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This is why I got my department to buy me a GeekDesk a couple of years ago.

We've been using Kangaroo desks. We went to them after trying out a few Ergotron sit-stand desks that were just too flimsy.

We've got about a dozen now and there have been nothing but positive reports including a few that have lost weight (not a controlled study). The best tool we've found for making sure the desk gets used is to have your PC read off the time every half-hour as a reminder to switch. I don't have one of the desks, but I use the half our reminder to get up and move around if I haven't recently.

This is why I got my department to buy me a GeekDesk a couple of years ago.

Instead of paying $979 for that desk, I use a regular $39 table, and bought four sections of PVC pipe for $0.79 each, and extended the legs.

My monitor is attached to this arm, so I can swing it between my standing desk and a full recliner. So I work about half the time standing, and half the time laying down. The only time I sit, is in meetings.

This is why I got my department to buy me a GeekDesk a couple of years ago. I don't stand all day every day, but it lets me stand quite a lot of the time.

Since then, my chronic low-grade upper-back stiffness has decreased a lot—but I find that on weekends, when I tend to sit on the couch with my laptop a lot, it frequently comes back. My legs still sometimes get tired from standing for a few hours at a time, but overall, I think it was a really, really good decision.

If you can't afford a GeekDesk, and think you can handle losing the chair cold turkey, there are much cheaper standing desks that can get you off your butt and on your feet—for your health! :-)

Dan Aris

Check out:

http://www.geekdesk.com/

I have one at work and two at home, they rock. Priced a lot lower than most of the alternatives, but as good or better.

I have a GeekDesk at home. Absolutely love it. I sprung for their most expensive model, with a 78"x31" table top, and 300+ lb lifting capacity (didn't need that much lift though). With my lower back issues, it has been worth every penny. I spend probably 90% of the time standing, but my wife likes to sit when she uses the computer. It has 4 programmable preset heights, so we each have our own sit and stand height programmed.

My only concern is how long the motors will last. I hope the thing is still going strong in 15-20 years, but we'll see. I've had it about 18 months.
http://www.geekdesk.com/

Unfortunately at work, all they'd give me was this crappy Ergotron thing that you have to manually raise and lower as needed. It's not even strong enough to stay at the standing height, so I have to stick a box underneath to hold it up any time I stand. Garbage. If they'd let me, I'd be willing to spend my own money to buy the smallest GeekDesk for my cubicle. But nope.

I too agree with the height adjustable option. They're a little more expensive, but the ability to go from sit to stand or anywhere in between gives you a good deal of flexibility. More so than just a sit/stand option... but a "I'd like this just a tiny bit lower" distraction eliminator. I'd had a fixed desk that was just about 6" too tall for 10yrs or so... when it was finally time to buy a nice desk, that experience (and the general feeling that I would at some point be annoyed by the height of any fixed desk) made the adjustable feature a must have. I ended up going with geekdesk & would gladly buy from them again (quality + cheapest adjustable option I could find). I don't do sit/stand work & don't even adjust it all that often... but always pleased to have it as an option when I want to change things up.

Hence the desks that convert? Stand in the morning, get tired, sit for the afternoon.

http://www.geekdesk.com/

I plan on getting a Geek Desk: http://www.geekdesk.com/ It won't allow me to walk, but its better than sitting all the time.

these are basic questions which might alter a recommendation.
it's no surprise, but one of the best task chairs available(herman miller aeron) comes in three different sizes, and this chart makes recommendations for chair size based on your height/weight ratio. unfortunately if you're on either end of the bell curve, the aeron chair might not be for you... most people get sized for size b, but make sure that's your size based on height/weight. also, if you get the aeron, make sure you get the "highly adjustable" version that has the additional tilting options... it increases the chair cost, but it's worth it.

there are other chair options including knee chair, split spine chairs, arm rest w/integrated split keyboard, even balancing on an excersize ball, but i'd start with a serious/real task chair from herman miller, steel case, or any of the other contract furniture manufacturers. they spend a lot of time and money in the research for how to keep people productive in office environments, so their designs are based on facts, and not just copy cat design or economics.

depending on your active/sedentary life style, you might decide on a dedicated seated desk, dedicated standing desk, or one that can change from seated to standing with some type of lift mechanism(my desk has manual screw actuated lift, but this one is electronic and totally sweet).

i like keytronic keyboards, and multibutton microsoft mice, but i have no specific model or brands to recommend. i usually will replace these items fairly quickly if they suck, these items tend to be under $100 and i consider them consumables.

LCD... get the biggest, brightest, fastest refresh, highest contrast, and highest resolution device currently within your budget, or split your budget and get two displays. you don't say what type of programming, but you'll need screen real estate, and the ability to change your resolution as needed. i love having two screens, one for watching/analyzing events, the other for performing tasks, i'll never reduce my need for more display pixels. eye strain can be caused by slower refresh, low contrast, and poor visibility angles on displays, so consider these specs as well.

you might also consider f.lux to adust the color temp of your display based on time of the day...

the OP question was regarding ergo comfort, but long term work comfort is about more than chairs, desks, keyboard and mice, it's also knowing when to take breaks, body movement, stretching, and so forth. OT, but the following will also improve overall work comfort: ride a bike to work, walk up the stairs instead of the elevator, bring your lunch, eat whole food, drink more water.

http://www.treadmill-desk.com/ log the miles _while_ working. Build one yourself on the cheap http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/article.asp?article_id=60365 Or get a height-adjustable desk http://www.geekdesk.com/ http://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/1928/how-do-i-make-a-height-adjustable-desk