If you're reading this, odds are you've read a thing or two about standing desks and perhaps even thought about building out your setup already. If you've done that, I'd be willing to guess you've seen or considered a desk shelf. That was me years ago when I started my journey in the desk setup world.

Even way back then, I was familiar with the company Grovemade. It was the pinnacle of the desk shelf back then, and even to this day, with more competitors than I could count, they remain the original gorgeous desk shelf, continuing to create beauty to this day.

When I saw they were teasing a standing desk, my excitement was near uncontainable. I knew that if a company cared this much about the quality of a desk shelf, imagine how much care would go into an entire standing desk. Now, I've tested many of the best standing desks around, but I could never have predicted just how good this desk is.

Grovemade Standing Desk: Pricing and Availability

The Grovemade Standing Desk can be purchased directly from Grovemade for $2,900. They have a 4-6 week turnaround time and can ship to the USA, Canada, and Japan only.

They have six wood options and one size option, which is a bummer if you come from a world of heavy customization in sizing, but for everyone else, this desk size feels perfect.

Grovemade Standing Desk: Unboxing & first impressions

Opening up the boxes for this desk grew my excitement by the minute. The spectacular aroma of the real walnut, the curves of genuine craftsmanship, and the intricate parts all fit together beautifully. This desk was built, and I was setting up the workspace and organizing it mere 45 minutes after it was delivered to my door -- that's how excited I was.

I chose to get the complementary desk shelf, along with a desk mat, some other walnut accessories, dual monitor arms, a lamp, and a few other accessories to build out this dream setup.

The standout feature, of course, is the built-in drawer. My first impression of this drawer was one of shock and amazement, as it was exactly what I had hoped Grovemade would do; in fact, it's nearly exactly what I would do in an ideal world. It's organized, designed for quick access to things, and it has a spot for my laptop, allowing me to dock it and keep it out of the way.

Alternatively, can use it to store whatever else I want and have it as an active charging bay or for other purposes. Another standout feature is the slit in the desktop, which allows cables to pass through the middle of the desk instead of coming up and around the outside.

All around, this desk has some of the most wow-factor of any product I have had the pleasure of working with. And the shock and awe doesn't just end at a first glance.

Grovemade Standing Desk: Design & Build Quality

The craftsmanship of this desk is out of this world. The solid walnut with a soft matte finish is peak craftsmanship in my mind. The CNC's drawer is a modern marvel and a work of art, combining two productivity-enhancing features that are precisely what I could have ever wished for with standing desks. The passthrough slit in the middle of the desk is another one of those spectacular features that I fell in love with.

It shows intentional craftsmanship, and it shows that Grovemade thought ahead to how some people want to be able to do a passthrough, but not all. Unlike others that have huge passthroughs or other systems built in, which can make it hard not to use the system as the company intended, Grovemade added a slit just big enough to be used or ignored, and there isn't a problem either way.

Another notable feature with a spectacular design is the drop-down tray that spans the width of the desk, used for both power and cable management. This option helps make the power accessible, gives ample space, and also helps keep everything clean on the desk itself. Additionally, if the desk were not positioned against the wall, it would also serve as a modesty shield, providing a bit of privacy from that angle.

Grovemade Standing Desk: In use

I've had the Grovemade Desk assembled and a part of my fleet for 87 days. For those 87 days, this desk itself has grown on me and has become nearly the perfect desk for most people. I've built it out to be one of my favorite setups, featuring dual monitors on a simple monitor arm, an iPad Pro dock from Kensington, a desk mat, some nice accessories from Grovemade such as the pen holder, and a Magsafe stand, a Thunderbolt Docking Station, another one to run DisplayLink to the dual monitors from Dell. I also added a simple light bar (though I wish I had chosen to spend the extra money on one from BenQ rather than this random Amazon find), an Apple Magic Trackpad, and a gorgeous Keychron K2 HE keyboard.

The drawer organization is, in fact, the dream. It's precisely how I would have set it up if I were designing it. There is a clean spot to place my laptop with plenty of ventilation, keeping it safe and out of the way without needing extra accessories. There is a separate compartment large enough for books, notebooks, papers, pens, tools, accessories, and more.

Over the last 87 days, I have adjusted and tweaked just about everything to make it work exactly as I want. Having a built-in drawer that raises and lowers with the desk and is made of premium material to keep my gear organized is a massive step up in the desk world.

