JASWIG StandUp Nomad Review

Looking for a beautiful, wooden, environmentally friendly standing desk that is strong and fits in to your life (and space) really well? Read this before buying a standing desk, you’ll want our expertise!

Jaswig Standing Desk Nomad Review Summary

NotSitting.com Product Rating: 3.7 / 5

Jaswig StandUp Nomad
Jaswig StandUp Nomad
  • Stability –
  • Reliability –
  • Ergonomics –
  • Experience –
  • Aesthetics –
  • Jeff’s Swing Vote –

 

The Jaswig StandUp Nomad is a really cool standing desk. It adjusts to your height, has a decent amount of desktop space, is made with sustainable birch wood, and is a conversation starter. It is an excellent workstation for your laptop, notes, sketches, and designs. It also assembles easily. It’s primary drawback is the durability of the finish on the desktop… I was able to easily (accidentally) scratch it. All together though, this is a really awesome desk.

The look of the desk is plain and I expect we’ll start to see pictures online of various ways people have customized the look of their Jaswig. To me it almost screams in its desire to be painted on or something. If you customize yours please send me a picture and I’ll include it here in the review.

One note before I move on, I tested this desk for a week before writing this review and as a result, I removed the traditional desk in my home office. This is now my main workstation… that should give you an idea of how much I like it.

Nomad Feature Overview

Jaswig Nomad Jigsaw Puzzle
Jaswig Nomad Jigsaw Puzzle

The two best features of this desk are its look, and its underlying function. Everything from a pencil slot to an open shelf to store things is here. There is a notable cross piece that acts as a footrest as well. It is just really well done. The desk comes in pieces, packed amazingly flat, and goes together easily. Once it is assembled and you get the hang of adjusting the desk, you’re off and running.

Here are a list of features from my personal perspective:

  • Pen/Pencil holder on the desktop
  • Shelf for books, phone, laptop, paper, pen and pencil sets, whatever
  • Clear assembly instructions
  • Strong enough to hold a loaded dual monitor arm
  • Adjustable height
  • Footrest bar
  • Strength and stability, even at the max height
  • Forest Stewardship Council certified birch
  • Desk height locks in to position

Jeff’s Improvement Areas:

  • The finish on the desktop scratches too easily.
  • Assembly is required. It is simple, but required. However, this does keep shipping and handling costs low…

Jeff’s Product Suggestions:

  • Offer a version without finish so that I can customize the look or finish durability
  • Provide felt protection for the feet for those of us with wooden floors

Jaswig StandUp Nomad Specifications

Jaswig Standing Desk
Jaswig Standing Desk
  • Materials: Birch plywood, metal hardware
  • Height Adjustment: 36.5 inches to 48 inches
  • Country of Manufacture: USA
  • Desktop Size: 21.5 inches x 31.5 inches (there is a Nomad-Extra Wide available with a larger desktop)
  • Color: Natural birch

Jaswig Assembly

The Jaswig arrives neatly packed in a box, which is heavy due to the strength of the materials. The instructions are very clear (as long as you follow them) and assembly takes around 10 minutes. The tools required for installation are included in the package. If you have ever assembled furniture before, maybe from IKEA, then you will feel right at home.

Be aware that the finish on the wooden pieces is thin and so it is very important to assemble the desk on a carpet or blanket. Keep all the wooden pieces protected from scratches throughout assembly. Through real world use the desk will get scratched though there is no point in starting off on the wrong foot.

Using the Nomad with a Monitor Arm

I was excited to discover, once I’d setup the desk, that I could mount a monitor arm on it. From a design standpoint there is enough space for a standard clamp-mount, the desktop is thick enough to handle it, and the desk is sturdy enough for the weight behind the center line. I highly doubt this is within the intended usage of the desk though, so proceed at your own risk as in all DIY projects. I used the LocTek Dual Monitor/Laptop Arm on mine, along with a large monitor and wireless keyboard and mouse. This let’s me keep the desktop space free for sketching, notes, or whatever while I use the desk. Once I installed the arm, the Jaswig Nomad quickly became my go-to workstation in the home office.

Here is my personal setup:

Creative Ideas for the Nomad

Jaswig Adjustable Desk
Jaswig Adjustable Desk

There are so many great ways to use the Jaswig Nomad StandUp desk! I use it as my main computer workstation at home and since I’ve been using it I’ve had a lot of ideas. Here are a few:

  • Standing desk for potting plants
  • Drawing table
  • Second, standing workstation for your office
  • Simply as decor with a plant and statue on it
  • Television stand
  • Classroom desks
  • Scrum meeting desk
  • Speaker podium
  • The wide version fits over an iMovR Treadmill
  • RC Helicopter landing pad

 

Thank you to Mathias at Jaswig for providing this desk so that I could write a review based on actual experience with the desk!