Stand Up Desk

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RoloRonnie
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Stand Up Desk

Post by RoloRonnie »

Any fellow Bogleheads out there use a stand up desk?

I'm thinking about getting one at work. There's a million options online. Didn't know if any of you had advice or any reviews on particular products you've used. Also would love to hear feedback or how you like a stand up desk.

Thanks!

Oddibe
fishmonger
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by fishmonger »

A couple of years ago, I rigged up a cheap version of a stand up desk - essentially building a platform to rest my keyboard and monitor on. I switched jobs in September and invested in a Varidesk Cube Corner 48. Absolutely love it, cost around $400 if I recall correctly.

I started having lower back pain when I made the switch to stand up and it has helped tremendously. I still get occasional pain/soreness after a tough workout, or sitting in a car too long, etc. But it only stays for a day or two.

Many recommend that you ease into it by standing part of the day, sitting the rest. Since I started, I have not sat down at work for 3 plus years. And that includes some 60-70 hour weeks
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Dutch
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by Dutch »

I've seen a couple of people try them out at work. But I haven't seen anybody actually sticking with it. Same thing happened with the folks using a blow-up ball as their chair.
fishmonger
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by fishmonger »

Dutch wrote:I've seen a couple of people try them out at work. But I haven't seen anybody actually sticking with it. Same thing happened with the folks using a blow-up ball as their chair.
Can only speak for myself, but they should have something under their desk to change their foot position, a stool or something similar. It's common for folks to lock their knees when standing all day, which leads to other problems
head gamez
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by head gamez »

I work from home when not traveling, and purchased this desk last year. I like it so far. It is easy to adjust and has plenty of surface space.

https://www.amazon.com/Stand-Up-Desk-St ... B00JREVI5G
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gunn_show
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by gunn_show »

I cannot speak from personal user experience, but I am going through the exact same thought process myself, and have two data points

I polled my friends on FB and was surprised by two things:
how many people responded, period (way more than I expected)
how many people use a standing desk and recommended it, and the variation of brands and styles

That cemented my decision to buy one (still in process, since they are pricey, and require basically major change to my whole home office setup, I need to buy a lot of stuff and am researching deals on all items)

This was very helpful, and I am probably going with the Jarvis Bamboo Adjustable Standing Desk because of it, and other research I found

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-standing-desk/

One interesting comment from a friend:
"buy the pad to stand on. I spoke to a chiropractor for his opinion on them and he said their great for you. He suggested stand for 20 min, sit for 5 and walk around for 5. Just like anything it's not good to stand the whole time."
"The best life hack of all is to just put the work in and never give up." Bas Rutten
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bogleblitz
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by bogleblitz »

This thread made me stand up on my standup desk.

I have an adjustable and I think I sit 90% of the time. I have the Ikea desk http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19022530/


My goal is to stand half the time and sit half the time. I work at home.
MrsRoos
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by MrsRoos »

I have both a stand up and sit down desk at work and I tend to use my sit down desk more than my stand up.

If you're going to go for the stand up desk, make sure that when you setup the height of your desk that your monitor is at eye level and your elbows are 90 degrees to your keyboard/mouse. I also have an ergonomic mat to stand on to prevent fatigue and other problems described by other BHs about standing too long. Additionally, I got a foot stool that tilts http://www.fellowes.com/us/en/Products/ ... d=US-48121 so I can rest one leg at a time on it to switch things up a little.
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Rhadamanthus
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by Rhadamanthus »

My stand-up desk from Room & Board was stupidly expensive but it matched the rest of my furniture from there and overall I'm very happy with it.
KlangFool
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by KlangFool »

bogleblitz wrote:This thread made me stand up on my standup desk.

I have an adjustable and I think I sit 90% of the time. I have the Ikea desk http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19022530/


My goal is to stand half the time and sit half the time. I work at home.
+1.

I have this desk. There is a cheaper version with manual crank too.

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bogleblitz
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by bogleblitz »

In the office, I seen a colleague used a standup desk. The trick that worked for him was to use a very high chair, like a bar stool chair.
So wether standing or sitting, the height of the standup desk remain the same.