The cable management in the legs is also spectacular. I was able to tuck all my cabling from the desk through the slit and down into this management area, plugging into the power I needed, and hiding my secondary dock in here so that, regardless of the laptop I'm using, I can run both displays.

The controller is another very unique piece of this desk. The controls are very different than a standard controller, but once I got used to it, it feels like second nature now. I can easily and precisely adjust between standing and sitting heights, and I can adapt anywhere in between that I want to. Plus, it hides away under the drawer, sliding out with it when the drawer is extended and tucked away nicely when it's not.

Pairing this desk with a Grovemade shelf is an obvious choice if you have the cash for it, but if you don't, there are still great setup options that you can build without a desk shelf. What makes this desk so beautiful is that it's versatile. This desk can be easily used by a creative designer, a business professional, a teacher, a student, an engineer, a developer, a project manager, and so on. The desk is so versatile that it can accommodate almost any workflow.

Having seen many desks, I've identified some potential pain points for this desk that could make it less ideal for specific users. If you are the kind of person who has to mount things under the desk, like my home office beast of a desk that has servers, switches, a Mac mini, a NAS, and more all mounted under it, then this desk would make it very difficult to do that. There is minimal space where there is no drawer or cable management. But, for just about everyone else, this desk is not only perfect, but a dream come true.

Grovemade Standing Desk: Final verdict

Grovemade didn't just build a desk - it changed what I think of when I think of a standing desk. The company designed an entire workspace, not just a phenomenal base on which to build a workspace. And somehow managed to do this in a way that did not limit users to a single niche.

The company chose to invest in R&D, utilize high-quality products, and create something that nobody has before. Everything feels intentional, planned, thought through, and designed, rather than being hastily put together to make a profit.

If you're looking for a workspace, not just a plank of wood or wood-like material on some legs, then the Grovemade Desk needs to be at the top of your considerations, seriously.

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Thunderbolt 5 is a part of the newest laptop line-ups, whether we are ready for it or not. TB5 has incredible speeds, excellent reliability, and a plethora of other features that make it great. However, if your laptop has Thunderbolt 5, why wouldn't you want your docking station to support it so that you can take advantage of all the speed?

The FusionDock Pro 3 from iVanky is a single dock with two styles. They have the tower design and the deck design. The tower is designed to stand upright, much like the old Nintendo Wii. And the deck style looks about like every other docking station you may think of.

I grabbed the deck model because it would fit better into my workspace area. This model features three Thunderbolt 5 ports, a port for connecting to the laptop, 140W charging, a 2.5GbE network, multiple USB-A ports, an SD Card reader, and a headphone jack. Overall, this adds 11 ports to your MacBook Pro, Dell Pro, Lenovo, or any other laptop you may have.

Like just about all of the best docking stations supporting TB5, one thing to note right off the bat is that you can use this dock with any USB-C-enabled device; however, you won't get full-speed functionality unless your machine has a Thunderbolt 5 port available.

iVANKY FusionDock Pro 3: Pricing and Availability

The FusionDock Pro 3, as a tower, is a whopping $459 on iVANKY's website. The deck that I grabbed is $439.99 on the same website, making a powerful docking station a tad more palatable.

You can purchase this newly released docking station from iVanky's website, Amazon, or B&H.

iVANKY FusionDock Pro 3: Unboxing & first impressions

The FusionDock Pro 3 is a plain-looking device. However, it feels substantial and durable, with a weighty feel. Additionally, the metallic casing gives it a sturdy feel, suggesting it can withstand a few hits and bumps without breaking.

One thing that shocked me was the size of the power brick, but then again, it can output power to my laptop at up to 140W, so I shouldn't be too surprised that it has a hefty power brick.

iVANKY FusionDock Pro 3: Design & Build Quality

The FusionDock Pro 3 features a simple, matte metallic shell with a matte black plastic front and back, housing the ports. The port layout is straightforward and thought through. While my personal preference for the desk setup determines whether I prefer the cable connecting to the computer to be in the front or the back of the dock, for this one, it's positioned up front.

On the front of the dock, we have (from left to right) the power button, some indicator lights, the 140W port for the laptop or computer, a TB5 port, a USB-A port, the SD Card reader, and then the headphone jack. That all makes a lot of sense to have readily accessible on the front, and I'm happy to see a TB5 on the front. Too many docks have those hidden away in the back only.

On the back of the dock is a row of three USB-A ports, an RJ45 port, two TB5 ports, and then the barrel connector. I am not a fan of barrel connectors, so I understand why some docks still use them.

