The 3 Best Bike Desks in 2023

What to Consider in a Bike Desk

So that you choose the right desk, you should consider many crucial factors. Below is a rundown of the things to consider when choosing a bike desk. Follow it to ensure that you pick a reliable product. 

Desk Material

Ensure that your bike desk is made from a robust and durable material. The desk frame should be made from thick metal, not plastic or thin aluminum. Most commonly, the worktops of bike desks are made from hard, durable plastic supported by steel. To determine how strong the material is, you should look at the max weight capacity and compare it to other desks.

Adjustability

Maintaining the correct position when working at a cycling desk is very important to avoid back pain and posture problems. This can be achieved with adjustable seats and worktops. To ensure the correct posture the height of the worktop, you be level with your elbows. 

Weight Capacity

The weight capacity of a desk determines how much weight it can take without failing. It’s a great indicator of how strong the desk’s frame is and the material it’s made from. For ultimate durability, we only recommend bike desks with a maximum weight capacity of over 220 lbs and to avoid ultra-cheap options.

Warranty

One vital thing many buyers forget when buying a bike desk is the manufacturers’ warranty. It covers your expenses in the event of desk failure that you didn’t cause. This includes an event where a desk collapses, breaks in half, or even when one of the desk parts stops working. Most brands usually provide a replacement desk, a refund, or free repair. 

However, those events are not covered once your warranty period runs out. You should always check a bike desks manufacturer’s warranty and certainly avoid desks with no warranties whatsoever.

Comfortability

Many additional features can make a cycling desk more comfortable. This includes cushioned seats, soft pedals, backrests, and armchairs. You should look for those features on a desk if you want it to be comfortable. Beware of cheap options with hard seats, which can be an unpleasant experience, to say the least.

Price

The average cost of a bike desk is around 300 to 400 dollars. You should avoid cheaper desks, especially those priced below 200 dollars. We always recommend spending more on a higher-quality product that will last longer than cheaper knock-offs.

User Height

Although bike desk seats and worktops can be adjusted, they are not suited for all people of all heights. Extra short and tall people may not be able to use a certain desk. To ensure that a cycling desk is suitable for you, check the maximum and minimum user height specifications.

Desk Mobility

Bike desks are cumbersome and usually weigh around 60 lbs, making them a challenge to move, and dragging the desk along your floor can damage the floor. Therefore, we recommend cycling desks with wheels. Wheels allow users to move their bike desk effortlessly from room to room.

Additional Features

Buyers should also consider the additional features in a cycling desk that can come in handy. For example, an additional storage tray can help you store vital office tools such as a calculator, notepad, or pen at arm’s reach. Some additional features help more with exercise rather than desk work. For instance, performance meters allow you to track your calorie burn rate, and workout bands allow you to train your upper body.

Reviews

Online product reviews let you see what previous buyers think of a certain bike desk. You should always make sure a desk has at least over 50 unique reviews averaging a positive rating. Bike desks with a lack of reviews can be hit and miss. You should absolutely avoid desks with negative feedback from previous users.

Protective Floor Mat

Desk feet and desk wheels are notoriously known for damaging floors. Whether it’s carpet, hardwood, or vinyl plank, a thick floor mat can ensure that your floor is protected from scuffs, dents, and scratches. Read this care and maintenance guide to learn more about protecting hard-surface floors.

The Pros and Cons of Bike Desks

Cycling desks come with numerous physical and mental health benefits, but they also have their disadvantages. Let’s start with the pros of bike desks below.

Pros of Bike Desks:

• Good Cardio – Cycling is considered a good form of cardio, just like running and swimming. Incorporating a daily cycling routine can have many health benefits. Bike desks can be very helpful for people that already go to the gym for weight lifting but struggle with cardio.

• Increased Productivity – Recent government studies have shown that using a bike desk daily has positive effects on reaction time and energy levels. This leads to increased total productivity during your workday.

• Improved Overall Health – It is widely known that living an active lifestyle positively impacts both your mental and physical health. Regular physical exercise improves mood, reduces depression, increases energy levels, and improves sleep.

• Can be used for Upper Body – Thanks to resistance bands which many bike desks feature, users can exercise their upper body muscles such as chest and biceps, not just their legs.

