The Herman Miller Passport Worktable Moonlights as a Bar Cart and Bath Tray

The end of August signifies the swan song of out-of-office messages and Summer Fridays. Work Week is our one-stop-shopping cluster dedicated to feeling good about getting back into a routine—whether that’s working from home, the office, or a classroom. We’ve got the snazzy task lamps, new desks, and sharp organization tools to help.

Life as a digital nomad doesn’t always mean jetting off to places that’ll make your coworkers jealous. In my case, it simply means moving from room to room in my one-bedroom apartment. Even in my pre-pandemic office days, my colleagues might find me checking emails from the lobby sofa, writing in the conference room alone after lunch, or brainstorming anywhere outside as far as the Wi-Fi could reach. And ever since working from home became my life, I’ve still refused to sit at a desk. Until recently. 

Herman Miller’s Passport worktable is a new sit-to-stand workspace made for fidgety WFH-ers like me. Two compact sizes (the bigger one is barely over 2 feet at 27-by-20 inches), three tabletop finishes, and six base colors give you more than 40 combos to choose from, and casters make it easy to move to any room. I opted for the large (plenty of space for my ever-present coffee, a glass of water, and a snack within reach of my MacBook), with the top in ash and painted metal base in a rusty shade of orange called canyon. The small one doesn’t come with casters, so that was a no for me—I obviously need to be mobile.

Passport Work Table, Herman Miller ($600)

Shop

Aside from giving me the freedom to roam, the best part about this workstation is that it moonlights as other furniture pieces when it’s not acting as a desk. Here’s how a typical day looks with me and my table on the move. 

8:30 a.m.

I start seated, with my desk next to the sofa, and stack a few cushions behind me to get extra-comfy. This is where I check emails, get organized for the day, and do any kind of focus work. 

1 p.m.

After lunch, it’s time to stand up. I slide my setup over to the living room window for a change in scenery (there’s better light for my afternoon Zoom calls, too). A squeeze of a lever under the table’s surface brings the whole thing up to standing height—it’s pneumatic, so there’s never a need to be anchored near an outlet.

5 p.m.

As I start wrapping up my day, the table ends up in the kitchen with me to prep for happy hour with friends. I don’t have a formal dining room, so when I’m entertaining, I load up the Passport in the kitchen with charcuterie or cocktail glasses and carafes and cart it back into the living area, where guests are piled on the sectional. On a more chill night, it’s my version of a chic TV tray for solo dinners while I catch up on my shows.  

8 p.m.

I have trust issues with bath boards, so instead of testing gravity over a body of water, I bring a few essentials (usually a glass of wine, my laptop, a sugar scrub, and a candle) to the table. Another squeeze of the lever, and I push the top down to its lowest position and slide it next to the tub for a wind-down session. A few sips of a Cab Sauv and an episode of Succession count as self-care, right?

For hybrid workers or a restless rising Sagittarius like myself, the Passport is the perfect piece for those who don’t want to eat up square footage with a more permanent WFH situation. With a range from $600 to $1,020, it is pricey for its size, but as a multitasking item from a name like Herman Miller, this investment will work overtime to pay its dues.