom corner for cables to go through should you feel the need to do so. There are no marks or scratches on the desk and the appearance is quite nice.
The desk itself is very quiet when it is in operation moving up or down. It also has a very smooth movement with no jerking actions at all. It also works quite fast in its up and down movements.
Looking at the build equity I would say this is a very stable desk allowing you to use almost all of the 100 kgs you can set upon it. Obviously, balance will come into play and you should look wisely at where you place any very heavy items. Anything that causes unbalance may also affect the motors and cause undue stress on one of them.
Anti Collision
The desk comes with the usual anti-collision or auto-stop built-in. I tested this against my legs and it worked after it felt the pressure of my knees pressing against the bottom of the table. However, it did not work when I placed my chair under it. It eventually recognized it, but only after the chair was flipped onto its back by the wheels. I am not sure if it needed a bigger point of contact, or if it allows for the movement of the chair as it pushes it down. Either way, it was not ideal.
On my other desk, this worked perfectly as I placed it over the edge of my training desk and this stopped when it touched the desk and lifted slightly. This was very lucky as if it had continued down it would more than likely have pulled my laptop off the smaller desk and broke the top off that desk.
Clock and Reminder Timer
For me, this is a godsend. Just press the clock button on the controls and it allows you to set a time when it will remind you to move. You then have the option to sit or stand depending on what you are doing.
Dual Motors
The desk is fitted with what look like good quality and very quiet dual motors. I would always look for a desk with this system as a single motor for me is not a good option. You need a desk to be balanced and smooth, and dual motors will always help in this way.
Desk Features
The desks have a good height adjustment from 62 – 127 cms. In other reviews, some have stated that the maximum height is not high enough. I do not agree with that. You would need to be 7 feet tall not to be able to use this desk to your advantage, taking into consideration that your arms are important in how they interact with your keyboard and are allowed to be in a natural position of around 45 degrees to avoid unnecessary pain.
The load capacity is very good. At 125 kilos maximum load this is a very high weight for the motors to lift. To offer a 5-year warranty on parts shows that they are happy with the dual motors being able to lift this weight without any problems.
Speed is also a bonus at 40mm a second to raise or lower. The dual lift motors are also very quiet when performing this task.
Benefits of a Stand or Sit Desk
It would seem a little pointless writing about a desk if we did not discuss the benefits of buying a standing electric desk.
Reviews
When buying anything of weight and value you should always check out the reviews from those who have already reviewed the product. It is worth noting to see what they thought of it and if they were pleased or had issues. Another thing you should always check is the trustworthiness of the company. Take a look at their details on Trustpilot to see if they have a large number of issues or complaints.
By checking out genuine purchases on Amazon and looking at reviews from Trustpilot you should be able to picture the company and the product you are thinking of buying. Add in the warranty information and you are ready to either make or leave your purchase or at least thin the numbers down.
Maidesite Desks on Amazon
Looking at statistics on Amazon.co.uk I can see that the Maidesite electric desk is a very popular product with the current stats at well over 450 ratings and a full set of 5-star reviews. This is indeed a credit to the makers.
Flexispot Desks on Amazon
Flexispot has had a larger number of sales at over 1600 with a 4.5-star average but looking at their current reviews they seem to be having a few problems recently. With this in mind, I would have a few questions to ask both companies before you order, however it looks like Maidesite has the edge over Flexispot at the moment for quality and reviews.
Trustpilot
On Trustpilot, maidesite has received a number of negative reviews and also a few positive reviews. The 1-star reviews are always worth reading to see what genuine customers are finding difficulties with.
One customer clearly had a few issues which it seems could not be addressed due to the carrier of the item. Maybe this is one place where Maidesite could do with some improvement.
Videos
Here is a very good video explaining the benefits of a good quality electric desk. Joe Ritter on Youtube.
Are Sit/Stand Desks Any Good?
Is It Worth Getting an Adjustable Desk?
Do Adjustable Desks Need to Be Plugged In?
Which Adjustable Table Is the Best?
How Long Should You Stand at A Standing Desk?
Is It Better to Stand or Sit at Work?
How Long Should You Stand per Day?
Conclusion
The Maidesite S2 Pro Plus seems to be very well built and very good value for its price. They are seriously worth considering against their nearest competitors. The only downside from what I can see is the warranty returns that are outside the scope of free returns. Germany is a long way from posting items at reasonable prices.
