14 Of The Best Standing Desk Accessories For Your Home Office

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If you spend significant time in your home office or work from home, we’d recommend getting a standing desk. Sitting down for just a couple of hours can get incredibly uncomfortable, but if that doesn’t bother you, at least do it for your health; the research agrees sitting too long is very no bueno. The problem is that some standing desks — especially cheaper ones — have a much smaller surface area and can’t hold quite as much weight. By buying a standing desk, you often have to replace a lot of the desktop accessories that made your former static setup work.

As someone who has worked at a standing desk for years, I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of which accessories actually make a difference, and which ones are just pre-bought garbage. So I compiled a list of 14 standing desk accessories that are affordable, useful, and maximize even the smallest standing desktops. I’m writing this from the perspective of someone who wants a light and lean setup, particularly focused on a mini PC or laptop-based setup since desktop towers aren’t conducive to most standing desks, in my view. If you have a standing desk or you’re going to get one, try these 14.

Having a typical desktop stand on a standing desk can take up too much space and create a very rickety item that may fall over when raising or lowering it. So instead, try a rotating headphone stand like this one. The clamp is strong enough to hold basically any pair of headphones, and it will stay in place during an earthquake, yet it’s very easy to attach or detach — while of course taking effectively no desktop space. Clamps, in my view, are the superior way to secure things to a standing desk. Anything that involves an adhesive I would avoid if possible.

If you don’t want to bump into the headphone, or it bothers you how it sticks out, you can rotate the hook so it’s facing under the desk and out of sight. It also comes with a handy built-in cable organizer in case you’re using a pair of wired headphones. Some headphone holders support pointing it upright, though you miss out on that useful swiveling action.

Here’s another variant that might appeal to others. Keeping your hot cup of morning coffee away from expensive electronics is a good idea, especially since that liquid can slop over the side when raising the desk. Ask me how I know.

If you are using a laptop computer, then you have two choices on how to position it on your desktop: either open (possibly on a stand) or in clamshell mode, i.e. closed with an HDMI cable feeding it to an external monitor. I prefer the second option. As such, it really helps to have a laptop stand that’s sturdy, of course, but also makes it easy to remove the laptop as needed and is adjustable.

Ugreen makes my number one choice. Its excellent vertical laptop stand is made of aluminum, includes an adjuster knob, and has rubber bumpers inside to protect your baby from getting scratched. It’s quite stylish, I’d say, and costs pennies at $22.99 retail. The adjuster can fit a laptop up to an inch thick, so this should work even if you have a laptop from a decade ago that’s heavy enough to use as a weapon.

Some people prefer a laptop stand that keeps the laptop open. Though not my personal preference, I see the benefit. You can use it as a second monitor, you can access the trackpad and the function keys, as well as your fingerprint sensor or face unlock. My only advice here would be to get a laptop stand that raises it above the desk — assuming you’re not going to be typing much on the built-in keyboard — so it stays closer to eye level for good posture, and so the space beneath can be reclaimed.

This adjustable stand is my personal pick. Aside from being made of metal, it has two arms so it’s a lot sturdier, and a flat metal base where you can put things. Just be careful that you get the angle right; raising it up too high can make it so it takes only one little key press to send your laptop tumbling to its doom.

A problem you’ll run into with a standing desk is that the plug on the wall is down near the floor, while your standing desk will be rising up to your midriff. This means your cables could get yanked out of the wall or damaged if they snag on something and can’t fully slacken and extend. We’ll discuss solutions for cables that you have no choice but to let hang later, but it helps to consolidate all power into one easily reachable place. A tower-shaped power strip is my recommendation.

Tessan makes some underrated power strips, like this one. It’s easy to plug in your computer, monitor, phone charger, etc., with a space-saving vertical orientation. The flat plug is another underrated plus, and it’s a capable surge protector; you should be plugging sensitive items (like TVs) into surge protectors after all.

Try instead a desktop clamp variety if the tower’s not for you. You can put it on one of your desk’s edges, and since it’s secured, plugging things in only takes one hand. Both recommendations include USB-A and USB-C plugs so you can charge your devices without having to add another power brick to the mix.