Otherwise he said it was too much of a hassle to adjust the desk up everytime to standup. Adjust the desk down everytime to sit down. He had the manually hand crank to raise and lower the height of the desk. So it was alot of hassle, exercise of 1 minute to lower/raise the desk.
scottyja
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by scottyja »

I'm using my Veridesk right now and really like it. Quality of the product is fine and raising/lowering is very simple. I try to stand all day unless I'm talking to someone else in the office, then I sit, so I'm adjusting it 10-20 times a day. I've used it regularly for about 9 months.
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Sandtrap
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by Sandtrap »

Bad back, bad neck, knees, etc. Tried a stand up desk (feet hurt after awhile), "Balanz" chair (killed my knees), "ball chair with backrest" (neck ache), and a million other chairs. Back in the day my office also had a blueprint table with a crank height and a tall swivel stool which came in handy. Now, I'm back to a large semi-wrap around exec. desk with hutch and all that. Found a back support lumbar pad that fits my chair just right and a lower back heating pad. I spread out a lot of paper and files when I work so theres a need for a lot of desktop R/E. This a senior-retiree office setup.
YMMV.
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scottyja
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by scottyja »

Sandtrap wrote:Bad back, bad neck, knees, etc. Tried a stand up desk (feet hurt after awhile)
Mine was a result of a back injury, too. My back doctor recommended the standup desk and even wrote a prescription for it, which my boss got a chuckle out of. My feet would get sore initially, but after a couple of weeks was used to it. I now stand most of the day without issue. Helps my back, too.
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strengthcoach
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by strengthcoach »

+1 for varidesk, rogue fidget bar, and topo floor mat. Also check out Kelly Starrets book Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World, worth the read I believe every dollar they make goes to his organization putting standing desks to schools. I recently went from working on my feet 14 hours a day in a weight room to sitting at the desk in academia and noticed a big difference once I invested in the stand up items mentioned above. I also drive an hour to campus so that makes it worse if I am stuck sitting down for ~8hours working at my desk.
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Chris001122
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by Chris001122 »

I got a varidesk (the one that is NOT the varidesk PRO). It's really nice. I love it. I seem to have paid around $300 with shipping but I think they are higher now, closer to $500 with shipping. It's really stable and holds two monitors. I used an cash award that I got at work to pay for it, so that made me feel better about getting it. People kidded me about it at first but now more and more people are getting them. I run for exercise and I would get sore sitting all day. The varidesk lets you sit or stand very easily and the monitors are easy to lift and lock into place.

They say sitting more than a few hours a day is bad for your health. A study showed that even vigorous exercise did not overcome the negative affect that sitting has on heart and circulatory health. It's what I call a sound investment!

:)
scottyja
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by scottyja »

Chris001122 wrote:They say sitting more than a few hours a day is bad for your health. A study showed that even vigorous exercise did not overcome the negative affect that sitting has on heart and circulatory health.
Interesting article I read today. I think science is finding it difficult to measure the real-world impact sitting has vs. standing. You sometimes hear sitting referred to as the new smoking, which seems extreme. An interesting insight from the article:
Adjustable desks that allow a sitting and standing option (sit-stand desks) could be a good first step, especially for very sedentary and unfit workers. But these aren't a complete solution as people don't expend much energy, or exert themselves, using them.
Even well designed studies of people using sit-stand desks found replacing sitting with standing for 40-45 minutes each work day didn't provide any measurable health benefits.
And people who use them may think they've done their bit and tend to be less physically active after work.
I found that I have to exercise in the morning if I'm going to be standing all day. It is difficult to find the motivation to get a solid workout in after a day of standing. I think standing is definitely beneficial, but not at the cost of other activity. I don't think anyone here has made that argument, but it is something to be aware of.
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gunn_show
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by gunn_show »

strengthcoach wrote:+1 for varidesk, rogue fidget bar, and topo floor mat. Also check out Kelly Starrets book Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World, worth the read I believe every dollar they make goes to his organization putting standing desks to schools. I recently went from working on my feet 14 hours a day in a weight room to sitting at the desk in academia and noticed a big difference once I invested in the stand up items mentioned above. I also drive an hour to campus so that makes it worse if I am stuck sitting down for ~8hours working at my desk.
many thanks for including the extra info on accessories! I had seen those Topo mats before, and between your post and then the manufacturer website and amazon reviews, I am going to add it to my list. And the Rogue Fidget looks cool too.
"The best life hack of all is to just put the work in and never give up." Bas Rutten
gkaplan
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by gkaplan »

We've had several threads on this topic. You might want to read through them.

