The benefits you enjoy by switching to height adjustable desks are numerous. Nonetheless, there are a few drawbacks associated with the move.
One drawback is the loss of storage space. The conventional desk is designed with drawers that hold your pens, stapler, tape dispenser, files, and more. This plentiful storage space is a huge advantage. Most height adjustable desks, on the other hand, lack this convenience.
You may resort to placing your items on top of your desk, but that will only transform your organized workspace into a cluttered mess. That is where drawers for height adjustable desks come in.
Why Most Stand-Up Desks Do Not Have Drawers
There are numerous reasons most stand-up desks do not have built-in drawers. The primary reasons are associated with the significant amount of weight added by fixing wood drawers to the desk, enormous strain placed on the lifting legs/linear actuators, and the cost of fabrication.
The weight of inbuilt drawers increase the stresses on the lifting legs of the stand-up desk, thus reducing its weight-lifting capacity. Moreover, the high strain on the motors significantly reduces the lifespan of the desk.
Storage Solution for Height Adjustable Desks
One of the most viable solutions for mitigating the storage problems in standing desks is the use of lightweight drawers. These drawers help to declutter your workspace while offering a storage space with minimum weight requirements.
Highlighted below are some of the best drawers for height adjustable desks:
- Pencil Drawer by NYCCO – 23” Wide Underdesk Drawer with Ball Bearing Slides
This under desk pencil drawer by NYCCO offers a great storage space solution for your desk. It is a high-quality pencil drawer that can be installed in new desks still being made or can be retrofitted into existing desks that lack a pencil drawer, thus making it a good fit for use in a height adjustable desk.
It comes with four mounting brackets for attaching it to the bottom of the desktop. The drawer is 20-1/2” wide and 16-1/4 deep. The minimum installation width is about 23”. The drawer is deep enough to provide plenty of storage space for your pens, pencils, calculators, and more.
The drawer features multiple compartments to allow for maximum organization. It is constructed with commercial grade design to ensure it stands the test of time. Most importantly, it is easy to install into already existing desks.
The smooth ball-bearing slides allow the drawer to open and close with utmost ease.
- 21” Wide Pencil Drawer with Partial Extension Slides
One of the primary advantages of using this pencil drawer is that no drawer front is required. Four mounting brackets are included to help you mount it onto the bottom of your desktop. If your desk has a lip on the front, you may have to block down to ensure the pencil drawer’s mounting point is flush with the lip’s bottom.
Its depth is 17” and its width is 21” on the inside and 23” on the outside.
During mounting, ensure the slides are fully closed. You may use a little bit of tape to help with this. This prevents the slides from stopping unevenly when the drawer is fully extended.
Thanks to this wonderful pencil drawer, you now have your essentials at arm’s reach while working on your desk. Even though the drawer is made of plastic, it is still sturdy enough to withstand some abrasion.
The drawer features a total of six compartments, thus giving you enough storage space for your writing utensils and more.
- Qline Underdesk Pencil Drawer: 23” Wide with Slide Out Ball Bearing Slides
This pencil drawer is made by Qline, an organization that has been in existence since 1981. It is effortless to install. You can attach it to the bottom of almost any standing desk. The attachment position is out of sight, thus promoting a clean, organized working space.
The Qline Pencil Drawer incorporates five separate compartments, so you can organize your materials neatly in an area where you will find them easily. It helps you to maintain a clean desktop and store your pencils, pens, and supplies conveniently.
This drawer is made from rigid plastic, which promotes durability. All hardware is included. It even comes with screws.
The drawer also has ball bearings that allow it to slide out smoothly. Also, the design includes a small rubber bumper that creates a little resistance when the drawer is fully pushed in, so the drawer does not slide out easily.
The exciting thing about this drawer is that it is almost invisible when pushed in.
- Pro X Pencil Drawer
The Pro X Pencil Drawer is super easy to install. The process takes less than 8 minutes. The drawer still provides enough space for ample knee room and armrest clearance for your chair.
The unit is 16” deep, including the lip. It extends 12” out and includes ball bearings to allow for smooth sliding.
The drawer mounts directly to the underside of your desk and does not require any drawer front. Store everything from papers, to paperclips, to pens, to pencils, and more. The result is a clean and organized workspace that promotes productivity.
It features a high-quality build that is both sturdy and durable. Also, the drawer features a positive stop feature that prevents it from sliding out easily when pushed in. The drawer is primarily made from rigid plastic, but the slides are made from metal.
One drawback is that the drawer is shallow so you cannot store large items.
- Swivel Pencil Tray
Your height adjustable desk can accommodate a monitor, lamp coffee cup, keyboard, and more; however, it is not the place for clutter. Your pencils, sticky notes, pens, etc. need a discreet compartment that is not easily visible. That is where the Swivel Pencil Tray comes in.
It smoothly slides out through a 360o swivel to give you access to what you need and swivels away when you push it back. The drawer click-locks into position when you lock it and offers some resistance during opening so you can be sure it won’t swivel out easily.
