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.
It's nice to have the option of standing up for a while instead of always sitting.
Depending on your technology setup, cable routing might be made more difficult as you may need to ensure sufficient slack for the full range of movement to be available.
Depending on the size and construction of the desk, you may need to care more about how much weight you put on the desk surface. Some designs at max height can get a little wobbly and this gets worse with more weight.
When I bought one for my home office, I decided to go with one with a mechanical crank instead of an electric motor. I've seen too many offices full of adjustable desks with dead motors and decided I didn't want to be staring at a non-moving adjustable desk 2 years later.
Mine is very much worth it. I have an old Humanscale mechanical sit/stand desk that lets me very quickly adjust the height between sitting and standing whenever I'm inclined to do so. I don't know if you can still get this kind; it probably could be dangerous if kids played with it since nothing stops it from moving fast. There's more mental friction involved in the slow-moving electric-motor adjustable desks, but if you have preset buttons you can think about something else while you're waiting for it to get to the right height.
Some people who stand at desks say it's a lot more comfortable with a soft pad to stand on. I haven't used those myself.
There are a lot of shaky ergonomic concepts that have successfully marketed their way into our brains because they are associated with an expensive solution. Some of them are worthwhile, but it's hard to tell. When you want a bandaid, you're inclined to try anything with a reputation.
Every time someone shops for standing desks, I mention my floor desk setup. A floor desk with height and tilt action(plus some peripherals) is a fraction of the cost of a regular desk and chair, and lets me change posture frequently. If I need more surfaces or a mix of angled and flat, I can fit in a second desk. Unless ceremonial reasons or a dirty floor require you to be in a more elevated pose, it is the superior.
Yet every time, they invent a reason to not want it. After all, they aren't there to solve their aching back, they are buying a standing desk.
You're right, but that's still not an argument against trying a standing desk. If some people find them useful, and some don't, and assuming the cost of trying it is low, the rational thing to do is not to wait around until enough meta-studies are written for you to make a completely informed decision, but simply to try it out for yourself and see how you like it.
It is an advantage to be able to adjust it instantly according to the task, be it sitting or standing: drawing, fixing something, or of course typing on a keyboard. Reading on the computer is not not the same height for me that writing email (standing or sitting).
Once you are used to these sometimes small adjustments, you really want to have them on all desks.
I scoffed at standing desks until my new workspace installed them (the motorized kind, that adjust up or down) and I tried standing for a few days. I found I liked it a lot. I almost never sit at my desk now.
While I also own and love my GeekDesk, standing isn't for everyone. The cheap solution offered in this article is a good way for curious folks to experiment without breaking the bank.
That out of the way, $1,000 for a good desk is a bargain in the long run. I'm so much more productive when I can switch between sitting and standing on a whim.
I love mine. Don’t use it to stand all that much (though I will crank it up so I can pace around and follow long conference calls), but being able to adjust my seated height is massive. I’ve never been able to get fully comfortable at a standard height desk, you can permanently adjust the height of a fixed desk which helps a lot, but being able to dial it in while seated is really convenient and being able to notch it up or down by half an inch to fit that days posture is amazing for me
I have electric ones as well (both at home and in the office), but I don't use presets. In fact, one thing I love about adjustable desks is the ability to move it up and down a little during the day. That way my posture is a bit dynamic even if I don't choose to stand up. Also, I don't really feel like I am "wasting time" finding the right spot -- it takes what, 5 seconds?
When I was working on the road/relative's houses, the height adjustable desk was the only thing that I missed from the office. You have to get one that has a motor though - I've never found the manual ones worth the effort (they usually seem to be low quality and very wobbly). But being able to switch between standing and sitting has been valuable for keeping me comfortable.
I started out with a Geekdesk at home and then also got an ergodepot desk for work - they're about $900 and $600 respectively (incl shipping) and worth every penny. THese desks are more expensive options because they are height adjustable. Height adjustable is the key bc it allows you to sit (not at a bar stool, but a real office chair).
- My "default" position is standing (with an amusingly named "anti-fatigue mat" which my dog tends to get fatigued and sleep on regularly). When my legs are tired, I sit. I can do this quickly and without any strain in my neck, back or arms because the desks are motorized. I might switch positions a few times a day.
- Phone calls are always taken standing. Certain tasks that require a lot of intense focus I might sit for. At home I'll watch a TV show standing, for example. Even after a run, I'll stand.
- I'm a runner and hate sitting for long periods. I also have bad posture and have had some minor back pain from sitting. That all went away with the desk.
- POSTURE! It's so easy to sit and slouch or crane your neck or whatever. Standing doesn't fix that but it certainly makes it easier to have better posture without thinking about it.
- A standing desk makes it incredibly easy to "get situated". Just walk up to it, do something, and walk away. Much less latency than sitting at a big chair, shuffling up to the desk, doing something, and then getting up from the chair.
