Free shipping in US

Truth be told, we’ve all become too dependent on technology, taking it for granted as if it’s supposed to always be there for us when we need it. But in real life, things malfunction sometimes - that’s just the way it is.

The fact of the matter is, that standing desks are a blend of both electrical and mechanical components. Therefore, a certain amount of issues tend to be unavoidable at some point. As irritating as it may be, your standing desk is actually quite likely to get stuck eventually, but don’t panic!

In today’s post, we’ve prepared a comprehensive guide on how to unlock a standing desk that lists out the possible reasons why it got stuck along with corresponding fixes.

Quick fixes on how to unlock a standing desk

Before we delve deeper into how to unlock a standing desk, kindly go through the following quick fixes to see if any of them resolve the issue without delving into the nitty and gritty:

  • Verify that the desk is plugged in.
  • Make sure there is no clutter that would obstruct the movement of the table.
  • Disconnect and reconnect the power. At least 30 seconds should pass in between.
  • Hold down the power button for a while. This will cause the desk to go to its minimum height.

If none of the steps above helped resolve the issue, keep on reading - we’ve prepared a comprehensive list of possible causes with corresponding fixes that will let you in on everything you know on how to unlock a standing desk.

How to unlock a standing desk: 9 possible causes with corresponding fixes

Before you start banging your head against the wall in sheer frustration, take a deep breath and stay composed. You’re going to need to do some troubleshooting, but chances are that one of the fixes outlined below might just resolve the issue you’re facing.

1. There is an object in the way

Whether it be a:

  • Children’s toy;
  • shelf;
  • cable;
  • piece of furniture,

you’d be surprised how often such a thing can turn out to be the culprit. Modern standing desks actually come with a built-in collision detection feature that prevents it from bumping into the said object.

The fix

Look beneath and around the table and remove any clutter that might be getting in the way.

2. Power-related issues

Standing desks have a fair share of electronic components inside of them. Have you checked the power didn’t get unplugged for a certain period of time or the desk got disconnected entirely? Then do so now. If the latter turned out to be the case - great - you’ve remedied the issue. In the case of the former, you need to keep in mind that standing desks are designed to automatically enter reset mode when they lose power. The issue that throws many people off guard is that once in this state, they can only move downwards.

The fix

To fix this, you will need to perform a manual reset of the table. But even before that, check the basics and make sure the power is plugged in.

3. The legs might be unevenly placed

As time goes on, it’s not out of the ordinary for standing desks that incorporate two or more motors to become uneven, even if it’s just a little bit. The root of the issue is the self-locking mechanism; if it’s not high quality, this affects the motor and the spindle, and when the motor is out of sync, this results in your standing desk becoming uneven.

Once it’s like this, the following scenarios can happen:

  1. The desk’s sensor recognizes the unevenness and the controls will stop the desk from moving up to make sure it doesn’t get damaged.
  2. The desk’s sensor fails to recognize the issue, allowing the desk to move both up and down until eventually the desk gets stuck due to too much friction in the legs.

The fix

Perform a complete reset. This way, the leg will be realigned and the table will regain its balance.

4. The desk is overloaded

Every standing desk has a weight limit - that’s the way they were designed to be. If you go beyond that weight limit, the desk is going to be overloaded. What does this mean for you, the end-user? Simply that the desk will refuse to cooperate and won’t go any higher as a result. This is a built-in feature designed to protect the components.

The fix

As you might have guessed, the fix can be something as simple as removing a certain bit of weight from your standing desk. This can be anything that’s not absolutely essential to your day-to-day workflow. Most of the time, the sensors will pick up on it automatically and resume proper function, which means there’s no need to do a manual reset. To prevent this from happening again, it’s also a good idea to check the manufacturer’s manual and note any weight limits. Note that this may be written in the following two different formats:

  • Base only
  • Base + work-surface

Pro tip: consider getting a standing desk with built-in extra storage like LiftSync Studio. It was designed to handle the extra weight.

5. The control box cycles out

Did you know that the control box has a maximum amount of duty cycles before it needs to rest? In order to reset it, some downtime is going to be necessary. In fact, most modern standing desk control boxes have a built-in mandatory rest period with the intention of preventing overheating. Typically, for every 2 minutes of activity, the control box needs roughly 18 minutes of downtime.