It is constructed from sturdy black plastic to promote durability. It takes its place under your standing desk where it is out of sight. The Swivel Pencil Tray takes up minimal space, thus making it suitable for most desks.
It easily attaches to the underside of your desktop using two wood screws that come with the tray. The desktop undersurface should be made from materials such as wood or composite to allow the screws to penetrate.
- 5” Wide Office Sliding Underdesk Drawer
Unlike most drawers on this list, this particular drawer is made from metal, hence making it exceptionally sturdy and durable.
It offers plenty of space to hold office accessories and personal items like a cell phone and keys. Nonetheless, it might not be deep enough to keep large or tall items like sticky tape reel and staplers.
The drawer features bearing slides to enable it to slide in and out smoothly. It is 14” deep and takes up to 15 lbs.
The drawer is designed with five mounting holes to allow for maximum stability. A sixth hole and machine screw are incorporated for alignment when installing on StandUpDeskStore desk models.
This drawer is compatible with most desks, including the StandUpDeskStore desks and Jarvis Stand up desk. Add extra storage space to your height adjustable desk, and create a more organized, clean workspace with a drawer that fits discreetly into the underside of your standing desk.
- 23” by 16” Pencil Drawer
This pencil drawer has an overall width of 23” and an overall depth of 16 ¼”. It comes with commercial grade ball bearings to allow for effortless sliding. The drawer is a ¾-extension slide.
It has one large tray in the rear and four small trays at the front, thereby providing ample room for keeping your office supplies like pens, pencils, calculators, keys, etc.
All mounting screws are included (both wood screws and sheet metal). The installation process is simple; however, if you are planning to attach it onto the average electric stand-up desk, you will need to employ a few modifications. The beams that run across these types of desks require you to create at least a 2” spacer before you can mount the drawer.
The main tray area of the drawer is 18 ¾” W x 11” L x 1 5/8” D. Overall, the drawer boasts of high build quality. The materials, construction, etc. are all first rate.
- RightAngle 300PTB Pencil Drawer
This pencil drawer is made from sturdy black plastic and comes with a 360o swivel. When not in use, it discreetly fits under your desktop out of sight. It smoothly swivels when you open it and stays firmly into place when you push it back.
It is super easy to install and works well for both height adjustable or regular desk. The good thing about this drawer is that, unlike other drawers, it does not require a lot of depth. Its dimensions are 8 ½” W x 14” L x 1 ¼” H. This also means you have ample knee room.
Switching to a height adjustable desk comes with one major challenge: lack of ample storage space. This pencil drawer strives to solve this problem by providing you with enough space to store your personal items and office accessories. Keep your pens, pencils, keys, etc. out of sight and maintain a clean, organized workspace that inspires productivity.
- ESI Ergo ACPD01 Pencil Drawer
This pencil drawer features ball bearing slides that allow it to retract smoothly. A one-year warranty is also included.
The dimensions for the inside drawer are 20.5” W x 16.25” D x 2 H, whereas the opening requirements are 23” W x 16.25” D x 2 H.
The ACPD01 Pencil Drawer fits perfectly under your height adjustable desk and is almost invisible when not in use. Bid goodbye to a messy, cluttered desk and embrace a neat, organized office workspace.
- Fellowes Office Suites Deluxe Keyboard Drawer
The best thing about this keyboard drawer is that the distance between the keyboard and desk is easily adjustable. For this reason, if you have a keyboard with large rear feet or a thick keyboard, you can lower the whole unit.
It comes with three height adjustments to enable you to set your desired work position. Besides, it is easy to install. In case you have a metal desk, you will have to screw in the drawer. Make sure to use flat-head sheet metal screws.
This is one of the few keyboard drawers that can accommodate a large, non-standard keyboard.
The keyboard drawer retracts smoothly when not in use, thanks to its ball bearing glide tracks. It also features a small rubber roller to hold it in place when you push it in. Consequently, you won’t have to worry about it accidentally rolling out.
Other Storage Space Solutions
Apart from lightweight drawers, filing cabinets also offer an excellent solution for storage space for stand-up desk users. They offer you the same amount of space as conventional desks. The presence of locks also makes them secure
Some filing cabinets are made with padded tops and are sturdy enough to be used for guest seating. Built-in wheels provide mobility and easy maneuverability.
Autonomous Filing Cabinet – Another change for you
It is both sleek and beautiful and is designed to fit perfectly under your height adjustable desk. It is made from an exceptional cold rolled steel plate, and features anti-rust treatment to improve its lifespan.
The Autonomous filing cabinet is easy to adjust and comes with movable drawer dividers to enable you to customize the space according to your preferences. It also incorporates wheels to allow you to maneuver it with ease.
Read more: Choosing the Best Filing Cabinet for your Workspace: A Detailed Analysis
Final Thoughts
You should not be forced to sacrifice your storage space just because you have decided to switch to a height adjustable desk. Depending on your required amount of storage, this list of incredible drawers will help you satisfy your needs accordingly.
They provide you with ample space to store your pens, pencils, tape dispenser, and more. Other storage solutions include trays, hanging storage solutions, floor pedestals, mountable hanging storage and more.
