Standing desk tips

Mark Frauenfelder 1:43 pm Tue Apr 19, 2011

Benjamin Palmer says:

I saw your post about a standing desk, I've got a custom made standing conference table as a desk (i'm the one behind the large monitor, the guy to my right is CJ Chivers the NY Times war writer). Notice I have a foot rest rail going around the bottom — this is pretty critical for long term comfort. I also have a stool I sit on for maybe 1/4 of the day, but the rail is really the key thing. Also I run a company that has a lot of meetings, and having a standing meeting desk means meetings in my office last from 3-20 minutes instead of 15-60 minutes.

I have a tip for you and your readers! A very cheap way to get started with a standing desk is to buy a cheap coffee table and just put it on top of your desk, similar to what you've made and posted on Boing Boing. It's usually just the right height, and you can get them in a wide variety of sizes and finishes to fit your gear and match your existing desk, and its usually pretty cheap.

This one for instance is the right height for an average person and matches a basic light wood ikea type desk and is $57! A lot of people in my office have tried this out before they commit to a full size desk, to experiment with size and placement.

I've been standing for a couple years now and I feel really amazing, and I've not experienced any of the tiredness or back pain I would in the past from a day walking around a new city, or museums, or ten days at sxsw ;)

See also: Is Sitting a Lethal Activity?

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