• They can be Affordable – Bike desks are generally quite affordable. They are usually priced below $400. You may even find much cheaper options. For such a vital piece of kit, that’s not much.

• Help with Weight Loss – Cycling burns way more calories than just sitting or standing at a desk. This can help users lose weight as they burn excessive calories faster. Combine bike desks with a healthy low-fat diet for best results.

• Mobile and Foldable – Many bike desks have attached wheels. This allows users to move the entire desk from room to room effortlessly. Additionally, some cycling desks are foldable, making them easy to store in small areas.

Cons of Bike Desks:

• They can be Noisy – In some cases, the pedaling system in bike desks can be noisy, especially in cheap versions. However, some of the premium bike desks are quieter.

• They can Damage Floors – The heavyweight of the desk can scuff, scratch and dent hardwood, laminate, and carpet floors. That’s why it’s best to invest in a protective mat.

• They can be Uncomfortable – Although some bike desks are comfortable many cheap versions have hard plastic seats which can become painful after long periods of use.

Other Office Exercise Tools to Consider

Bike desks are just one of many office exercise tools. Keep reading below for more office exercise tools and a detailed description of each type.

• Under-Desk Exercisers – Pedal exercisers are small machines that fit under a desk and allow users to perform leg exercises such as cycling or stepping. Difficulty levels can be adjusted depending on user performance. 

• Treadmill Desks – Treadmill desks are basically treadmills, like those you see in the gym. The only difference is that these treadmills have a large desktop giving users the ability to work on their laptop while exercising. However, you can only exercise walking when working on your laptop, as doing this while jogging is challenging. Still, users can practice running while having breaks from their computers.

• Balance Boards – Balance boards are training tools to help you improve your balance. They can be used with standing desks for an active workspace approach. Users stand on the board and maintain balance; it is considered a good form of leg exercise.

• Grip-Trainers – Grip trainers are an excellent way of working out your grip muscles, including forearm and wrist muscles. They are small and can be used just about anywhere. A spring mechanism resists your ability to squeeze the tool, making it a good form of wrist exercise.

• Posture-Improvement Stools – Posture stools put pressure on your knees and buttocks to maintain your seating position. This not only works out your buttocks but also reduces lower back pain.

Final Thoughts

In summary, there are many bike desks on the market. However, many of them are cheap badly-built options that should be avoided. Finding a stationary bike desk that ticks all the boxes can be challenging. Our recommended options are bike desks that you can rely on for performance and durability.

Most importantly, don’t forget to consider the crucial factors when choosing a bike desk. For example, the weight capacity, material, warranty, and reviews should never go overlooked. In other words, don’t just buy a bike desk based solely on looks. 

If we had to recommend one bike desk on the market, it would be the FlexiSpot Sit2Go model. Here at Overheard on Conference, we always recommend that you spend more on a high-quality, durable product rather than a cheaper alternative. It pays off in the long term.

We hope that by comparing and selecting the best bike desks on the market, we have helped you find the ideal desk. Hopefully, we achieved our goal. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to us anytime.

FAQs

Are bike desks worth it?

Bike desks are undoubtedly worth it if you want to exercise in office scenarios while also completing computer work. Using a cycling desk regularly increases productivity and improves overall health.

Can you lose weight with a desk bike?

Desk bikes can definitely help with weight loss as it is widely known that cycling burns more calories than sitting or standing. Combine bike desks with a healthy diet for the best weight loss results. 

Are cycling desks expensive?

Starting at under $300, cycling desks are not very expensive. In fact, they are an affordable solution to prolonged sedentary time which can cause health and posture problems. However, it’s best to avoid the cheapest bike desks and instead go for mid-range or premium-priced options for a longer-lasting desk.

Do desk bikes burn calories?

Using a cycling desk burns more calories per hour than just standing and sitting. This makes bike desks a powerful tool to fight against obesity caused by the lack of activity in office scenarios.

Are desk bikes durable?

Most bike desks had heavy-duty metal frames with an average weight capacity of around 300 lbs, making them robust and durable. Even the worktops of bike desks are made from ultra-hard plastic types that are highly scratch and water-resistant. However, durability greatly depends on which brand the desk is made by.