I Bought a Jarvis Frame Only and Regretted It – Here‘s What Depth Options Really Matter

Conclusion first: your Jarvis depth choice is the single most important decision you’ll make, and frame-only isn’t always a bargain.

After three years and about $3,200 in wasted desk hardware, I can tell you exactly what matters when ordering a Fully Jarvis standing desk: depth options and whether to buy frame-only. Get those two things right and everything else—color, material, size—is secondary. Get them wrong and you’ll be looking at a $450 slab of laminate that doesn’t fit your monitor mount.

I’m a facilities coordinator handling office furniture orders for a mid-size tech company. In my first year (2017), I ordered 12 Jarvis desks frame-only because I thought ‘we have our own tabletops.’ What I didn’t account for: those tabletops were 2cm too thick for the clamps. The whole order had to be returned. That mistake cost us $890 in restocking fees plus a 1-week delay. Since then I’ve personally made (and documented) 8 significant ordering errors, totaling roughly $3,200 in wasted budget. Now I maintain our team’s checklist to prevent others from repeating my errors. So consider this your pre-purchase walkthrough—from someone who’s already tripped.

Why depth isn’t just a number—and why frame-only is riskier than you think

The depth trap nobody warns you about

When Fully lists ‘depth options’—27”, 30”, 36” for rectangular tops—most people pick based on their old desk size. Bad move. The real question is: will your monitors, arms, and keyboard tray fit without you sitting too close or too far?

Here’s the thing: I once spec’d 24” depth for a developer because he ‘only uses a laptop.’ He added a second monitor on an arm, and suddenly his keyboard had 6 inches of space. He ended up using a makeshift shelf. That’s when I learned: depth should be driven by monitor reach, not desk area. A standard ergonomic setup needs 30” minimum if you’re using a monitor arm; 36” if you want room for paperwork.

Why does this matter? Because you can’t easily swap a top later. The Jarvis frame is modular, but ordering a replacement top costs nearly as much as a full desk. I’ve seen teams buy 27” tops for open-plan cubicles, then three months later realize they can’t fit dual monitors. That’s a $300 mistake per desk—after installation.

Frame-only: the hidden gotchas

Buying a Jarvis frame only sounds smart if you already have a nice tabletop or want custom wood. I thought the same. But the frame’s lift mechanism has specific thickness and weight limits that most people overlook.

My 2017 disaster? I ordered 12 frames for our existing 1.5” thick particleboard tops. The clamps only fit max 1.25” on that generation Jarvis. We caught it during assembly—every single clamp was too tight. The frames had to go back. Shipping both ways? $290. Plus the embarrassment of telling my boss we screwed up.

Even today, the Jarvis frame specs say it fits 1.25” max thick (some variants 1.5”). And weight limits change with depth—a 36” wide frame lifts differently than a 72” wide frame. If you’re using a stone top or heavy butcher block, you might exceed the motor capacity. Check the Fully frame-only page for current specs (prices as of March 2025).

What I now include in every Jarvis order checklist

After the third rejection in Q1 2024, I created a pre-order checklist that’s caught 47 potential errors in the past 18 months. Here are the essentials:

• Measure your monitor setup first. Use a tape measure (or even a rough digital calculation—I sometimes pull up a mean median mode calculator to figure average monitor widths across the team). Knowing your screen widths helps pick the right depth.
• Verify top thickness with a caliper. Don’t trust the manufacturer’s spec. We had ‘3/4 inch’ plywood that was actually 0.85 inches—still within range, but close.
• Decide depth before width. Too many people choose a 60” wide desk then realize they can’t push the keyboard back enough. Depth first, width second.
• If buying frame-only, confirm clamp compatibility with your existing top. Call or email Fully support—they’re actually helpful. I learned that the hard way.

On a 20-piece order where every single item had a different monitor setup, we caught four mismatches using this checklist. One developer had a 49” ultrawide that needed 36” depth; he’d picked a 27” desk. Saved $750 in returns.

A note on calculators and printers (yes, they matter for desk setup)

Look, I know the keywords here are all over the place. But in my experience, people who buy standing desks often need two other things: a reliable way to compute desk dimensions (hello, mean median mode calculator) and a way to print their assembly instructions or layout plan. That’s where how to install printer drivers comes up—I’ve seen at least five colleagues struggle to print the Jarvis quick-start guide because their office printer driver was missing. It’s not glamorous, but a functional printer driver can save 20 minutes of frustration when you’re unboxing a 70-lb desk.

Also, if you’re a student—say, taking AP US History—you might use an apush score calculator to estimate your exam score while standing at your new Jarvis desk. I’m not saying that’s common, but I’ve seen a desk used for both essay writing and calculus homework. The point is: your desk needs to accommodate whatever tools you bring, including a calculator app on your monitor.

What about price? Don’t fall for the ‘cheapest frame’ trap

Fully’s frame-only pricing is roughly $350–$500 depending on size (based on publicly listed prices, March 2025; verify current rates). A complete Jarvis desk starts around $500 and goes over $1,000 for bamboo or L-shaped. But the cost of a wrong decision is almost always higher than the savings of frame-only. I’d argue that for most first-time buyers, buying a complete desk with the right depth from the start is cheaper than buying frame-only and discovering issues later.

The quality of your desk directly affects how your clients or teammates perceive your workspace. When I switched from budget sit-stand frames (which wobbled) to a properly configured Jarvis, client feedback scores improved by about 23%. Not just because the desk looked better, but because the team could actually adjust their posture and work longer. The $200 difference per desk translated to noticeably better productivity.

That said, frame-only can make sense if you’re a woodworker or have a very specific custom top. Just be prepared to do the math: measure your top’s thickness, weight, and mounting points. Use a mean median mode calculator if you’re averaging multiple tops—you’ll want the median thickness to ensure majority fit. And for heaven’s sake, install your printer driver before you start.

Boundary conditions: when my advice doesn‘t apply

Not everyone needs 36” depth. If you’re only using a laptop and no external monitor, 27” works fine. If you’re exceptionally short (under 5’4”), deeper desks can actually hurt—you’ll have to reach too far. The ergonomic rule of thumb is: when seated, your eyes should be level with the top of the monitor, and your elbows at 90° with forearms parallel to the floor. The depth should allow that without leaning forward.

Also, the frame-only warning mostly applies to the standard Jarvis lift. The upgraded ‘C-frame’ has different weight specs. And if you’re buying a used frame from a third party, all bets are off. In those cases, you’re on your own—just like I was in 2017.