Let’s be real, if you’re working without a second monitor, you’re missing out big time. No more alt-tabbing through your open programs, no more squeezing two windows together with UI that doesn’t scale neatly. The problem is space. Two monitors — even ones on the smaller size — take up a ton of it. A simple and highly effective fix is some monitor riser stands. This dual monitor riser gives each a solid base while letting you reclaim the space underneath them. It could also work for a single monitor setup where you have speakers bookending it.

If you have only one monitor, try this two-tier monitor stand/organizer. Since the mesh containers are modular, you only keep the ones you want/need. Go even simpler with this computer monitor stand that costs only $16.99. Just be warned, some of these can be a bit rickety when the desk is raising up or lowering down. I personally prefer the wooden ones over the thin metal options, as they do feel a lot sturdier, and tend to match a wooden desk better.

As easy and efficient as monitor stands are, if you really want to go to the next extreme in space savings, then mount your monitors. This Vivo Dual Monitor Desk Mount is a highly rated and affordable choice. For one, it is perfectly suited for a standing desk where you can’t simply mount it on the wall; it attaches instead to the back of a desk with a clamp. The mount claims to support 30-inch monitors at 22 pounds apiece, maximum. Each monitor can be individually adjusted to taste.

Just make sure you do your research before you buy this one. The Vivo mount supports VESA standard patterns between 75 and 100mm — though if you have a VESA-compatible monitor, it’s probably going to be fine, in my experience. Again, and I can’t stress this enough, make sure this is locked in tight. I’d even go so far as to say you should probably keep the monitors as low as is comfortable for you, to minimize the strain on the potential point of failure that is the clamp. It’s easy to make mistakes when mounting a panel of any kind, so maybe phone a tech-savvy friend.

Your under-desk space on a standing desk quickly becomes a precious resource since, well, you don’t have much, and having stuff under the desk becomes less an issue when your legs aren’t under it. A whole bunch of accessories make excellent use of it, as we’ve seen. My experience with most of the standing desks I’ve used or contemplated buying included their own built-in tray, but it’s usually pretty cheap and flimsy. We’d recommend buying your own.

This cable management tray is Exhibit A. It’s for anyone who’s not a fan of keeping the surge protector on top of the desk, but it could also come in handy holding bulky power adapters (electronic standing desks sometimes have their own), external storage drives, or any other large item you won’t need easy, quick access to. Since it’s at the back of the desk, it won’t ever bang you in the knees either.

A standing desk will be the true test of your cable management skills. No matter how you set it up, the inevitable reality is that at least one cable is going to have to hang down as the desk changes height — usually the power plug for your setup and the desk itself. One of the coolest innovations we’ve seen to address this issue is a so-called “cable vertebrae.” It sounds sci-fi, looks sci-fi, and solves the problem quite well.

Our recommendation is the cable management vertebrae from Ultimate Setup. Basically, you feed your cable through the vertebrae (just like the spinal cord runs through the vertebrae in your back) and then attach the top end to the bottom of your desk near where the cord enters, and the bottom end goes at the foot where it leads to the plug. Now you have a snag-free, predictable, reliable cable management system for most hanging cables. Although it’s a bit low in reviews for our standards — about 528 at the time of writing — we’ll make an exception here because the reviews average at 4.7 stars.

If you can afford a proper docking station, then get one of those. Unfortunately, they are a bit pricey, with the best ones sitting at or above $200, and they can be space hogs. There are cheaper alternatives that will get most of the job done. For example, this 7-Port USB 3.0 hub that uses a slim upright triangle, which might also add a stylish touch to your desktop.

You’ll never run out of USB-A ports again — although we do wish this version had some USB-C ports as well. The same company also ships a 4-port version. Of course, you can’t go wrong with a simple USB-C hub featuring a wider variety of ports. The only issue with those for me is how, in almost any configuration, they have to hang off your laptop. Most people probably don’t want them as a persistent feature of their desktop.

Although good docking stations tend to be pricey, there are acceptable options on the low end if you don’t see the value proposition of the high end. You can find something for around $100 or less if you just need extra I/O and enough power to charge some devices. This Selore docking station costs only $89.99 and offers multiple USB-C and USB-A ports, two HDMIs and Display Ports, Ethernet, and card readers — and a “real-time monitor” screen, if that appeals to you. The vertical orientation also makes it ideal for a standing desk. Compare that to something similar, like this Anker Prime docking station that retails for $269.99.

