Slashdot Mirror
Ask Slashdot: What's Your Take On Stand-Up Desks?
An anonymous reader writes "I work at a non-profit that doesn't have the resources to automatically bend to each and every whim. However, I've been told that I can't use a cardboard box to put my computer on, for OSHA and fire prevention reasons. So the choice is, sit down for nine hours each day or else get a standup desk to the tune of 500 bucks or more. Is this worth it? Can I make one myself? Anything to know before I get in deep?" There are lots of home-grown stand-up desks out there (search IKEA Hackers for "stand-up desk" if that's your aesthetic leaning), and some ready-made ones from plainish to very expensive. If you've used a stand-up desk, what are your thoughts?
Have you looked in the trash? People throw out perfectly fine furniture all the time. I picked up an extremely sturdy carpenter-built bookcase in the trash. It didn't have shelves but I found enough particle board to make shelves.
sit down, do your job. is that so hard?
That I get tired of standing and want to sit down... That's my take.
They are nice for a workbench but not a computer desk unless you're always moving between several different stations. Stock Market stuff comes to mind.
In the end, sitting for 9 hours is bad but also standing for 9 hours is bad. Need to find that middle road and balance it out.
...like anything else. People with certain back conditions find sitting for any length of time would probably relish the idea of being able to stand at work for the entire period - while others would find it akin to torture to stand for nine hours straight. Sitting puts pressure on the base of your spine, but standing on hard floors is pressure on your feet and knees. Six of one, half dozen of the other.
As long as your aren't FORCED to use a stand-up desk because someone figures they take up less space or that it prevents you from falling asleep at work; then they can be a good thing. If it's a half-baked idea at further cost effective micro-management bullshit - then count me out. And set that manager on fire. Now.
You said:
Sorry, but what about just standing up to stretch and walk around every few minutes? I hack code at a traditional desk, but I'm certainly not chained to my chair. Walk around, go to the water cooler, talk to your peers, go outside for lunch. Even if you had a stand-up desk you should still move around a little.
Koans and fables for the software engineer
The desks at my work are on hydraulics, so they can be raised or lowered at will. It's great to be able to raise your desk and stand for a while after sitting for a couple hours, but I wouldn't want to have to be forced to stand all the time.
The desks get high enough that I can push my high-backed office chair underneath it, and low enough to get probably two feet or so off the ground. It's a great compromise between having to sit or stand the entire day.
Even better than just a stand up desk. For $500, get a simple walking treadmill, and then you can amble along at 1 MPH and burn off an extra fifty to 100 calories an hour. Better for every inch of your body.
Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
I just moved to a stand up desk last week. Absolutely love it. I design and code websites, so I have a pretty stationary type of job. Standing up, I move a lot more. I also have an adjustable stool, so if I need to rest my legs for a bit, I can without having to adjust my desk.
I have also noticed that the afternoon wall has completely disappeared. You know, the one where you are struggling to focus - or maybe even stay awake. Never happens.
There are plenty of articles out there about standing vs. sitting, as I did a bunch of research before making the switch. To summarize: Standing is better than sitting, but mixing it up is the best. This doesn't mean fully sitting down - the stool I use is a great example. But you do need to be able to change position for a bit, because being in one position for 8-9 hours a day is bad.
The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.
>> Can I make one myself?
If you have to ask, the answer is probably no.
For one thing, even with a sit-down desk, you shouldn't be sitting in front of it for nine hours. What I do is I set a countdown timer for an hour or so. When it rings, I get up and walk around the floor, hit the bathroom, fill up my water bottle, maybe step outside for a few minutes and experience sunlight. But you really have to train yourself to do it, and stick to getting up when it goes off. I find that it improves my work, because it forces me to step away from immediate problems and think about things in a larger context while I'm taking my little walk. I get back to my desk eager (usually) to continue work, and energized from getting my blood flowing. If your employer is so concerned about OSHA, then they should know that OSHA recommends frequent rest breaks for employees who sit at computer desks all day.
To me, one of the most important things about a standing desk is that you need to pay attention to the ergonomics of the floor and your footwear. My building has concrete floors with low-pile carpet. If I stood all day at a desk on this surface, my feet would kill by the end of the day. You potentially need a floor mat that provides more support than a solid floor. Think of the kinds of surfaces that workers on manufacturing lines stand on all day. You also want some kind of low platform or stool (preferably two of different heights, or one that you can flip onto a different side to change its height) that you can use to put one foot up on for periods, adjust your stance and weight distribution. Finally, you'll want to pay attention to the shoes that you wear, to make sure that you're getting the support that your feet need for you to be standing on them all day. There's a reason they call beat cops 'flat-foor'.
So. Sorry for the text wall. But those are some considerations.
You stand on a podium and behind a lectern.
I get a sore back from standing in once place for extended periods of time. I can walk for 8 hours, without a problem, but stand for 30 minutes and I'm going to have to sit down gently because my back is yelling at me.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
My first thought is that if you are going to be using it for 9 hours every day, then you shouldn't be getting a standing desk. Standing for 9 hours every day is not good on your body. It is horrible on your legs, especially your knees. Yes, sitting for 9 hours isn't good either, but it is much either to get up and walk around than it is to sit down. Standing desks are a great idea for light to moderate use. If you are using them off and on all day, they are great. But if you are using them continually all day, they are horrible, mainly because you have to stand. At a regular sitting desk, it is very easy to stand up and stretch, walk around, or even just stand for a couple minutes and still look at your computer. When you go to the bathroom or to the copier or printer, you are getting a break form sitting, but not from standing. Unless your standing desk is extremely flexible, it is usually very difficult to sit down at a standing desk and still be productive.