I bought a adjustable standup desk almost three years ago. I rarely sit at the desk. The only time I lower it is when I watch a video, and then I use my recliner.


https://www.fully.com/desks/desks-by-br ... amboo.html
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azurekep
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by azurekep »

I created a makeshift stand-up desk for home use. It's a very tall "cafe" table from Home Depot with a monitor riser on top. I place a laptop on top of that.

I created it because I like to stand and walk around when I work. I have a high energy level and being able to move around seems a natural thing to do.

A stand-up desk also makes me more efficient when working and keeps me from dawdling on the web. I leanred long ago that as soon as I sit down, inertia sits in and I lose efficieincy. I then start looking for random websites to surf and later wonder what happened to the time. By not becoming too comfortable, as in a chair, I get more things done.

I also have a traditional (sitting) desk, which I use when I want to randomly surf the web or I don't care about being efficient.
AnilG
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by AnilG »

I have been using SmartDesk standup desk from Autonomous.ai for almost a year now. The table is quite sturdy and relatively inexpensive. I have the base model. I haven't had any issues with it.

https://www.autonomous.ai/smartdesk-sit ... nding-desk

I will definitely recommend a motorized one so that you can switch between sitting and standing. Also, you don't have to manually crank to raise or lower the table. Manual Cranking gets old pretty quickly. I switch between standing and sitting several times a day.
MoonOrb
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by MoonOrb »

I don't know the brand of the one I use, but it is motorized. In a previous job I had one with a hand crank. I prefer motorized because I use it every single day. It's excellent.

Also, mostly I'm coming in here to say that you have an amazing user name. Brings me back to collecting baseball cards.
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Tamarind
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by Tamarind »

I've used one for 4 years. I don't have a chair at the office anymore but I do sit in meetings and it's a welcome break. I used to have minor lower back pain and hunch over. No more back pain, only rarely sore feet or hips. It's a big improvement for me.

My desktop is fixed and was measured to fit me (one inch below elbow with arm bent 90 degrees). Small adjustable desktop stands that pop up on springs may be the better value and that's what my company uses now that more people are trying it as they can be moved around if someone stick to it.

You must have a pad to stand on, though, or you'll hurt your knees.

Studies suggest no long term fitness benefits from simply standing, but if you can work walking breaks in it may help you get started.
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Pajamas
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by Pajamas »

Someone gave me one of these and I was impressed with the construction of the base and mechanism, the stability, and how easy it was to raise and lower:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YCDMJZA

The top was laminate over particleboard and not really replaceable as part of the mechanism was recessed into the top, and not as nice as the base.

The height was very adjustable but it was too high

Got rid of it because it was too big and I didn't really like standing for physical reasons.

I agree that if you get one you should also get a nice large anti-fatigue mat with gel or possibly foam inside.

You might try elevating your desk or using something to raise your computer or work surface to see if you like it before actually buying one. They are heavy, bulky, and fairly expensive.
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Jazztonight
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by Jazztonight »

This topic was addressed a year ago: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=159452&hilit=uplift

Just to reiterate from my past post:
Here's what I bought (Uplift 900):
http://www.thehumansolution.com/height- ... 2-leg.html

I removed the top of my conventional desk, which is walnut, and mounted it on the UpLift base, which cost about $500 (worth every penny in my opinion). But you can use one of their tops, or even use a door.

As I write this, I'm standing. I do use a pad to stand on, but a piece of carpet would be fine, too.

Now, before I bought the adjustable base, I put my old desk up on four cinder blocks, total cost $6, and lived with it for over a year. That worked just fine, but when I wanted to sit down to work, I had to go into a different room. Now I just push de button, and the desk is at the perfect height for sitting.

I found that while it can some times be tiring to stand while I work, I do not experience the pain and strain (both back and calves) that I did when I sat working for extended periods.

