IKEA MITTZON Sit/Stand vs IKEA TROTTEN

IKEA

IKEA MITTZON Sit/Stand

MITTZON is IKEA's newer office range and the sit/stand version is the value pick of the two IKEA desks here. It takes the IDÅSEN's approach — dual motors, collision detection that reverses by an inch or two, a 24.4-inch minimum — adds 22 lb of capacity, includes the cable tray that IDÅSEN charges for, and offers five sizes including two shallow 23.6-inch-deep options that suit a narrow room. It gives up a little perceived solidity and the IDÅSEN's slightly higher build quality. For most people the extra sizes and the included tray matter more. As with every IKEA desk the electronics carry two years against ten on the structure, and the controller is proprietary.

IKEA

IKEA TROTTEN

Not sold new in the US. IKEA's US store sells TROTTEN only as fixed-height desks; the crank sit/stand version is not listed.

IKEA's US store no longer lists the TROTTEN sit/stand — the TROTTEN desks it sells now are fixed-height — so this is a reference for anyone weighing a used one. It is a hand crank that folds away under the top, with no motor, no controller, no power lead and nothing in it that can fail electronically. At $249 it cost a fraction of a powered desk, and for a desk that gets raised once or twice a day that is a reasonable trade. What it costs you is range and load. It starts at 27.5 inches, which is close to a standard fixed desk and too high for a short user to sit at properly, tops out at 47.25, and is rated for 110 lb. The frame has a crossbar, which helps the rigidity. As a used buy it is a cheap way to find out whether you will actually use a standing desk, or a zero-electronics desk that will still work in fifteen years.