Why you can trust TechRadar
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Yo-Yo’s Wellness 2+ smart desk presents a unique offering; the ability to control and track your standing desk activity using its companion app, helping you understand and visualize the benefits of using a standing desk.
With its robust build quality, great array of features and customizability option, it’s a contender for our ranking of the best standing desks.
Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Price & availability
You can find the Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk from online retailers and from the official Yo-yo website. The retail price is currently £732 for the frame only, putting it firmly into premium standing desk territory.
Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Specs
With fairly premium build quality and materials, the desk can support up to 100kg (including the tabletop, which is a lightweight veneered surface). It’s wonderfully robust; unlike some more affordable models I’ve used there’s little-to-no wobbling or juddering.
The Wellness 2+ ranges in price, starting at £732 for the frame only (if you want to reuse an existing desktop). There are six sizes ranging from extra small (100 x 60cm) for £804 up to £900 for the extra-large (180 x 80cm) tabletop model.
My version came with a free Yo-yo mat and there’s free installation, and you can also add Yo-Yo’s Ongo Stool with a £100 discount, to boot. Models with portholes (all sizes barring small and extra small) include plastic grommets, and all models come with a basic up/down switch.
The legs have dual motors and a 3-stage design with a minimum height of 617mm and a maximum height of 1267mm, moving at a rate of 32 mm/sec.
Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Shipping and unboxing
All Yo-Yo desks come with free installation, which takes 7 – 12 days (check out Yo-Yo’s Zone Map for further insight) or you can expedite the process by installing yourself, meaning you’ll get the desk in just 1-2 days.
It arrives in two boxes, one for the legs and one for the surface and attachments, but the legs come pre-assembled and ready to attach to the tabletop; you’ll want a helping hand to carry the boxes if you’re not particularly strong and opt for the self-installation. Everything came securely packaged, and the team even took the boxes with them when they left.
Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Assembly
I opted for the free installation as I’m not the strongest office worker in the world; however, I was in the room to observe the process, which was completed by a single builder. It’s definitely a two-person job when it comes to actually upturning the desk if, like me, you’re not built for heavy lifting, but the rest is very easily done following Yo-Yo’s quick and easy instructions. You’ll need your own electric and manual screwdriver, tape measure and spirit level, but the desk does come with an Allen key.
From start to finish, building the Wellness 2+ took around 40 minutes, including some light chatter along the way – a wonderfully quick process expedited significantly by the pre-built legs which you simply unbox, unfold, and attach to the table with the provided brackets. Then, add the feet and any accessories, affix the manual height controls and all that’s left to do is plug it in, flip the table and get it in situ.
Once upright, you can use a spirit level to determine the straightness of the surface, then use the feet to tweak it to perfection; a satisfying process I almost wanted to interrupt and do myself.
The hardest part is making sure the wires aren’t dangling around, if that’s something that will bother you, and I wish there was a bracket over the desk leg motor control power supply as I’ve seen in other models. While the wire that connects to your laptop for app controls does magnetically attach two the metal beam across the middle of the desk’s underside, it’s still prone to sliding off, so I’d recommend investing in some under-desk wire clips if you’re a cable control freak like me.
Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: First impressions
My immediate thought when I first saw the this smart desk set up in my home office was that, while it’s simple and professional, it’s a wonderfully blank canvas to work from. Personally, I’m not a fan of lighter surfaces on desks, as they’re prone to showing wear and tear far quicker, but fresh out of the box it does look lovely.
Getting myself set up with the app was simple and speedy, though I did have the added benefit of Yo-Yo’s founder Gavin Bradley attending my installation himself and talking me through the process. Still, I could have very easily done it myself.
To connect the desk to the app, you’ll need to plug in the included USB-A cable to your laptop, which requires some thoughtful wiring and desk organisation. You can download the app directly from Yo-Yo’s website, after which you set your desired standing and sitting default heights to be saved in the app.
Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Design
Simple in looks, the Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk I tested came with silver motorized legs and a light grey surface; not light enough to be marred by grubby fingers, but enough to maintain a neutral aesthetic.
The surface is also available in a white colorway for free, or you can opt for a timber, beech, oak, maple, Nebraska oak or walnut veneer finish for an added £25. While its lightweight nature might cause concern for the longevity of the surface, the reality is you need to keep things as slight as possible to allow for more heavy items on top of the desk. The legs also come in white or black, featuring dual motors and a 3-stage design.