I did a lot of research before I bought this unit. There are some great videos to watch, and when I called to ask questions, the staff was really helpful and courteous. Here's the video: http://thehumansolutionblog.com/2013/10 ... tand-desk/
---
Update for this response:
Just today, I used the desk in both a sitting position for editing a manuscript, and now have it at the standing position. Minor adjustments in height can be made easily. I'm sold on the value of an adjustable desk.
Last edited by Jazztonight on Wed Feb 22, 2017 9:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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cheapedy
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by cheapedy »

I've been using a makeshift one for 3 years now here at my home office. I suggest experimenting with placements to find ideal heights for monitor, keyboard and mouse before anything. My body type is ape-like (long arms, short legs, ample torso) so finding a comfortable and ergonomic sitting position was very difficult leading me to try a standing desk. My desk is basically an old 30"x45" dining room table on top of an old dresser fastened with drywall screws. I found my ideal heights by using scraps of 1/2" and 1/4" plywood underneath keyboard and mouse , dictionary/books and scraps to get monitor heights. Week after week trying new adjustments. Each change brought out new aches and pains (neck, wrist, elbows,forearms and eyestrain ) until I finally found comfort. Something as simple as new shoes can throw every thing off, so I have a dedicated pair.

My desk is ugly and messy, but serves me well, and I know where everything is.
FEDFERS
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by FEDFERS »

http://www.upliftdesk.com/
http://www.upliftdesk.com/uplift-large-keyboard-tray/
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Sin ... XDGAQGBFB7

Bought my UpLift Desk from HumanSolution (UpLiftDesk - same street address) in 2013. Actually got the frame and added a 1" x 4' 10" x 2' 2" Ikea counter top. Use 2 28"monitors one of which is portrait mode for reading PDFs and the like. Absolutely recommend the large adjustable retractable keyboard tray and single monitor mount. The Amazon mount is a re-branded Ergotron mount which is fantastic. Like having a under desk "CPU Holder" but my Lancool case it a bit too large. I'd shy away from a crank and suggest a motorized desk.

May get a second desk with an even larger counter top. Once you get an under desk keyboard tray and a monitor mount you'll never want to go back to a keyboard on a desk and a monitor on a stand.
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strengthcoach
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by strengthcoach »

gunn_show wrote:
strengthcoach wrote:+1 for varidesk, rogue fidget bar, and topo floor mat. Also check out Kelly Starrets book Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World, worth the read I believe every dollar they make goes to his organization putting standing desks to schools. I recently went from working on my feet 14 hours a day in a weight room to sitting at the desk in academia and noticed a big difference once I invested in the stand up items mentioned above. I also drive an hour to campus so that makes it worse if I am stuck sitting down for ~8hours working at my desk.
many thanks for including the extra info on accessories! I had seen those Topo mats before, and between your post and then the manufacturer website and amazon reviews, I am going to add it to my list. And the Rogue Fidget looks cool too.

It's important to make your work station as standing friendly as possible. Giving your feet options with the fidget bar, floor mat, and bare floor works wonders. I'm lucky my university has provided most at request. I also keep a tennis golf & lacrosse ball in my desk to roll my feet out sometimes while standing. Kelly Starrets book Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World really is a quick interesting read about sitting vs standing...the first chapter or two was the best but if you are not familiar with self massage the last bit would be ideal for you as well.
"To have misfortune and prevail is good fortune" - Marcus Aurelius
Ninnie
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by Ninnie »

I have one at work. I love it. It has a button you hold down and it moves with some sort of hydraulic assistance so it weighs nothing and is super easy to lift and lower. I lift and lower it several times a day. If you can afford that option it's the best. My company paid for it, though.
ysette9
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Re: Stand Up Desk

Post by ysette9 »

At work most of the newer cubicle/office setups come with a hand-crank adjustable desk. It cranks up just high enough that someone short like me can use it as a standing desk. I've seen taller people use it that way as well, but they end up having to prop up their monitors on risers.

Personally, I love it and have been challenging myself to stand as much as possible in 2017. I got through all of January and part of February before cranking it down on and off due to a change in medical condition that leaves me tired. I am one of those people who can never sit still, si I fidget, transfer weight from one foot to another, and generally move around a lot. I think this prevents me from having the issue of locking my knees that others have mentioned. On days when I don't run/go to the gym, I feel better at the end of the day since I at least didn't spend the whole day sitting.
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