There has been a big rage about the benefits of standing desks or standup desks.  Supposedly sitting is very bad for us and can take years off your life if you do it for several hours a day.  Other benefits are that because you are standing you are more alert and will be more productive. It also sounds like fun!

You can spend a lot of money on a standup desk, especially if you buy one that can be raised and lowered.  Those can be operated by a hand crank or by by electric motor.  Of course the electric motor type will set you back over a thousand dollars.  There was a recent Kickstarter program to create an affordable motorized desk. You can find more information about that here.

There are many homemade versions you can find all over the web.  Some of the most clever designs are “Ikea Hacks,” which are created by people who take one or more Ikea products and merge them into a new design.

For my standup desk I use a single Ikea counter height kitchen table called the Stornas Bar Table. The Stornas is 41 inches high and has a generous top surface of 27″ x 50″.

The height of a standup desk should be right up to touching the bottom of your elbow.  Because I am six feet tall this desk is just a little too short for me. I need to add three inches. I did this by purchasing a few PVC pip fittings at Home Depot and propping them under each leg. I could also have used a few boards and done it more cheaply, but the pipe fittings work great!

Do I think it’s as great as all of the hype?  I’m not completely sold yet.  I have had it for two weeks now and I am still not completely use to it.  Because I generally use orthotics in my shoes I have to wear sneakers when standing in front of it.  I will chronicle my experience for you below.

One thing the experts claim is that you need to ease into it. You just cant start standing all day and expect to love it. That is very true.  Because mine does not raise and lower I had to configure a tall bar stool so I could sit in front of it.  I did this by using two stack-able metal bar stools from Homegoods. This cost $80.  I require a “bar height” stool, since I am so tall.  That would have been a custom order starting at $250.  If you are shorter than six feet this will not be a big deal for you, but the stacking ones work great for me.

Day 1:  I stood for 2 hours then needed a 3 hour nap. It was exhausting. (I didn’t have the stool yet.)

Day2: I’m in pain. I think I need new hips!

Day 3: This is kind of fun.

Day 4: I like it, but I am moving back to my regular desk for the second half of the day.

Day 5: I am back to the standup desk.  It’s getting better. Have to remember to wear the sneakers.

Day6: I went shopping for the stool.

Day 7: Being able to mix up sitting and standing is the way to go. I definitely notice a drop in my productivity when I use the chair.

Conclusion:

Overall I am pleased with the Standup desk. I do believe it raises my productivity, but that comes at a cost. It’s more tiring.  I try to work faster because I know I am going to feel fatigued sooner.  The thought is that it is healthier because you are burning calories, strengthening your core, and keeping fit by doing this. If that’s all true then I think its great. Another thing I notice is my stomach seems flatter. Maybe it’s psychological but I think because I am not sitting down allowing my stomach to sit over my belt all day.  I feel healthier. It’s also not conducive to snacking. Desks feel like a dinner table, not the standup desk.

The desk is also more attractive to me and I like keeping it neat so that’s another plus.

Overall I give the standup desk experience 5 stars.  I may go back to my sit down desk for long projects but I am sticking with this for a while to see how it goes.

by

Jeff Barnes