The Flexispot E7 is a fantastic choice as far as standing desks go. The quality and price make it hard to beat the value. That’s exactly why I purchased one for myself.
In this article, I’ll go over the assembly process in a bit more detail than FlexiSpot does in their manual. Something that was not covered in the FlexiSpot instructions was how to use your own tabletop if you only purchased the frame.
This was my situation, so I had to improvise. I’ll share those E7 assembly details in this guide.
By the way, the E7 Pro Plus is the model just below the E7 Pro. The E7 Pro does have pretty much the same assembly process though. The main difference will be the final cable management accessories that FlexiSpot added to the E7 Pro.
Let’s dive into the build!
The ALEX Drawer Desk I Started With
I started with a dual ALEX drawer desk setup. This solid wood 60″ x 30″ oak tabletop was purchased from IKEA with these ALEX drawers back in 2016!
I knew a solid wood tabletop could last a really long time because you can always sand, re-finish, and even stain it for a new look.
I am sticking to my word and only purchased the FlexiSpot E7 desk frame to use with my old tabletop. (Really wanted that walnut tabletop, but I could not justify the added $1000+).
Here’s what my old desk setup looked like with everything stripped away. Consider this the “before” picture.
Tools Needed To Assemble The E7
For assembling the E7 Pro Plus, I used the following tools:
- 4mm Hex key (included)
- 4mm T-Handle Hex Key (included)
- Philips Hand Screwdriver (included)
- Power Drill with Philips Bit
- Drill bit extension
If you are drilling into a non-FlexiSpot desktop surface that doesn’t have the pre-drilled holes, you will also need the following.
- Drill Bits (1/16″ or 5/64″)
- Measuring Tape or Ruler
- Pencil / Marker
Step 1: Getting Ready To Build the E7
My first step is already different from FlexiSpot’s instructions. FlexiSpot instructs you to first build the frame, and then lift it on top of your tabletop to screw it in. Don’t do this.
This is a pretty bad order of operations for two reasons.
- This requires more space. You need space for the frame on the floor and your tabletop on the floor at the same time.
- You have to lift the heavy assembled frame on top of the tabletop.
The assembled frame is very heavy. My E7 frame box alone weighed 70 lbs! Asking everyone to lift a 70 lb frame on top of their desk surface is not a great idea.
I also don’t have enough room for the desk surface and the frame to be on the floor at the same time. I live in a pretty small apartment, so this seemed like an unnecessary use of space.
The smarter way to build is to put down a blanket on the floor (to avoid scratching your desktop’s surface). Then place your desk surface upside down on top of it.
This way, we build the frame on the bottom side of the desk where we will also screw it in. No lifting is required, and it’s a very space-efficient process.
Step 2: Unbox and Triple Check Components
It’s always a good idea to open up your box and triple-check that all of your components are in the box. The manual shows you everything that should come in the box, so I won’t regurgitate that here.
Step 3: Follow FlexiSpot Steps 1 Through 3
Once you start with your desk surface on the floor, the FlexiSpot instructions are pretty basic and easy to follow.
Install The Side Brackets
The first step in the manual is to install the brackets on either side of the central beam. I found this step to be easier by lifting the central beam onto some of the slim boxes that came with the desk.
Just be sure that all the desk grommets are facing upwards and secure them with the specified screws.
Then flip this bracket and beam assembly upside down so all the rubber grommets make contact with the desk.
Install The E7 Lifting Columns
The next step is to place the lifting columns on either end of the beam assembly. Each lifting column is identical, so you don’t have to worry if one is right or left-sided.
The lifting columns are pretty heavy, so be careful with this step. These columns house the motor and screw assembly that lifts your desk up and down.
We talk more about the standing desk mechanisms in this article.
Secure these screws down tightly. FlexiSpot mentions that if you don’t cinch these down well, your desk will be prone to more wobbling.
Install The E7 Pedestal Feet
The Pedestal feet are the long pieces of metal that will make contact with your floor. They come integrated with leveling feet which is fantastic.
