A wobbly desk can ruin your concentration.
If your desk wobbles whenever you type or write on it, and you are unsure how to stabilize it, follow the step-by-step instructions below to identify the problem and fix your shaky desk.
How To Fix A Wobbly Desk?
To stabilize a wobbly desk, first, you need to level off all legs using a wedge under smaller legs and then tighten all screws and joints. This process fixes most wobbly desks; However, if it still shakes, you must use diagonal braces, leg stabilizers, or even bolt the desk to the wall.
Quick Outline:
- In sections A, we’ll discuss 6 main reasons and solutions that will fix most shaky desks.
- then, in section B, we mention 5 stabilizing techniques to force your desk to stop wobbling (assuming solutions in section A weren’t enough).
A. Fix A Wobbly Desk: Troubleshooting Steps
Before using any clever stabilizing techniques (discussed in the second part of the article), finding the problems causing your desk to wobble and fix them is much easier.
1. Fix a Wobbly Desk: Uneven Legs or Surface
One of the most common issues with wobbly desks is having uneven legs. This can be caused by your actual desk legs (production and assembly issues) and the surface below each.
To fix this issue, first, you must make sure that all the legs are placed on the same surface and height (not two on the carpet and two on the floor).
Then, wobble the desk a little bit and identify shorter legs (the moving ones), and by using a piece of rubber, wood, or folded paper under shorter legs, try to level the desk off.
If it completely stops wobbling, you’re good to go!
But if not, let’s go to the next step:
2. Fix a Wobbly Desk: Loose Bolts and Joints
After checking the legs and making sure they are all leveled off, it’s time to find any loose joints or screws.
Turn your desk upside down, and start checking and tightening all screws carefully (use an electric screwdriver for the best results).
Turn the desk back up, and check if it still wobbles; if yes, then let’s go the step 3:
3. Fix a Wobbly Desk: Desks Wobble on Carpet!
In this step, we want to check if the surface below the desk is causing any instability issues.
Is your desk sitting on a carpet? Often, rugs have uneven design patterns and can be partially responsible for the desk wobble.
If you have a carpet under your desk, try removing and testing your desk stability on a hard floor (don’t forget step 1: make sure the desk is leveled off).
You’re probably going to feel that the desk is less shaky.
And that’s why I’d recommend keeping your desk on a hard floor, and if not possible, at least make sure that the legs aren’t sitting on different materials or designs on the carpet.
After checking the carpet, let’s take a look at the weight distribution on the desk:
4. Fix a Wobbly Desk: Weight Balance
For most sturdy desks, unbalanced weight distribution doesn’t cause any problems.
However, if the desk joints aren’t strong enough and the desk is wobbly already, having multiple heavy monitors or your computer case on one side of the desk will make things worse.
First, try to remove heavy objects from the desk to solve this problem, especially if they are sitting at the sides.
But if you need the objects and can’t remove them from the desk, try balancing the weight by distributing the weight evenly on the desk or adding other heavy items on the other side of the desk to ensure there is equal pressure on all legs and joints.
5. Fix a Wobbly Desk: Moving Parts in Standing-Desks
Why do standing desks tend to wobble more? Well, there are two main reasons:
- Taller legs
- Moving columns
Although we don’t want to shorten the legs (they’re made to raise desk height), we have to make sure that height adjusting columns are working correctly. Otherwise they can interfere with the motors and lead to ASR error on the standing desk.
Two main factors influence column instability:
- Column overlap: As the overlap between the telescoping tubes decreases, the desk starts to wobble more. Keeping a 5inch (at least) overlap between the tubes is recommended to minimize instability.
- Glide bearings: All height-adjustable desks have glide bearings located between the telescoping tubes. Ideally, each desk should have customized bearings. If these bearings don’t fit appropriately between the tubes (they may be loose), they cause instability for the desk (especially at standing height).
For more details, please watch the video below by RightAngle™ on wobbly standing desks:
6. Fix a Wobbly Desk: Assembly Mistakes
Assuming your desk is solid and stable by default, the 5 step troubleshooting mentioned above will probably fix your wobbly desk.
If not, your desk is wobbly by default, and you have to force stabilize it (discussed in section B).
However, before going to section B, there is one last thing you need to do: Check for any assembly mistakes.
You have to disassemble all the desk parts, check the instruction manual carefully, and assemble the desk again to make sure there aren’t any problems causing it to wobble.
(if you are using IKEA desks, you can find the instruction manuals here: Assembly Instructions
If it still wobbles after reassembly, you have to force stop the wobbling! Follow section B of this article to make the desk rock solid.
