Standing Desk Accessories: What's Worth Buying, What Isn't
There are roughly forty accessories sold for standing desks. About four of them change how the desk works. The rest either solve a problem you do not have, or solve it by creating another one.
This is sorted by what actually earns its space, not by what is popular.
Worth buying (in this order)
1. Cable tray — the only genuinely mandatory accessory
If the desk moves and the cables do not, they get pulled every time it rises. The damage is invisible for months, then shows up as an intermittent monitor signal or a laptop that stops charging when the desk is up.
A tray mounted under the desk carries the power strip and stores slack so everything travels together. This is the one accessory where skipping it has a cost that shows up later.
Details that matter: mount it near the back edge (not centre, where your knees go), and check the weight rating against what you plan to put in it. A tray holding a power brick, a dock and a spare laptop is a tray that eventually sags.
2. Under-desk power strip with a flat plug
Mounting the strip on the desk is what makes the tray useful. A flat plug keeps the whole assembly close to the surface instead of hanging below it.
One detail worth checking: leave at least one outlet facing outward. You will add something.
3. Monitor arm (if your monitor has height adjustment, this is optional)
The arm solves a real problem — monitor height changes between sitting and standing. But if your monitor already sits on a stand with 15 cm of height travel, a riser or a stack of books does the same job for nothing.
Buy the arm when you want the desk surface back, or when the monitor needs to move independently of the desk. Not because "a monitor arm is part of the setup".
4. Mat, if you have a hard floor
On hardwood, tile or concrete, a mat changes standing from unpleasant to sustainable. On carpet, the benefit is much smaller and a thick mat can actually feel unstable.
Our mat comparison covers thickness, material and the sock problem. Short version: 2–3 cm, textured, bevelled edge.
Depends on your setup
Keyboard tray
Useful if your desk is slightly too high even at its lowest setting — a tray drops your hands below the desktop without changing the desk. Useless, and actively annoying, if the desk height is already correct: it adds a layer of wobble and takes away leg room.
Anti-fatigue balance board
Genuinely good for people who stand more than two hours a day — the instability keeps your feet moving. For everyone else it is a dust collector that makes standing harder in the first month.
Desk bike or treadmill
The pattern is consistent: people who already stand comfortably for 90 minutes love them, and people who bought one to motivate themselves stop using it in two months. It is an upgrade for an established habit, not a way to build one.
Mostly not worth it
Height-adjustable keyboard platforms. Adds two joints of wobble to solve a problem that adjusting the desk already solved.
Desk-mounted cupholders and phone docks. Solve storage, add clutter, and the clamp inevitably marks the desktop.
Elaborate cable "sleeves". A zip tie and a tray do the same job. Sleeves look tidy for a week and then hide a problem you cannot see.
Motorised desk converters (sit-stand toppers). Only if you cannot replace the desk. They reduce usable surface, wobble more than a full desk, and cost close to a basic standing desk.
What to buy first, if money is tight
Two items, in this order:
1. Cable tray + under-desk power strip (both are inexpensive). This protects the equipment you already own.
2. Mat, if your floor is hard. This decides whether you actually keep standing.
Everything else can wait. A monitor arm and a balance board are comfort upgrades for a habit you have not built yet.
The accessory nobody sells
A timer, or a phone reminder, to stand up in the first place. Most standing desks are used for the first three weeks and then left at seated height — not because the accessories were wrong, but because nothing prompted the switch.
Pick two times a day and stand for 20 minutes each. That habit is worth more than the entire accessory category.
Related reading
If your desk height itself is uncertain, start with the height calculator. If standing feels wrong, the cause is usually one of six common posture mistakes rather than missing gear. And if the cables are already a mess, cable management is the more urgent fix.
Frequently asked questions
What should I buy first?
A cable tray and a power strip that mounts under the desk, in that order. Everything else is optional, but cables that do not travel with the desk will be pulled every time it rises, and the damage shows up months later at the connector.
Is a treadmill worth it?
Only if you already stand comfortably for at least 90 minutes a day. It adds height, noise and motion, and most buyers stop using one within two months. It is an upgrade for established habits, not a shortcut to them.
Do I need a monitor arm?
Only if your current monitor stand cannot reach eye level when standing, or if you want the desk surface back. Otherwise a riser does the same job for less.