Some other features worth mentioning are the rubber pads on the bottom side of the dock, which help prevent sliding, and the numerous ventilation holes that keep the device cool while it's working hard.

iVANKY FusionDock Pro 3: In use

I recently purchased an M4 Pro MacBook Pro, which features the TB5 port, making me all the more excited to try this docking station out. In addition, a handful of the laptops I have in for testing (reviews coming soon) also feature Thunderbolt 5. In my testing, I was able to transfer files back and forth between my laptop and my Synology BeeStation as well as my Synology DS925+.

I was able to set up an entire workstation through a single dock, without feeling like I was missing anything. I tested single-monitor setups, dual-monitor setups, and, using one of the laptops I have, even a triple-monitor setup with just this dock. I did have to use an adapter for one of the monitors, though, which is an important thing to note.

This docking station, since it doesn't have an HDMI or DP port, will need adapters to connect non-USB-C displays. Many of the newer monitors are compatible, but if it's not a new one, you'll need to obtain an HDMI to USB-C or DisplayPort to USB-C adapter or dongle.

During testing, especially when running triple displays or transferring large files, the docking station did get a bit warm, but it never became too hot, nor did it activate a fan or any other similar mechanism. Watching that little dock do so much and all at speeds that didn't feel possible a mere few years ago was impressive.

iVANKY FusionDock Pro 3: Final verdict

The iVanky FusionDock Pro 3 is an impressive Thunderbolt 5 docking station, available at a brand-new price with cutting-edge technology. If you don't need Thunderbolt 5, a different, more cost-effective dock may be better suited for you. However, if you have Thunderbolt 5 in your computer and need to maximize transfer speeds, then this is a spectacular choice in a docking station for you.

I'm a massive fan of workstations. I love customizing a space, whether it's simplistic, stylish, or robust, to suit the person and task at hand. Thankfully, I've found a career and a role that allows me to do this far more regularly than the average person.

Simple desk designs are fun. They are clean and beautiful, with a purpose, and they have things tucked away and organized, making them aesthetically quite pleasing.

Portable desk setups are also quite fun. The challenge of fitting all that's needed and helpful into a backpack, allowing for full productivity everywhere and anywhere.

Robust and maximalist desks are a whole different beast. Everything you could need, within arm's reach. Ready for anything, prepared for everything.

At the heart of a robust and built-out setup, you need a fantastic, reliable, quality, high-end standing desk. Without a solid foundation, the structure (or desk setup in this scenario) will not be stable.

That's precisely why, when I saw this desk, I knew I could transform it into a maximalist desk. I knew that this desk could withstand whatever I threw at it, and that I could have it be one that I could rely on for years to come.

The Uplift V2 Commercial 2-Leg Standing Desk is a two-legged, C-frame standing desk with a more stable design than the standard V2, thanks to a crossbeam. This crossbeam not only makes the desk far less wobbly, but it also allows Uplift to lower the legs by 3 inches, providing a wider range of motion, making it one of the best standing desks I've ever used.

Uplift V2 Commercial 2-Leg Standing Desk: Pricing and Availability

The best place to purchase the Uplift V2-Commercial Standing Desk is directly from Uplift's website. There aren't many desk companies that offer the same level of customization that Uplift does.

A basic desk can run you around $600. Nothing fancy, all the basic options. However, you can customize it to exceed $2000, changing and customizing the size, wood type and material, legs, colors, casters, accessories, keypads for controlling the desk, grommets, and more.

With all of these changes, you have the opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind custom desk that nobody else has. In all actuality, you can make a fully customized, one-of-a-kind desk by using the live edge with epoxy desktop type.

In short, the price will swing quite aggressively depending on what you build out, and what you choose can be customized to precisely the kind of base you want for your dream workstation.

Uplift V2 Commercial 2-Leg Standing Desk: Unboxing & first impressions

I remember it well. I saw the delivery truck back into my driveway - always a great sign - and then I saw this delivery driver grab a thin box I knew had to be a desk out of the back of the truck.

Once she picked it up, it had to have been three times her size. She somehow managed to get it over to my front porch by the time I got out there to take it from her. I remember grabbing the box and thinking, 'This thing weighs easily several times my weight; how on earth did she manage to carry this over here?'

