Standing Desk Jockey: Kai Vermehr of eBoy

Artist Kai Vermehr of eBoy recently switched to a standing desk and he loves it.

I finished the standup desk this weekend. The tabletop is a bit fancier than intended as I had two linoleum planks from a prior project. Also I placed my second monitor at the normal height so I could switch if I get tired. But I'm a bit stunned by the additional energy I'm experiencing since I stand. So I do not sit much anymore.
Also I found a German manufacturer with a nicer standup desk. They actually have two widths. The tabletop might not be deep enough to hold a screen, but it should be easy to exchange it for a bigger one.

Build your own table just like Kai's! He uploaded a model of the table to the SketchUp 3D warehouse.

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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If you really want to change things up, you can also stand on the ball.

I do spend part of my work day sitting on a ball, part of it standing and part of it in a chair. For folks who are forced to stand, it does really suck, but as mentioned try finding a foot rest, intentional or improvised. I’ve done tai chi and other martial arts stuff, and find that going into stances, doing legs stretches, and changing the sides frequently has been helpful for when I do have to stand.

I really think the ball is a good accessory, even if it’s not your primary chair. Very portable, so you can swap it out and change as needed. A larger less fully inflated ball is often more comfy then a small well inflated ball, but it depends partly on leg length. If you’ve never sat on one, they’re more stable than you think, and absolutely do not require any circus art background to be able to master.

“The most comfortable position is the next position”
oneswellfoop

Are you seriously going to seek out a source for and publish a standing desk post every other day? We get it. You like standing desks. We got it the first time you posted about standing desks, and the 7th. It appears we’ll get it again with the 100th.
- ikegently
  
  some of us like to see photos of other people’s workspaces. I am glad he posted this one. Are you going to complain every time he posts one?
- Slightly Askew
  
  I’m waiting for:
  
  “Just look at this awesome standing desk. Just look at it!”
- MooseDesign
  
  “More bile please!”
  
  I, for one, am thankful for these posts… I have a seriously screwed up back and sit far too much during the day for work. Not only are these a good reminder to stay on top of my plans for a new desk, but there are also pertinent ideas (such as this post) that are very specific to the setup I would like to transform my current setup from too so its a great source for concepts.
- Zoman
  
  Don’t spoil the fun. Standing desks will be hysterical to the people of the future. They will go… yeah remember the 2010′s man… standing desk OH MY GOD lololololol.
- checkersspeech
  
  Well said! Oh, and you left out the crappy freshman-dorm-room aesthetic of this particular example.
Anonymous

These standing desk posts are really interesting for me because I work as a receptionist at a hotel, where I can spend up to 6-8 hours straight standing up (my shifts are 8-10 hours long).

The mentioning of the footrest tool was especially interesting as I never thought to use mine until I read about it haha. I have a natural footrest as a result of a cabinet thats underneath the desk, and it’s at the perfect elevation.

What I don’t have, is a suitable mat that would greatly improve the comfort of standing.

Although somewhat annoying, is that my back seems to be still adjusting to the change, and im constantly having to ‘crack’ it during my shift. Curiously, this only started happening after I had been working there for a few months. That shit is fucking lame.

Aside from that, not sure what else I can tell you, but it has it’s ups and downs.
Lucky

Yes, workers who sit for a living long to stand up and workers who stand all day can’t wait to sit down. News at 11. The ball thingy is a good idea though, might try that since ours hasn’t been used for exercise in about 4 years, but then my puter chair is an old dining room swivel model circa 1991, so I can’t sit for too long.
Heteromeles

Um, I spent some money. I measured the heights of table and body, went to the Container Store, and got a bamboo storage stool with lid that was wide and stable enough to hold my lap top at the right height.

This is my standing desk.

It also holds my tickler file and a bunch of office supplies. This helps make it more stable.

When I want to sit down, I merely put the storage stool on the floor and sit at the table.

