Standing desks that do not wobble: which specs predict it and which are marketing

Wobble at standing height is the complaint that ruins these, and it is fairly predictable from the specification before you buy.

Predicts stability

• Three-stage legs over two-stage. More overlap between segments at full extension, which is where wobble comes from. Also usually faster and quieter, and it is the single best predictor.
• A crossbar, or a frame explicitly engineered without one. Crossbars stop side-to-side sway. Frames without them can be excellent and it costs more to achieve, so a cheap frame with no crossbar is the worst combination.
• Foot depth. Deep feet resist front-to-back rocking. Shallow feet look tidier and rock.
• Where the top attaches. More mounting points, spread wider, is much stiffer than a few near the middle.
• A rigid top. A thin or flexible surface undoes a good frame, and the desk gets blamed.

Mostly marketing

• Motor wattage and stated lift capacity, which are about weight rather than stability, and are far above what anyone puts on a desk.
• Memory presets and touch panels, which are pleasant and unrelated.

Two things that cost nothing

• Set the height so you are not at maximum extension. The last few centimetres are the least stable part of the range and many people are on tiptoe for no reason.
• A monitor arm amplifies whatever movement exists, because it is a lever. If a desk seems bad, check whether the arm is the thing being felt.