The fix

If you’ve identified this as the root cause of your issues, give your desk a solid 18 minutes of rest. You may find that the desk automatically turns on even before the time period has passed. If that did not suffice, try doing a manual reset. Among other things, this will override the downtime cycle (try to give your desk some rest anyway).

6. Poor cable management

This could have been mentioned under point nr. 1, but because cables are so often to blame for so many people’s woes, they deserve their own section. If you’re not among those individuals who make cable management a priority and a habit, this is bound to happen to your sooner or later. If this describes you, it could be the case that one of the cables has gotten tangled up or loose. This can be either:

  • The power cable
  • The control box cable
  • The motor cable

Note that even a cable that’s bent only slightly can be the root cause of the issue. If this happens, the table’s power could be either disconnected in its entirety or fluctuate from on to off.

The fix

Inspect the cable situation beneath the desk and make sure the power cable is firmly inserted into the power socket. To prevent this from happening in the future, it’s wise to invest a little bit of your money into various cable management accessories and systems. Also, after you’ve checked and re-checked everything, it doesn’t hurt to do a manual reset to make sure the table can recover and readjust.

Pro tip: did you know that LiftSync Shelfy was designed to help you manage that dreaded cable mess and organize it better?

LiftSync Shelfy electric standing desk with LED lighting, built-in shelf, storage drawer

LiftSync Shelfy electric standing desk with LED lighting, built-in shelf, storage drawer

7. The desk has an upper container stop

The term may sound technical, but it merely has to do with the user’s ability to set the desk’s maximum height. For instance, a user may decide to override the default setting with this to avoid colliding the table with another object or a piece of furniture (like a shelf).

The fix

It could be that you chose to utilize this setting one day and then forgot about it the next. We suggest you grab the user manual and find out how to override the setting, so the table will be able to move past it. As you do this, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines precisely so as to not mess up any other relevant settings.

8. The desk has a lower container stop

Similarly to the previous problem described above, it could be that a user-controlled setting is activated that limits how far your standing desk can be lowered. In fact, it’s better that you do set it at some point to avoid lowering your standing desk to the absolute maximum extreme, as this can put additional strain on its internal components (an inch or two will suffice). And, if there are pieces of furniture or other items you tend to place below your standing desk, that’s one more reason to turn this setting on. Just don’t forget that you did!

The fix

Just like before, consult the manufacturer’s manual and figure out how to revert, override, or disable this setting. Make sure to follow the instructions closely.

9. Another type of malfunction

If you’ve exhausted the list and are simply out of ideas what to try next, it could be that the issue has a greater technical complexity and is possibly related to the malfunctioning of the internal components within your standing desk. If not, please re-read our guide and attempt every possible fix.

The fix

Contact the manufacturer for further assistance.

Conclusion

We’ve outlined the most likely reasons why desks like these may get stuck and showed you how to unlock a standing desk. Although the procedure can be challenging, systematically follow the suggestions we’ve outlined and you should be able to rectify the issue on your own in most cases.

Note that we’ve intentionally left out other reasons such as human error (you may have assembled the desk incorrectly to begin with) in order to provide the most actionable advice possible and narrowed it down to misconfiguration, overheating, obstruction, power-related issues, or the possibility of it being overloaded.

So before you decide to call the manufacturer, make sure to read and re-read this troubleshooting guide and chances are you’ll be able to resolve the issue. Best of luck!

Latest Stories

View all

The Best Standing Desk for Home Office: 11 Features to Look For

The Best Standing Desk for Home Office: 11 Features to Look For

Find the ideal standing desk for your home office with our guide to the 11 must-have features for comfort and productivity.

Read more

How to Unlock a Standing Desk: 9 Tips and Tricks Revealed

How to Unlock a Standing Desk: 9 Tips and Tricks Revealed

Discover 9 tips and tricks to easily unlock and adjust your standing desk for optimal comfort and productivity. Unlock your desk in minutes!

Read more

7 Proven Benefits of Using an Adjustable Standing Desk

7 Proven Benefits of Using an Adjustable Standing Desk

Explore 7 proven benefits of using an adjustable standing desk, including better posture, increased energy, and improved productivity for a healthier workspace.

Read more

RuffRuff App RuffRuff App by Tsun