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.
Who this desk fits
estimated, not measured
Reaching 27.5″ at the bottom and 47.25″ at the top, this desk can hit both a sitting and a standing elbow height for people roughly 5′9″ to 6′4″ tall.
How the height is quoted: Working-surface height with the top fitted, as IKEA quotes it for the finished desk.
Enter your height — 5'11", 71 or 180cm all work.
What ~$249 buys: Last known price for the 47.25×27.5 crank desk; IKEA US now sells TROTTEN only as fixed-height desks.
Specifications
At a glance
Features
- Hand crank that folds under the top when not in use
- 27.5–47.25 in at the surface
- 110 lb rated lift
- No motor, no power lead, silent
- Crossbar-braced frame
- 10-year frame and top warranty
In its favour
- Cost a fraction of a powered desk
- No motor, controller or power lead means nothing to fail and no standby draw
- Completely silent, which no powered desk is
- Ten years on frame and top at $249
- The crank folds away rather than sticking out
Against it
- Not sold by IKEA US as of October 2026: TROTTEN is listed only as fixed-height desks, so the crank version is shown for comparison
- 27.5 inches at the bottom is close to a standard fixed desk and too tall for shorter users to sit at
- 110 lb is the lowest rating of any full-size desk here
- Cranking through the range takes real effort, which is enough friction to stop people bothering
- A 47.25-inch ceiling is too low for anyone much over 6 ft 3 in
These points come from the published specification and the desk's design, not from owner reports — this model has not yet had enough owner discussion collected to draw on.
What owners say
Not enough owner discussion of the IKEA TROTTEN has been collected to write this section honestly yet. Rather than fill it with paraphrased marketing copy, it stays empty until there is something real to report. The specifications above come from the manufacturer's own documentation.
IKEA TROTTEN, head-to-head
Desks people look at alongside it
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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.
Fits 5′1″ to 6′8″ (est.)
Best for: A narrow room or a tight budget where a 23.6-inch-deep surface solves the problem.
Full spec sheet
IKEA
IKEA IDÅSEN
The IDÅSEN is the one IKEA desk in this catalog that competes on engineering rather than price. Two-stage legs give it a 25-inch travel span from a low 24.75 inches, the collision sensor reverses an inch or two rather than just stopping, and the build is closer to an office product than a flat-pack one: IKEA rates it contract grade, to ANSI/BIFMA. Two things pull it back. The 154 lb capacity is very low: a heavy monitor arm, a large panel and a laptop dock gets you uncomfortably close to it, and it rules out mounting a tower. And it is a genuine hour and a half of assembly, sometimes with a second person, on particle board with a veneer over it. The 10-year frame cover and 2-year electronics cover is the usual IKEA split. Note the controller is proprietary, so third-party keypads and desk-automation hardware do not work with it.
Fits 5′2″ to 6′9″ (est.)
Best for: A good-looking desk at a mid price, for a light setup and someone who does not mind an evening of assembly.
Full spec sheet
The cheapest way into height adjustment in this catalog, and a useful reality check on what the powered desks are actually charging for. A hand crank, a crossbar-braced two-stage frame, 110 lb of capacity and room for a top from 37 to 77 inches long, for about $130. There is nothing to fail: no control box, no motor, no firmware. What you give up is everything to do with convenience and range. At 15 mm per turn, end-to-end travel takes about thirty turns of the handle, and that friction decides whether a desk gets raised twice a day or twice a month; the 28.5-inch floor, with a 1-inch top, does not lower to a good sitting height for most people. It is a good frame for a workshop bench, a sewing table, or a low-commitment experiment before spending five times as much.
Fits 5′11″ to 6′3″ (est.)
Best for: A workbench, a craft table, or testing the idea of a standing desk before committing real money.
Full spec sheet