The Almighty Stand-up Desk!

[JasontheKiwi]

Does anyone else use a stand-up desk in their office?

I've been standing at work for over a year now and love it. I apparently have hyper-mobile joints so sitting at a desk even for a couple of hours kills my back and makes it all tingly and sore. Here in NZ however to buy a stand-up desk is a minimum of a thousand bucks, so I improvised and it seems to be working so far, see pic below.

If you haven't tried I'd recommend a month of standing at work. I found it increased my energy throughout the day (due to constant movement) and I never really get the 2pm sleepiness that I used to. There is a lot of research around about the dangers of sitting for more than 6hrs solid. See more here How sitting is killing us

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[walt_mink]

I have an awesome sit/stand desk that my employer gave me. I can raise or lower it at the push of a button. Heaven! The option leaves my back in much better condition at the end of the day.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

[bgvanbur]

I tried using an old dresser with my laptop before, but it didn't seem to work well. I see how you raised the laptop screen and use a separate keyboard/mouse. That seems like a great improvement and will give it a try.

[Gobnait]

I need to have a keyboard and monitor set up at my treadmill. I don't think this drafting table would be steady enough at full leg extension, though.

[Anivair]

I have a stand up desk. I love it and I've been at it for about a year and a half. Here's a terrible picture:

http://anivair.com/images/blog/standing-desk.jpg

[JasontheKiwi]

I have a stand up desk. I love it and I've been at it for about a year and a half. Here's a terrible picture:

http://anivair.com/images/blog/standing-desk.jpg

Hahah that's a great one! Well as long as it works is the main thing eh. At my last job I had the computer set up in a deep window frame with the screen shakily balancing on a few phonebooks and a swissball box... it would have been a goner in an earthquake.

[cob]

i WANT

[CyningaDena]

I tried using an old dresser with my laptop before, but it didn't seem to work well. I see how you raised the laptop screen and use a separate keyboard/mouse. That seems like a great improvement and will give it a try.

Laptops are tricky, because the ideal height for the monitor is a good deal higher than the ideal height for the keyboard/mouse. So you can either stick a laptop where it's best for your neck and then type like a t-rex, or put it down where it's best for your arms and shoulders, but slouch to view the screen. Wireless keyboard/mouse ftw!

[bgvanbur]

So for the last week and a half I have started using a stand up desk once again and it is better with proper screen/keyboard/mouse placement. I used that same dresser, but added a door (left by the previous owner's of my house), and a milk crate for a laptop riser, and an old external keyboard/mouse. I still have the sit down desk available and the couch with coffee table (read foot rest) as other options for my work day. I have been getting between 3 and 5 hours of standing a day.

My wife said next Spring I can renovate my home office (she even estimated a sizable budget) and I think if the stand up desk habit sticks, I will make one myself. (That is why everything is on the right side of the desk, the desk I plan to make is shorter than the door so I want to pretend the desk is smaller width to see if it is decent). I already took some measurements and drew up some plans. Someday I want to make all the furniture in my home office / man cave (except the couch).

Pic:

[Leimanu]

You guys are so clever!

[SpazzyMal]

I rigged up a standing desk before, but the fact I didn't have a separate keyboard to use for my laptop made it uncomfortable, ultimately. One day I'll buy a keyboard...

[JasontheKiwi]

bgvanbur, That is Fantastic and hilarious, a door haha. Good job tho... Cant beat a sweet man cave

[spezzy]

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standup "desk"

[mksiemens]

nice. loving the homestyle creations.

i've been thinking about making something that mounts on the treadmill, so that i can be a walking desk.

hasn't been a real high priority tho.

just thot it would help in multiple ways tho, cus no only wud i get a bit more exercise, but i'd probly spend less time on the computer when i shud be doing other things

[The Tin Man]

I set up one at home, I'll get a photo when I'm there. I'm going to set things up here at work for that as well. We'll see how many mock me, but when I set up mine at home it was awesome when I worked at home.

[bgvanbur]

bgvanbur, That is Fantastic and hilarious, a door haha. Good job tho... Cant beat a sweet man cave

The top of the dresser was ok when I used just the laptop, but when I added the keyboard and mouse I had no room for my typical notepad and papers. The door was the only big thing I had laying around I have a man cave, but since I just moved I haven't spent the time to make it sweet yet (but at least it has the potential).