- I love answering questions about my standing desk (yes, I can be an amazing sales person!) because I think everyone should have one. Remember, I'm talking about a height adjustable desk, not these $30 ikea deals on bricks. The point is, you can always go back to sitting normally so it's not a major commitment and people need time to adjust. To me, every office should outfit H.A. desks so employees can make their own decision.
- Definitely do NOT get a standing desk "to lose weight". That just seems silly to me. So maybe you'll burn ~100 calories more per day but most likely won't see anything noticable. This is a long term solution. The noticeable thing is that your leg muscles are actively engaged through the day, it's easier to activate various muscle groups bc you'll switch legs, stretch, etc. The major benefits apparently are with your heart but that ain't something you'll notice in the near term.
- I Love having "meetings" around my desk. Everyone stands, we look at the screen easily (no crowding of big chairs with arm rests) and things just stay more focused.
> Longer video (of me) describing 5 tips for posture incl standing desk but also adjusting a keyboard and monitor correctly, and even changing your keyboard layout: http://t.co/fi3DJbI3
> And of course, I am the ever-judgemental Dwight in my office :) http://t.co/pHDSWHyf
Another cheaper option is a standing desk with a high office chair. I used one of these for about two years and it did make a positive difference. You can stand or sit and it costs no more than a regular desk. (My workplace uses desks from Ikea, they are cheap and comfortable)
Unfortunately, I like to switch between 'sit', 'stand' and 'slouch'; slouch being reserved for when I'm really "in the zone". I missed that option and eventually went back to a sitting desk. I'd love to try one of these mechanical ones.
Absolutely. I built my motorized one about 6 years ago (bought the motorized legs and wood top for a total of 450€ back then) and I still use it on all home office days. The key is having a rubber floor mat with some knobs you can play with to stand comfortably. I can also recommend getting a walking pad. I usually have 10k steps before lunch with a 2.5km/h speed only that lets me still type perfectly.
I primarily got my desk because I was tired of having bad posture and back pain. But since I also started working out heavily at the same time I built the table, I can't attribute the desk only to alleviating any pain I had. It definitely helps though with good posture.
I'm also happy I got a smart version that can remember 4 heights. I had another (much more expensive) table at my previous workplace that didn't have it. And it was a pain switching from a seated to standing position.
This is my experience as well. I don't use the standing position of my desk much, but I'm glad I have the option. Sometimes it helps me to get started or to not get distracted.
>It's about a $750 purchase for a geek desk. Is it worth it?
If you're a typical, eight-hours-a-day-at-or-near-computer HN person, then yes. I've had one for a while and keep meaning to write a longish post about the sit/stand experience, but the short version is that I'd find it hard to go back to a purely sitting experience (here are a couple photos of my setup: http://jseliger.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/the-geekdesk-writin... ).
That being said, I also don't think I'd like to stand all day either, since my legs do get tired after a while. And apparently standing all the time has its own set of health issues associated with it, and from what I can tell most research points to variety in movements, motions, and positions as being the most important thing one can do.
BTW, the Geekdesk you want is probably closer to $1,000, shipped: the shipping fee is $125, and you really want the GeekDesk Max, which lets you pre-set a number of positions. Once you figure out the right height for sitting and standing, you'll probably use only those two heights. There are four presets, so a second person could easily configure the same basic setup.
I have used very good standing desks that used springs or pneumatics. They were easier to use and faster to adjust position. They were also much more expensive and heavier than the ones I have seen with electric motors.
Other methods that use sliders with bolts or pegs, telescoping tubes with compression rings, and the like can be MUCH cheaper, but almost impossible to adjust if there is any thing on the desk. The are mostly used to set once an leave.
I've found it to be really good for me. I tend to sit most of the time, but stand while working for an hour in the morning, and an hour in the afternoon. (Little "Stand" and "Sit" reminders pop-up on my computer to keep my on schedule.)
It would be nice to have position memory like the controller in the post offers, but is not a big issue (given this is not a shared desk). A nice-to-have but not a deal-breaker.
If you are going to adjust the height regularly, motorized is the way to go. You want to eliminate any disincentive that makes it that little bit harder and makes you think, "I wont bother today." Cranking a handle included.
A standing desk with a "tall chair" isn't that ergonomically friendly as your feet are either hanging or on the little foot stand of the chair (if there is one). I like to be able to vary my position more than that to remain comfortable.
Side-note: I also have a presence sensor on my desk - https://www.michevan.id.au/posts/are-you-there/ - which includes a switch to tell if the desk is in sitting position or not. In theory I could collect data on how much time I spend at my desk and in what configurations, but I still haven't got around to properly setting up my MQTT server and such.
If all you are trying to accomplish is to move from sitting/standing while working at a computer, they solve the same problem in a way that has been solved for at least a hundred years and is generally cheaper.
There are some merits to adjustable desks above and beyond that though.
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.
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