I opted to place a cable management shelf at the rear of the desk, which doesn’t come included in the basic price but is a real boon given there are a few extra wires with this desk to accommodate the necessary USB-A connection with the companion app, and no included bracket to affix over the leg motor connector.
As highlighted in the specs section, this desk comes with the Yo-Yo Mat medium, which is designed to encourage small amounts of motion and also provide some cushioning on harder floors. Clad in black lining and measuring at 77 x 50 x 2cm, it’s a fantastic addition that made a world of difference for me.
The basic controls that come included with the Wellness 2+ are fine, allowing you to move the desk up and down, but you can’t see your selected height nor can you set or toggle defaults. That can be a little frustrating if, for whatever reason, you don’t have a device paired with the desk handy – which did happen to me a few times.
Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Performance and app
Even as a standalone desk and without considering the app and included mat, the Wellness 2+ is accomplished. It’s responsive, fairly quiet and fast, graduating smoothly through its different height settings to reach your desired setting. While it is, as I say, fairly quiet at a maximum volume of 50dB (which is louder than the advertised 45dB), I have certainly used quieter desks.
It also feels very robust; on my desk, I had a large monitor, laptop stand and several peripherals, all of which felt well-secured thanks to the legs’ smooth transition. Its anti-collision smarts work well too, which genuinely came in very handy when I accidentally switched modes and forgot I’d stashed some boxes under my desk.
I’ve always wanted to try using a standing desk, but my biggest, perennial issue with anything wellness and fitness-related is my rather low commitment to the cause. So, when I was offered the opportunity to review the Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ desk with its companion app and extensive user education, I leaped at the opportunity.
Once you’re set up, you can choose from within the app which setting and height you want to use, as well as what ratio of sitting to standing you’d prefer to target yourself on. Bradley says the optimum setting is 45/45 minutes, which I tried for the first few times I used the desk.
After you’ve finished one session, the app notifies you that it’s time to change position, and with the click of a button, it will rise or descend to the appropriate measure. It’s incredibly satisfying, even after a few weeks, and broadly speaking this did help me build some good standing habits. However, there were a few times I couldn’t exactly transition between positions, such as during an interview or while in the thick of some spreadsheets, but in such situations you can simply snooze the notification.
I loved being able to not only track my time spent standing and sitting, but also the estimated calories burned and how many times I switched throughout the day, which served as really positive reinforcement for my habit-building.
Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Accessories
I kept my desk fairly light and simple when it came to accessories outside of the aforementioned cable tray, which, as I say, is a must-have in my opinion. This comes at an added cost of £45, but there’s also a smaller version for £36, should you want to keep things simple.
There’s also a selection of add-ons such as metal grommets, a digital display with smart settings, various other cable management accessories, power accessories, monitor arms and more advanced standing mats. You can find more of those in our round-up of the best standing desk mats.
Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Final verdict
Overall, I have to say I’ve mostly been splitting hairs when critiquing the Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk. It’s impressively well-built, performs very well, and its smart features offer a unique benefit that could really help someone trying to habit-build or track their usage. It’s only flaw is being very basic in terms of what’s included, given its price.
I really put the Wellness 2+ through its paces, stacking it high with a full array of weighty peripherals, and it stayed resolute through it all, still moving with the smoothness and responsiveness I’d expect.
I can absolutely see myself using this desk for a long time in my home office, though in retrospect I’d have probably opted for a different surface colorway to make it feel a little less corporate. Still, it’s a brilliant desk that has had a genuine positive impact on my working habits and well-being, and for that alone it’s a real win.
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|
Design |
While it’s no show-stopper, the desk is certainly well-built. I’d have liked to see more in-built features at this price that aren’t costly add-ons, however. |
⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Material quality |
The veneered tabletop is no solid wood slate, but it keeps the weight (and cost) low. Otherwise, everything is of excellent build quality. |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Assembly |
I’d estimate a self-install would take 45 minutes to an hour, but with the included free installation completed by a professional it can take as little as 30 minutes. |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Ease of use |
Both the build-in manual controls and app are wonderfully easy. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Practicality |
There’s no storage, and all of the power and cable management options are add-ons, which can rack up the cost. |
⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Price |
It’s by no means overpriced as a basic desk, but it’s not cheap. Plus, the Wellness 2+ could become a big investment if you throw in accessories, some of which feel like must-haves. |
⭐⭐⭐ |
For more workspace accessories and office furniture, we reviewed the best office chairs.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yroqLgkcNmzAdRVvosHv3.jpg
Source link
josephine.watson@futurenet.com (Josephine Watson)