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standup "desk"

I was thinking of getting a tall stool for when I sit, how is that chair you have?

nice. loving the homestyle creations.

i've been thinking about making something that mounts on the treadmill, so that i can be a walking desk.

hasn't been a real high priority tho.

just thot it would help in multiple ways tho, cus no only wud i get a bit more exercise, but i'd probly spend less time on the computer when i shud be doing other things

I tried the treadmill desk initially and it was hard to type when walking and hard to read since the head moves around.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

At work I have dual monitors vertically stacked. The bottom is my laptop, the top is an external monitor on a swivel, so I can stand and tilt it upward and work standing if I want to use just the top monitor. But, Since my controls are on the reular level desk, I only do it when reading long documents and just hold the mouse in my hand to scroll. I want to get one of those breakfast in bed trays to pop my external mouse and keyboard onto when I want to work standing so I can do it more often.

[YuYu2]

I don't have one at work, but I douse a stand up set-up for my primary hobby (sewing). It can take hours to make one garment and sitting down for all that time is not good. It gave me a lot of pain. I used a standing side board I bought from Ikea and then elevated the sewing machines with props. Works great, and made a sedentary hobby not so sedentary.

[papacoyote]

Work-from-home programmer and technical writer here, I've been rocking a standing desk for about a year and a half after reading about the trolly vs. bus operator studies. It was my first rebel fitness move, though I hadn't met your branch of the alliance. I lost 20 pounds in a couple months without otherwise changing my diet or exercise patterns in the slightest bit.

I have the second monitor very high and use the laptop mostly for the keyboard and touchpad in order to try to improve my posture. My touch-typing still sucks after all these years, so this is only so effective (do I hear a future life challenge?)

Anyway, a cheapo keyboard stand (~$30 new) and a battered World of Warcraft boardgame (I know, it seemed a good idea a couple xmas' ago...) works great with my monitor towering somewhere else. I also have used my two-tier keyboard stand to great success... except I had to tear down my office couple times a week for rehearsals or a gig :-(

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[JasontheKiwi]

I have a man cave, but since I just moved I haven't spent the time to make it sweet yet (but at least it has the potential). I was thinking of getting a tall stool for when I sit, how is that chair you have?

Yeah we just moved house too, about a month ago. I've never had my own office before because in our old 50m square flat the office doubled as a store room, bike shed and tool shed. However now I have my own office room but have not got a stand up desk at home yet... I like the piano board idea Papacoyote so might look into that. It's so cool having a man cave and I'm still in the process of maning it up... I got a sweet reading chair and a big book shelf too... think I just need a coffee machine and a pinball machine and it'd be great (I wish).

Re the stool... Spezzy, wouldn't you bang your knees into the dresser?

[Barmacral]

I got a fancy levity desk (100 dollars because the company my friend worked for was getting rid of all their used ones... it was 2% of the original price or something like that) and I love it. I can stand for hours, and if my feet are getting tired I can sit down for a while, then stand back up. Unfortunately I don't have access to it right now because I am in between places. Once I have my new place though, I am excited to get it back.

[spezzy]

I was thinking of getting a tall stool for when I sit, how is that chair you have?

It's perfect

Re the stool... Spezzy, wouldn't you bang your knees into the dresser?

Nope - it's not for sitting and pulling up to the desk. It's for leaning and putting your feet up on (the rungs on the bottom).

[The Tin Man]

I set up mine at work last night! I've been enjoying it so far this morning; I feel like it's keeping me sharp. The only annoying thing is all the questions, which I assume will die down as people get used to it. I finally realized there was no point not to do it because it's something I've wanted to do for a while. Sitting really wears on me.

Interesting observation: I have noticed the general correlation that the younger the person the more interested they are and the older the more skeptical they are.

Now I just need to find a keyboard tray that will allow me to easily shift keyboard/mouse/spaceball from standing height to sitting height for easy transition from standing to sitting. And to watch this KStar video over and over again.

[cob]

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standup "desk"

The first thing I notice is the viking horns. Awesome