B. Fix a Wobbly Desk: Force-Stabilize Your Desk
This section discusses 5 different methods to re-enforce your desk structure and get rid of wobbles.
7. Triangles or L Blocks
Square shapes are fundamentally unstable. Therefore we need to make sure that the connections are as strong as possible.
To do so, we can use a set of triangle or L-shaped blocks to re-enforce the corners of the desk frame and stop the sides from tilting.
These blocks are installed between the legs and desktop. If the desk is wobbling front and back, they must be installed front and back. And accordingly, if it is moving from side to side, they must be installed side to side.
8. H Leg Stabilizer
Square frames tend to deflect to parallelograms when force is applied to them. In steps 8 to 10, we try to stop this movement by reinforcing the structure.
The primary method to stabilize square shapes is to divide them into triangles using cross supports.
You may think that an H stabilizer isn’t creating any triangles!
But it actually does (inside the H bar). The critical point is using two bolts on each side (one at each corner).
Since it’s all one part, it’s not visible. But having one bolt at each corner of the part makes an X diagonal support configuration and helps stabilize the legs.
9. Diagonal Braces
As mentioned in the previous step, we are trying to divide our square frame into triangles.
Here, one step further, we will install cross diagonal braces.
To do so, measure the diagonal length of your desk legs. Then, Install wood or metal braces of the same length at the backside of the desk (screw the braces to the legs and make sure the braces are rigid).
By doing so, instead of a square frame, you have multiple triangle frames that are naturally stable.
10. Square Panels
Combining diagonal braces and H stabilizers brings us to square panels.
Using a single wood, metal, acrylic, or plexiglass panel perfectly cut to fit the backside of the desk is both cleaner and more effective than previous methods.
Attach each side with four screws to the legs and the desktop for a better result.
These screws will create multiple (although invisible) braces relative to each other and make the desk rock solid.
11. Attach The Desk to The Wall
So far, in sections A and B, we have reviewed 10 different methods to stabilize your wobbly desk. I tried to order the steps from easy ways that work for most desks to more complicated ones to force the desks that don’t stop wobbling.
Here is the final solution that I suggest only doing if the previous methods don’t work: Bolt the desk to the wall
for attaching the desk to the wall, first, you need to make holes in the wall, then bolt a piece of wood to the wall as a connecter, and finally screw the desk to the wood.
But, before starting, don’t forget about the cables. When the desk is fixed to the wall, cables can no longer pass through the backside of the desk.
So you have to whether make holes into the desk to pass the wires or pass them through the left and right sides.
This process, if not done carefully, can cause problems that can’t be undone, so I recommend watching the video tutorial below by Upgrade Addiction:
FAQ
Why Do Desks Wobble?
As discussed in the articles, there are a few reasons, including:
- Uneven Legs
- Loos bolts and joint
- Uneven carpet or floor surface below the legs
- Moving parts in standing desks’ columns
- Assembly mistakes
What Tools Do I Need For Each Step?
All you need for all the steps mentioned in section A is a screwdriver that matches your desk model.
However, in section B, you are going to need:
- Meter
- Drill
- wood, plastic, or metal parts to use as braces, panels, or corner wedges
- Screws and screwdriver
- Surface leveler
How Do I Level My Wobbly Desk?
You can use a simple lever if you have one. If not, you can measure each edge of the desk relative to the floor surface to ensure they are all even.
Conclusion
Is desk stability a problem for you?
Don’t worry; in this article, we discussed 11 solutions to make your desk sturdy.
To summarize it all,
Here are 11 steps to fix your wobbly desk:
- Level off your desk legs and the surface
- Tighten all loose joints and screws
- Remove the carpet from below the desk
- Distribute the weight evenly on the desk
- Check the moving parts in standing desks
- reassemble the desk following the instruction manual
- Use triangle or L wedges
- Install H leg stabilizers
- Use diagonal braces
- Install square panels
- Bolt the desk to the wall
- Section A: Steps 1 to 6, identifying the cause of wobble and solving it.
- Section B: Steps 7 to 11, forcing the desk to stop wobbling by reinforcing methods (assuming section A methods weren’t enough).
Using a single step from the ones mentioned in the article may not stop your desk from wobbling,
but I’m sure that by following all the steps -or at least the ones that are practical for you- your desk will be rock solid.
If you found this article useful,
here are a few other topics that you might be interested in:
Standard Desk Depth for Different Desk Types
Organizing a Desk Without Drawers