Just temper your expectations appropriately when you buy a cheap docking station like this. I learned some of their pitfalls the hard way so you don’t have to. Some stations will include multiple HDMI ports which may only duplicate displays rather than extend them, meaning they’re functioning more like an HDMI splitter than an actual extra HDMI port; devices plugged into their individual ports may occasionally disconnect at random. On the whole, they’ll work if their job description is just “give you extra ports,” but this is one of those areas where you get what you pay for. There’s a whole list of mistakes people make when buying docking stations for you to keep in mind before you buy yours.

If you’ve used a standing desk for any amount of time, you know one of the challenges is getting the height just right and protecting your wrists in the process. Depending on the setup, your arms might be lying flat on the desk with some cushioned wrist supports, or your wrist might be right against the edge — the latter of which can get fatiguing since you have no chair armrest to set it on. In that case, an adjustable clamp-mounted arm rest could help.

A perfect example is this one. It features an extending arm with a comfortable arm cup to hold your forearm steady. The challenge will be getting it into the right position, but once you do, no more tired arms. The arm claims to hold up to 26.5 pounds, so as long as you’re not leaning on it you should be fine. Despite its high ratings, though, Amazon labels it as a “frequently returned item.” This seems to be one of those things that you either love or hate.

Depending on which route you take for organizing your cables (such as under-desk trays and baskets), you may have a charging setup where cables snake up from below and over onto the desk, making things clean but making cables especially easy to lose if they drop over the edge. A cheap and simple cable organizer like this one goes a long way. Although it uses adhesive — not my preference — it is a simple and effective place to hang on to charging cables for phones, peripherals, and any other odd cable you might need throughout the day.

Alternatively, I find these magnetic snap-shut cable organizers to be a great choice. Some cables might not fit well in the previous recommendation, and larger cables can be challenging to force into the organizer anyway. The magnetic ones also have the added benefit of letting you stick only as many as you need rather than have a full organizer for a couple of cables. Just be aware that the magnet is a bit on the weak side, so bumping into it could be enough to dislodge the cable.

Chances are, your standing desk is in a place where you go shoeless and are standing on hard ground. Even if it’s soft carpet, it can start to hurt the balls of your feet and make standing uncomfortable, especially if you go long periods standing rather than alternating between standing and sitting every couple of hours. If that describes you, you will quickly fall in love with an anti-fatigue mat. This is a thick and comfy pad that greatly reduces the strain of standing at your standing desk without shoes — which, let’s be honest, why work in shoes at a standing desk at home?

The only real downside to the anti-fatigue mat is that you will have to remove it when you lower the desk again and need to sit in your desk chair. Not a huge deal — it only takes all of five seconds — but something to keep in mind. The model I’ve recommended is a tad bit pricey at $55.99, but I found the cushion lasts for a long time and quickly becomes irreplaceable when you can stand for longer without discomfort.

Not to beat a dead horse again, but space savings are everything on small standing desktops. An excellent way to charge all of your personal devices, I find, is a three-in-one charging station. Anker makes some of the best and most stylish in the industry. Try their MagGo 3-in-1 Qi2 15W Charging Station. In a one-piece, compact vertical form factor, it charges your phone (horizontally too, if you want the iPhone’s StandBy mode), plus an Apple Watch and AirPods.

Note, this is the Qi2 wireless charging standard that can support some Android phones, not just iPhones — though this is a heavily Apple-oriented stand since it’s for its Apple Watches, too. For a phone-only Android charging stand, try this one instead. And for the record, there’s generally no need to worry about wireless charging reducing battery longevity faster than wired charging.

I jumped on the standing desk train during the pandemic and it was a godsend, so I know exactly what it’s actually like to use one. These recommendations are based on my experience, and many of these products I have personally owned, or owned nearly identical alternatives to them. I also focused where possible on products that had high reviews and, in some cases, were intended specifically for standing desk users.

Affordability was also a huge focus of this article. It shouldn’t take hundreds of dollars to outfit a standing desk when you’ve already probably spent a nice chunk of change on one already. Finally, everything had to make the most of a standing desk’s precious real estate and keep the weight down — standing desk owners know it’s quite easy to accidentally overload the thing, and then it looks like a 9.0 on the Richter scale.