The legs box for some desks is the heaviest, but for this desk, the desktop, made of real 1.5-inch reclaimed birch butcher block at 72x30 inches, was by far the heavier box. The desk itself took about 45 minutes to build with my Hoto Toolset. However, due to the desk's considerable weight, I had one more person assist me in building parts to ensure the desk was not damaged in any way.

Uplift V2 Commercial 2-Leg Standing Desk: Design & Build Quality

The reclaimed birch-butcher block desktop is downright gorgeous. I didn't expect it to look this good in person, but now that I see it, it looks even better than I thought it would. The legs are clean and sleek, providing incredible stability, and even a place to rest my legs when fully reclined if I want to. The controller is easy to use, although I swapped it out for a black one after taking these pictures to match the leg frame a bit better.

The controller is responsive and functional, making it super easy to preset heights that I want to use throughout the day. I have one set for my sitting height, one for my standing height, one for the standing height of another member of my team who uses this desk a lot, and one for a working height where I can do things on the desk a bit smoother without having the ergonomics dialed in for standing and typing.

This desk setup has two main things that everything else is built around. First of course, the desk, but secondly, this desk is the perfect build for the Hexcal Studio Desk Shelf. But more on that below.

For this robust desk setup, I chose to pick up some of Uplift's Monitor arms, the Range-X Dual Monitor Arm to be exact, I also decided to grab a lot of the other accessories I wanted too, like the proper grommets, the casters, a hefty surge protector, a magnetic cable channel for routing cables and some modesty panels to help with keeping a clean look all around. Lastly, to complete the power aspect of this desk setup, I added the iVanky FusionDock Max 1 to control the desk from that perspective.

Uplift V2 Commercial 2-Leg Standing Desk: In use

Building the physical desk is only half the battle. I spent several hours perfecting this setup once assembled. The Hexcal was assembled quickly, but then I chose to go all out for this desk, while still making it functional for most people on my team. I added dual monitors, a lamp, the dock, a soundbar, the iconic cup holder, cable management, a modesty panel, and more.

First, I added the monitor arms and positioned them exactly as I wanted. Thankfully, these arms have enough range that I can still maintain the one vertical and one horizontal look that I wanted, mainly since this setup features two different types of monitors. This setup is in the same orientation as the one I am replacing in this office.

A significant addition I wanted to make to this setup was the Hexcal Studio. I had gotten this around the same time as the Uplift Desk, so I knew it would be a great match. What's unique about the Hexcal is that it incorporates lights, power, data, cable management, and even a wireless charger all into one unit. So, I was able to run one power line from the Hexcal Studio down to the power strip mounted under the desk, and then I ran the power from the desk to that strip, and the lamp. That's it. Everything else I was able to run into the outlets built into the Hexcal, and then also manage the cables in the trough without any issues. The Studio fit perfectly under the monitors, providing room for me to place the iVanky FusionDock Max 1 right on top for easy access.

Moving back to the desk, I was easily able to set up the monitor arms right where I wanted them, without having to avoid any crossbars or frames, or choose a less-than-ideal mounting spot, because all areas were suitable for mounting. The 1.5-inch-thick butcher block1.5-inch-thick butcher block made mounting super easy, and it also made it easy to build everything else. I chose exactly where I wanted the control panel, my ridiculous (but now I secretly love it) cup holder, lamp, desk mat, and laptop stand.

My team and I usually pop in and out of here, so we kept the laptop stand pulled forward for easy access, and we put it right over the control panel so that when we come and go, we can press a button on our way to dock the laptop or as we are grabbing it to leave. I could have put the controller on the left, but I chose the right because I didn't want to bump it with my knee when moving around or twisting in and out of my chair.

Lastly, the modesty panel isn't just for covering peering eyes from looking at places you may not want them to, it's also great for covering up cables and giving a more professional look to things. I installed a modesty panel long enough for the back of the desk as well as the side, but due to the current arrangement of the desk and the monitor arm location, I chose to put the side one on for now. Though if I ever pull this desk out into the middle of the space as I hope to in the future, I'll toss that modesty panel on the back right away.

Uplift V2 Commercial 2-Leg Standing Desk: Final verdict

The Uplift V2 Commercial 2-Leg Standing Desk is a powerful standing desk that transforms into a powerful workstation. It's a fantastic desk, providing smooth and consistent height adjustments, a sturdy desktop even at standing height, and a gorgeous surface to create your dream workspace, no matter how complex or simple it may be. And, since you can customize it, there isn't a reason not to check out this desk if you are in the market at all, no matter how small or how big that budget may be.

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