Place the hollow cavity of the feet into the lifting column, and secure it with the specified screws.
Now it’s really starting to look like an upside-down desk!
Step 4: Screw The Frame Into The Desk Surface
For Pre-Drilled FlexiSpot Desk Surfaces
If you ordered your FlexiSpot E7 Pro Plus with a desk surface, your life will be pretty easy here. You simply need to line up the holes of the frame with the pre-drilled holes on either end of the desk and screw them in.
Screw in all pre-drilled holes by hand! Depending on what desk material you have, you can easily over-tighten and compromise the holding strength when using a power drill.
This is because the FlexiSpot pre-drilled holes are pretty big. That means it will be easy to screw in by hand and easy to overtighten and strip with a power drill.
The FlexiSpot assembly video above informs users with pre-drilled desks to screw in one side first. Then users should extend the central beam until the other side matches up with the other pre-drilled holes.
After both sides have been screwed in, you will have to manually screw in the central four screws along the center of the beam. You can use a power drill for this, as these do not come pre-drilled.
They don’t come pre-drilled because this frame is meant to adapt to a variety of different desk sizes.
For Non-FlexiSpot Desk Surfaces
Because I did not use a FlexiSpot desktop, I had to drill all the holes myself. Here’s how I recommend you line up and drill your tabletop.
Line Up Your FlexiSpot Desk Frame
I placed my FlexiSpot E7 frame right at the center of my desk. It’s a center-column design, so I wanted to keep it somewhat symmetrical.
I also wanted the desk to have useable ledges on each side in case I wanted to use any clamp-on accessories. I measured a 2-inch gap from each edge of my desk and marked where I wanted the frame to be, as seen in the image below.
You can have any gap you want or no gap at all. In hindsight, I probably should have gone with a 3-inch gap, but that’s no big deal.
Measure and mark all sides of your desk. At this point, you should have the desired frame position indicated on your desk.
Then you can loosen the central beam screws that allow the frame to expand. Place each end of the frame to match your markings. Then tighten these screws so the beam stays in place.
Pre-Drill & Screw Your Frame Into Your Desk
Now that we have our frame positioned where we want it, we are ready to pre-drill our holes.
I recommend pre-drilling holes to allow the supplied screws to go into your desk more easily. It also helps you guide the screw position right away.
I used a 5/64″ drill bit to pre-drill the desk. This is small enough to still allow the threads of the supplied screws to grip the wood very well.
While comparing your drill bit to the screw size, also keep in mind the maximum screw depth. Ensure you do not drill past this depth to ensure you don’t punch through to the topside of your desk.
You will also have the standing desk frame sandwiched between the screw head and your desk, so you have some wiggle room here.
For example, here I can tell I have no need to drill deeper than where the flutes stop on the drill. You can place some painter’s tape on the drill to have a more clear stopping point.
I had to use a drill bit extension when pre-drilling the holes. Otherwise, my power drill chuck would collide with the brackets on either end of the standing desk frame.
Once you pre-drill all holes, you can use a power drill to install all the screws. I was able to use the power drill because my pre-drilled hole was still tight with the screw and took some real effort to tighten by hand.
Tighten the screw snug with the grommet, and try not to destroy the grommet by overtightening.
With your drill bit still out, you can mark holes, pre-drill, and install the keypad controller that came with your standing desk.
That’s it! You’re done with the scariest part of the standing desk frame assembly & installation!
Step 5: Connect Your Cables
The last step here is to connect all your cables to the main control box.
You will have to connect the power cable, each desk leg cable, and the two control pad cables. Easy peasy!
After this, you simply need to add the cable management tray. This tray does its best to cover up all the cables within the center of the beam. It’s not perfect, but it does a decent job.
Step 6: Flip It & Test It
The last step here is to flip that desk over, plug it in, and test it out! You might need a friend to help flip the desk over. My solid wood tabletop made this entire desk very hard and awkward to flip on my own.
Congrats, you’re done! Install your gear and enjoy your FlexiSpot E7 Pro Plus Standing Desk!
Check out these articles if you want to take your standing desk to the next level:
