Nah, while an adjustable desk is nice for most people a standing desk is just a really high table like shown.
For this example I'd suggest putting the screen at eye-level if one is really concerned about ergonomics. This necessitates another level to hold an external screen.
For under $500, a better solution would be the new IKea Bekant motorized standing desk. We just got them for all our developers and they are great. And given that it's an Ikea product, you still get a similar DIY experience when assembling it.
We've just bought two of them, and we've found one minor disadvantage compared to much more expensive motorized desks: there are no presets, so one has to mark ones ideal sitting and standing heights somehow.
Other than that, they're an ideal way to try out standing. Even if it's not for you, you still have a motorized regular desk (which encourages people to find he ergonomically ideal sitting height, something often neglected) and the price is about the same as most bog standard manually adjustable office supply desks.
If you are not near an Ikea and can't think of an excuse to do a day road trip to the nearest one, you might consider some of the motorized/adjustable desks on Amazon (just search for those terms).
its like $100 more dollars.. looks better works better and less putting together. If I was looking for cheap using pipe I would use plastic conduit and sanded 3/4 plywood and use an old bedsheet to cover it.. Also all those Media carts that used to have vcrs and tvs on them.. perfect absolutely perfect for standing desks.
When experimenting with standing (well, also walking) desks I found that the height of the table is less important than the height of the monitor, and that using a plain laptop, as shown in the pictures, isn't any good if you want to work for longer (>30 min) periods. Constantly looking down isn't a natural position, and it strains the neck.
The cheap option is to raise your laptop and use an external keyboard/mouse, or use an external monitor. Or both :)
I'm always baffled by people who go to the trouble of making a standing desk, often at great expense, and then set a laptop on it and call it good. Aside from the ergonomic issues you describe, there's the issue of screen real estate. It's like trying to shoot competitive pool using a tree branch you found in the road.
Not only that, but many of these setups trade an ergonomic chair for a hard floor. I'm surprised that more consideration does not go into floor mats as seen in other jobs requiring long periods of standing.
If anyone's looking for a recommendation, I've found industrial antifatigue mats (found in machine shops and the like, mcmaster-carr sells some as would most industrial suppliers) surprisingly comfortable for standing on all day.
Indeed. If they're made to be comfortable for a heavyset man holding powertools wearing steel-toed boots, it's definitely going to feel good in comfortable clothes and shoes! :-)
This is a really important point. Setting up a standing workstation is similar to setting up a sitting workstation: you probably need monitor risers and a keyboard tray for maximum ergonomic fit. Alternatively, when you're not on a keyboard w/ screens, you probably want a slanted work surface.
Then again, when I work on a laptop, it's not comfortable either way and I'd rather be standing than sitting.
I see lots of diy cheap standing desks on here. Is there a market for high end standing desks? I work for a small casegoods manufacturer that builds wood furniture to order. I'm just curious if I should bother taking a shot at designing something? Sourcing a flexible electric sit/stand leg seems like a tall order.
Thanks for the suggestions. Frankly though I would be looking for something available that we can build larger and smaller pieces with. I was looking and we've built a few standing desks, for example we built a 96"x42" sit/stand desk. That's just not possible with an off the shelf leg you are going to find on amazon.
Other commenters have noted that the desk isn't adjustable. I bought a Varidesk ( http://www.varidesk.com/ ); doesn't need any motors, adjusts quickly, fits on existing desks, cost is under $US400. [No, I don't work for them nor am I an investor in the company. I just like the product. A lot.] Edit to fix link.
I also had a varidesk and wasn't too fond of it. There was no real good way to place a keyboard/mouse on the tray and it was a bit wobbly for my tastes.
The product itself was well built, and it was very easy to move up and down though.
I generally prefer to use a laptop on a recliner with their SlateGo lapdesk which keeps the laptop at a comfortable angle without straining the neck or wrists.
This seems expensive for what you get. I made a $25 table from Ikea parts to put on top of my work desk. I cut the pipes to the right length. It works just fine and I get storage under the table.
I too will use a recliner at home sometimes, to rest the back. I use a Corbusier knockoff (something like this: http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0278/9057/products/black_le...), slid under a work desk, with the laptop and mouse on a board on my lap, and a monitor on the desk.
Even easier is using sawhorse brackets and 2"x4" lumber. For the cost of a top (Ikea solid wood, etc.) and <$25 for the wood and sawhorse brackets[1], the price can't be beat. Just cut the wood to length and you're done.
Since it uses sawhorses, a desk built this way can support hundreds of pounds and is easily portable.
I recently built my girlfriend a desk this way[2] (2x bracket packs, and five 2"x4"x8's), and we moved it using a small Prius. I ended up using the wooden top from an old electronics workbench after sanding off the glue blobs, filling holes with water putty, and sealing it with polyurethane. If you do build a desk this way, miter the leg ends to ~30º.
I'm curious to know if you could get those front inside legs out of the way without sacrificing support. Maybe rig it so that they go across and connect to each other, forming a keyboard tray or shelf or something. I see a lot of toe hitting, especially while wearing those flip-flops in the corner.
Also, don't forget the standing mat. You wouldn't want her to get varicose veins now, would you?
Toe hitting isn't so bad, actually, since the legs are recessed in from the front more than it seems in the photo. Since the sawhorse legs grasp the horizontal crossbars like giant clothespins, they could also be moved inward somewhat with minimal loss of support.
Having twice as many legs as a normal desk and splaying them out leaves less usable room. There is less space to put my feet when used as a standing desk or put a PC tower or subwoofer or space heater or trash can. It's more difficult to vacuum/sweep around. I'm not sure a Roomba would fit between the legs.
The post doesn't mention price. You can get a really nice desk for the house which adjusts to various heights from IKEA for $480 + fees. So... if this thing is in the $300-400 range... idk if it is worth the effort / lack of features.
My first standing desk was something like that, a little more complex. My second one is two parts and it folds flat (ish) against the wall when not in use:
(The reason that I went for something small that folds against the wall is that my office occasionally becomes the guest bedroom and I then work out of the kitchen.)
This is just a really high table.
while sitting down all day is clearly bad for you, standing comes with it's own issues.
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