It’s not a bad solution, and has the advantage of being multifunctional with no moving parts other than the stool.
Anonymous

Be ready to welcome varicose leg veins baby!
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Yes, well sitting gives you hemorrhoids, which are varicose veins in your ass.
Enormo

It soon went from comfortable to agony, however. My knees ached, and my lower back spasmed constantly. I was miserable.

Maybe your body was not conditioned to stand up for long period of times?

Something like this, where you can switch from standing to sitting at will, seems a little more reasonable.

I can dig it.
dorkhero

Ok. Must vent…

I worked in an automotive electronics factory (in Texas, thus no union representation) for 13 years.

12 hour shifts. Standing all the time. I got to sit at breaks and lunch. I have no arches left. My right leg
between the knee and ankle is permanently discolored from a blood infection that I had to stand through
because I needed the job, to keep the health insurance, to treat the infection.

I now work as a data analyst for a telecommunications company. I work 8 hour days. I have a wonderful
invention called a chair. I keep my ass in that chair. If you Luddites want to stand, be my guest, and enjoy it.
But as for me, I intend to make full use of modern seating technology.
GeekMan

Hacked my solution out of an old Ikea desk. Works just fine!

http://www.geekman.ca/2011/05/standing_desk.html
Anonymous

As a person of low standing (in all senses of the word) I approve of these repeated nudges to get us all to try out a standing desk.

I have a serious (I mean it!) question: is there any medical evidence that favor standing over standing on your knees? Because when you stand on your knees (with some soft padding on the floor) your upper body is positioned at a similar height as when you are sitting, so no desk adjustment is needed. I’m not going to be a pilot test case but I’m sure some health researcher somewhere in this weird and wonderful world has already done the research.
Anonymous

Someone somewhere is designing the perfect open source 3D-printed steampunk Cthulhu standing desk as we speak.
Thorzdad

Back in the early days of my career, I spent my working day standing while pasting together ads and pages for publications. I couldn’t wait to find a chair when I had a break. This new hipster “discovery” is pretty funny.

Standing Desks are the new Fixie.

A year from now, they’ll be back to sitting while working.
Noodle

Is it me or is the keyboard way too high? You want your shoulders to be relaxed when you are typing, not suspending your arms. You could almost put the keyboard on the lower desk
lava

My wife got a plastic topped folding table at BJs that adjusts to standing height, and I think makes much more sense than building a stand to put on top of a sitting height desk.

Plus there are lots of companies that make decent adjustable work desks. Anthro and Biomorph are two that I know off the top of my head.

I’m all for the maker spirit, but making it yourself is not some kind of universal pass on lame. Get an adjustable desk. Keeping your workspace in order while you shift from standing to sitting and back is the best solution here. They are not cheap but you are worth it.
Anonymous

Can’t. Deal. With. The. Stickers.
Katie M.

I dunno…I was interested in this concept, so I read up on it, did a set up of it that seemed quite comfortable and tried it out for a few days.

It soon went from comfortable to agony, however. My knees ached, and my lower back spasmed constantly. I was miserable. Something like this, where you can switch from standing to sitting at will, seems a little more reasonable.
MacBookHeir

I’m really liking these standing desk testimonials – they’re not unlike the testimonials featured in late-night informercials for products like the Aluma wallet and Jack LaLanne juicer
Mark Frauenfelder

I want to make something using scissor jacks to raise and lower the platform.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Jet packs would be cooler.
philipb

@MacBookHeir : Those of us who spend a large portion of our working hours on our feet (& often on concrete) find it all rather amusing.
- MacBookHeir
  
  I too find these workspace posts amusing and also very informative in a roundabout way. I appreciate the fact that folks are attempting to save their bodies from un-needed stress and strain by building various contraptions which (on the surface) appear to free up certain physical functioning. The problem though, is that 99% percent of the time the body will outwit the best laid plans (and standing desks) of mice and men.
Anonymous

GeekDesk is the way to go. I know its expensive. Save up. Got one recently and its great being able to switch at will without a big towering platform next to me when I sit and all of my desktop coming with me when I stand.