"Information wants to be expensive" - Stewart Brand, the same guy who said "Information wants to be free"
Good god, for that price those should have a motorized adjustment option where you step on a petal to raise and lower the desk.
What you need is a bar stool. When you want to stand, your desk will be at the right height. When you want to sit, pull up your stool!
Mon chien, il n'a pas du nez. Comment scent-il? TrÃs mauvais!
If you work in a cubicle area, do not use a standup desk. There was always some chucklehead who would stand up while working and it annoyed everybody.
It is like having someone standing behind your chair all day.
If you have your own office, having the option of standing is probably nice.
I use one of these myself, spending about half my time sitting and half standing, and it works pretty well.
The net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. -- John Gilmore
I wanted a standing desk for a cheap PC in my workshop, for looking up parts and reference, etc. I wound up going to Kmart, purchasing a cheap narrow PC desk with a roll-out keyboard rest, and a TV stand, and screwed one on top of the other. The result worked out well, with plenty of storage below the PC, and can roll around well.
"in fact, I used to often work from a kneeling position"
BOOM!
Another option is http://www.ergodesktop.com/ I bought one of these for my 2 LCD setup a few months ago and I alternate between 2 hours sitting/2 hours standing. It has helped my back problems greatly. This solution allowed me to keep my existing "L" desk without reworking my entire office setup.
My response to that company:
"I quit, because you're a fucking moron. Have a nice life....chump."
+1 anthropomorphic
0 = 1 + e^(Alt something)
I built myself a cheap standing desk from IKEA. You get the Vika Amon table top (under $40) and the Vika Bysske table legs ($20 a pop) These legs work with the table but they are intended for the construction of a kitchen bar. 4 of these bad boys and you have yourself a standing desk. Mind your height - you want to have roughly a 90degree angle at your elbow when working. I am 6'3'' and I can get this at their maximum extension. Then I get one of those attachable shelves and tada my monitors are higher up so that I have them at eye level. Warning - this setup is not adjustable. Well it is but adjustment requires everything to be removed, desk flipped and about 20-30 minutes to re-adjust the legs so yes you can always revert to a normal desk but you can't alternate throughout the day.
I've been using my standing desk since July 2012. Things to note - I don't work at it all day everyday. I sit at work 9-5, stand at home. Expect serious leg cramps after a few days. Video games help forget the pain and condition your body for longer hauls. I can stand no problem for 8 hours+ now. I don't get tired in fact i think it keeps me more alert but I do take breaks after 4 hours. You feel it when you're finished working and take a load off on the couch/bed. You burn more calories - not sure if this is significant. You save TONS of space - great for small apartments or tight bedrooms. I've read that its healthier - so whether it is or not placebo effect bonus just don't analyze this too much... dammit I might have just lost the bonus!
"Never debug standing up" -- Gerald Weinberg
Slashdot's name? When my compiler sees
Some sort of Steadicam arm to hold everything at the right height in front of you? You could walk around, even go to the bathroom without missing a tweet.
No sig today...
It isn't for everyone. I happen to like it.
1) Step 1 is to try it. Find some acceptable method to construct a standing arrangement. Try it out for 3 weeks minimum. Week 1 sucks. You will be sore if you are not used to this. I tried things out for about 6 months before I was sold.
2) Have a plan for what you are going to do when you are sick. I bought a geekdesk that has the ability to be lowered. When you are sick, you aren't standing.
3) Get a comfortable chair for your office. Don't do this until AFTER your 3 week trial period. When you do get tired of standing, and you will, you need someplace comfy to sit for a little while.
4) Be aware you won't like sitting as much afterwards. 8 hour meetings are hard now.
I have no idea about the health benefits. I prefer standing now to sitting.
Bonus points if you work at a USPS facility and use old mail crates...
He said he worked at a non-profit... oh wait...
+1 Shouting down a non-profit
He once inserted random mutations into his code, just so he could have the experience of debugging.
The classic quick, cheap, solid desk is an old door across two dirt-common two-drawer file cabinets.
I've two of those. the main one actually uses a pair of old AT tower cases. Two dollar-store clamps hold a smaller piece of scrap for my keyboard tray. A single cheap particle-board rear shelf for the displays sits on various blocks. Power bars are just screwed into the back edge of the door. You don't need to be a carpenter, you just need to think (less) and make a solid block structure. Trim with toy blocks for cool points.
It's not rocket science to figure a taller system for standing if you want to try that. (Some love it, some loathe it - it's kinda like kneeling chairs and ball chairs -- people rave about them briefly, then everyone moves back to traditional options.)
I wanted a standing desk but my boss wouldn't spring for it. So, I went to Home Depot and bought a set of adjustable plastic garage shelves like you'd use to hold paint cans. I assembled it on top of my office-issued desk, adjusted the top shelf to a comfortable height for my monitor, and set the middle shelf to a good height for my keyboard and trackball. Voila. Standing desk for $20. It wasn't beautiful but it worked perfectly.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
Meh, fuck non-profit; unless it's all volunteers I'm not interested in funding it.
e.g. Brian Gallagher is still President and CEO of United Way, and currently earns $1,037,140 a year, according to a December 2010 report from the American Institute of Philanthropy.
Just because it doesn't pay a dividend doesn't mean someone isn't making phat stax, and it doesn't mean that they aren't asking employees to use shitty furniture to cover their CEO's salary/travel/hooker expenses.
Same with religious exemptions, that shit needs to go.
I have one of these and like it a lot. Turns any desk into a sit/stand desk, and the tray is nice and large: http://www.ergodesktop.com/content/kangaroo-pro-junior/
Of course other people like it a lot, too, so it's a month backordered. You can usually find the Ergotron WorkFit-Ses in stock.