Comments on: ergonomic desk: help me be a stand-up guy

Question: ergonomic desk: help me be a stand-up guy

grumblebee — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:58:29 -0800

I want to stand up while I program. Please recommend a desk.

Requirements:

-- main surface large enough to hold two 22" monitors.

-- monitor stand must be adjustable so that screens are at eye-level.

-- keyboard/mouse area must be adjustable.

-- my boss will probably balk at something over $500. He'll nix anything over $1000.

By: kuujjuarapik

kuujjuarapik — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:09:04 -0800

The Shrine of the Jerker.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:13:03 -0800

Anthro

By: kuujjuarapik

kuujjuarapik — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:13:44 -0800

wow, none of those links go anywhere anymore. apologies.

Anyway, you can stand up and use 2 monitors with an ikea "jerker" desk like the ones here.

By: grumblebee

grumblebee — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:14:00 -0800

Well, my boss just balked at a $300 desk! But I think I can talk him into one. But anything above that and I'll have to dip into my own pockets. At the moment, they contain a nickel and two pennies.

By: notsnot

notsnot — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:20:23 -0800

balked at $300? what, does he want to put you in a Walmart special that will bow after ten minutes?

By: growabrain

growabrain — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:20:32 -0800

I've been standing up at work for the last 10 years. I had a carpenter friend build a simple square, low-table that I put on top of my regular work-desk. It consists of 4 legs & a top, and I paid him less than $200 for a nice, solid set-up.

I recommend it, especially for people who work phones (Standing up makes you sound better...)

By: migurski

migurski — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:21:06 -0800

I had a carpenter friend build me this one. The buddy discount brought it down to about $300, so full price would still be within your range. I've been at it for a year, it's great. It's not adjustable in the least, but it's built to my own measurement so it doesn't need to be.

By: adamrice

adamrice — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:27:09 -0800

Suggest you head on over to McMaster Carr and look at their "workbenches" and "machine tables." There are a fair number of options for a 36" height, not many at 42" (which is probably close to what you want).

There's also the "wall-mounted workbench" which would obviously be a fixed installation and perhaps not suitable to your situation, but would be easy to get at the right height. There are a number of "stand-up height desks" listed there, but none would be suited to your needs.

Or, you know, you could head over to Home Depot and get some cinderblocks to set under your current desk.

By: Happy Dave

Happy Dave — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:29:23 -0800

I'm fascinated by this - I used to stand all day when I worked in a coffee shop, and it was exhausting. Is standing at work really good for you?

By: drezdn

drezdn — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:06:55 -0800

Could you let us know how it works out?

By: grumblebee

grumblebee — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:16:27 -0800

Is standing at work really good for you?

I suspect it's better for you than sitting all day.

I work on a laptop. So I can always sit down and hold it if I get tired.

Truth is, I already have a standing set-up, and I love it. I made it by piling boxes on-top-of a normal desk and then putting my mac on the boxes. I have lower boxes for the keyboard.

But my boss thinks it's an eye-sore (and it is), and he doesn't want me to embarrass the office when clients come. So I need something more professional looking.

What's driving me crazy is that my keyboard is about 42" off the ground. I'm only 5'8", so that can't be all that high for a standing desk. Any lower, and my hands won't be parallel with my elbows. But all the standing desks I find have keyboard rests that max at 36" or so.

By: calumet43

calumet43 — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:24:17 -0800

I had to switch to a standup desk because my back cannot take long hours of sitting. There are plenty of good quality standup desks but most of they are expensive. My solution was simply a board sitting on blocks on top of a regular desk. My monitors sit on wooden wine boxes that raise them to eye level. I suggest starting with a simple homemade setup and spend some money on a good floor mat to stand on. A good rubber mat that cushions your feet and legs is more important to your comfort than a nice desk is.

By: partner

partner — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:33:33 -0800

I used to stand all day at drawing boards in architectural offices. Computers ruined all that, and I sat down for many years. Then it occurred to me that I could raise my desk top to the right level and not sit all day. I think this is generally healthier. So, I hung a wide shelf on the wall using brackets. This was when I was working at home editing and writing. It worked great. Now, I'm working in someone else's office and am sitting down again. I'd rather stand.

By: ThePinkSuperhero

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:04:42 -0800

I notice the desk is called a "jerker" in some of the links- where did that name come from?

By: caution live frogs

caution live frogs — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:05:07 -0800

Well, if you really want to be healthy... there's always this. (I know the guy that pioneered this at the Mayo Clinic. He was using it when I met him.)

By: GPF

GPF — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:08:18 -0800

By: grumblebee

grumblebee — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:08:41 -0800

I wish I could afford that, caution!

By: meeshell

meeshell — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:57:38 -0800

What about one of those barstool type kitchen tables? I am at work right now so I cant look up any images to reference but I would think you might could stand at one of those without paying an arm and a leg

By: kuujjuarapik

kuujjuarapik — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:21:04 -0800

TPS: "I notice the desk is called a "jerker" in some of the links- where did that name come from?"

"Jerker" was the name that Ikea gave it's adjustable computer desk. It appears to have been renamed the less snicker inducing but just as inexeplicable "fredrik".

By: Chuck Cheeze

Chuck Cheeze — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:04:09 -0800

www.workriteergo.com

By: LC

LC — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:41:31 -0800

I put gallon paint cans under each leg. I don't know if that'll work for your setup but they won't be much of an eye sore if you paint them black or grey. It also worked out that when I sit the desk is at a comfortable height too!

By: SuperSquirrel

SuperSquirrel — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:17:16 -0800

Lifehacker has an article about a guy who built one.

You could use bed risers if you don't have any handy paint cans. And they are already black!

By: SuperSquirrel

SuperSquirrel — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:30:39 -0800

Whoops - I reread the article I posted more closely, and the guy didn't actually build the desk itself. That part of his workstation came from Ikea. My apologies.

By: gjc

gjc — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:41:39 -0800

Are you in a cube? The platforms ought to be able to just be adjusted up.

Get the height exactly right or you'll give yourself finger fatigue or carpal tunnel or something horrible.