Sorry for those who have to work standing up all day, I used to have to do that too and wished I could have a chair. Then I became a computer geek and had nothing but a chair. I’ve been working in one for 15 years and that ain’t good either. This is the middle ground.

$700 in the grand scheme of things isn’t that much — say it lasts 10 years, that’s less than $6/month for the ability to sit or stand at any moment of any day.

And no, I don’t work for them.
arikol

@MacBookHeir
my thoughts exactly :D
MooseDesign

Oh, this is a good idea… I am trying to figure out what may be the best way to convert my IKEA Galant (oh la la) sectional and have been looking at ways to stair step the corner. But perhaps just buying an additional corner section and creating a platform like this would be the way to go, and increase the amount of usable desk space at the same time…
- Sork
  
  @MooseDesign
  IKEA Galant already has excellent motorized adjustable height legs. Sadly discontinued but search for used ones.
  
  ~~~
  
  @Mark
  A major problem with this hybrid fixed raised desk is that it makes the working space much smaller and resources like pens and speakers are at the wrong place every time you shift position. I don’t know if it just is a poor man’s alternative to the motorized ones (that are quite an investment) but it should not be that hard to build something motorized with a wheelchair motor and screw or scissor motion. Even counterweights or hydraulics if you want to go full green. But you’ll have the benefit of having your full working space untouched at any position and it looks nicer.
  - MooseDesign
    
    That is awesome! Will definitely have to start scouring for a set! Thanks!
Anonymous

think investing in a good mech keyboard would be a better idea in the long run
TSE

I have my desk adjusted to perfect measurements for my body for ergonomics. I get up for a little walk around the office at least every 30 minutes. When I want to relax, I can lean back in my chair for a moment and think about what I’m working on. I can’t count the hundreds of times I dreamed of this when I was out in the heat, on my feet.
tylerkaraszewski

I want to make one out of copper that uses steam to raise and lower the platform.
arikol

But for the love of all that is good and holy, Mr. Kai Vermehr, build it properly so that those Genelec’s are properly positioned. In their current position he could just as well have used a pair of no name plastic speakers and saved a tidy sum (Genelec monitor speakers have excellent stereo imaging and an even frequency response curve. When placed too narrowly AND behind the monitor they don’t have any of that.)

Alternatively, buy a desk that supports your stuff properly. Having two large monitors so that you can use one is just a waste of money, must be worth investing in a better desk or a barstool so that all those thousands of dollars of equipment can be used. (multiple monitors and those genelecs look like 8040′s to me which cost around U$2600 per pair).

But it must be a better layout. Right?
- cow6oy
  
  You are right. And this is a temporary setup only.
  - arikol
    
    cool.
    
    A good rough setup to test working standing up then?
    
    I’ve used some of those up and down electric desks, and can’t say I like them much. I prefer having a high enough chair (even just a barstool, has to be comfortable, though.) and being able to sit and stand. I REALLY don’t like standing all day, makes my leg muscles stiffen and my back as well (have a back injury). I’ve worked standing for a couple of years, and it may reduce chances of heart attacks, but it is not a miracle cure for back problems. You will, of course, feel a huge change when you switch from sitting all day to standing, but I would keep some way of sitting reasonably comfortably while working as well, as standing all day may not be all that good either.
    Didn’t save my grandfather from serious knee problems and circulation issues which culminated in amputation (he was a ship captain in the old days, standing long shifts). May not have caused the problems, but standing is apparently not a cure for these bloodflow and circulation issues like some people suggests. You can also look at the health of factory workers. Not sure that it beats the health of graphic designers… (yeahyeah, other contributing factors, I know)
Anonymous

This one adjusts from sitting to standing height.

http://moorecoinc.com/product-view.php?category=workstations-desks-182&series=ergo-e.eazy-76c

http://moorecoinc.com/core/image-generator.php?size=400&c2c=0&scs=0&gg=1&file=44ec7babf276c_01.jpg