The Humanscale Float Mini is a fascinating standing desk with an impressively minimal, electricity-free design. While there may be better choices for someone looking for a triple monitor setup or an ultrawide behemoth, this could be a perfect little desk for someone looking to stand with their laptop. Since this desk is not powered, you could add casters to improve mobility within an office space or wherever needed.
Unboxing and First Impressions
Unboxing this desk was as expected. It was a simple process, with all the elements labeled and the tools for construction included. This desk took us about 15 minutes to assemble after unboxing everything. The included instructions were easy to follow, and thanks to the aforementioned labeling, we were always clear on what to do.
When choosing our model, we added the NeatCharge wireless charger. This of course requires power, but the desk itself remains powerless. The NeatCharge wireless charger takes up zero desk space as it uses passthrough technology and mounts to the underside of the desk. Then, on the desktop, a little conductive adhesive is added to show where to place your Qi wireless charging device to align with the charger below. This design leaves the entire desk space usable (see photo).
Design and Build Quality
The Float Mini from Humanscale is a very modern-looking desk. Our model has a squared-off leg, a clean white metal base and leg, and a light bamboo desktop.
The lifting mechanism utilizes a counterbalance system with a simple lever so that even without a motor, this desk can raise and lower very smoothly and efficiently.
The weight capacity of this desk is a mere 60lb, so this isn't a desk to jump on, load with huge monitors or ride up and down like you can with a lot of standing desks. However, it is excellent for a single laptop, notebook, or drawing setup.
The desk utilizes a counterbalance system so you can raise the desk without the use of an electric motor. We thought this would be an inferior experience, but actually, the act of raising and lowering is relatively smooth and surprisingly easy to use.
In Use
We found an excellent use for this smaller footprint desk in an infrequently used area of our office space as a standing desk, using just a laptop or notebook. It could be the smaller footprint or the single-leg design, but this desk fits into a corner or against a wall quite nicely without feeling like it's protruding into the room. Because of this, we noticed several team members would venture over to this desk to knock out some emails, stretch from their workspace, or get a change of scenery.
The desk can drop down to a seated height; however, we only tried this once or twice as proof of concept but never actually used it this way. We use the height adjustment to match an individual's standing height, without making drastic changes to adjust for someone sitting.
Humanscale Float Mini sit-stand desk:
Type: Manual (counter-weight)
Height Range: 27.25 - 45.4in /
Desktop Size: 16 x 27in /
Lifting Weight: 60lb /
NeatCharge charger:
Type: Qi Wireless Charger
Output: Up to 10W
The NeatCharge is a beautiful solution for small desktops like this Humanscale Float Mini. Its lack of real estate is what makes it so attractive. Only a slight bump from the sticker shows where to place a Qi device on the charger. However, that spot is still absolutely usable if needed. We put the charger on the front right corner of our desk because we wanted to be able to place headphones or smartphones to charge while working somewhere else in our office.
Final Verdict
The Humanscale Float Mini with NeatCharge is a quality combination that is an excellent fit for a range of users. The minimalist design and relatively small footprint make it an ideal fit for small spaces that won't accommodate a standard desk, allowing us to make more use of our space. Adding in the NeatCharge takes the desk to the next level of practicality and productivity.
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