I suffered two years of upper back pain, brought on primarily by (a) stress, (b) carrying a child, and (c) sitting hunched over a computer. There wasn’t not a lot I could do about a and b, but c could be fixed. That eminent scientific outlet, LifeHacker, informs us that sitting is killing us. My ridiculously good back doctor and the Columbia ergonomics office assured me this is not all hype, and that a standing desk would probably be a good move.I enjoy the standing more than I expected. I do not get tired. My back has never been better, though weaknesses with my home desk option do bother it a little. Crucially, I discovered a trick for ensuring my feet never hurt (see below). Below the fold: My experience with high-end desks (for the office) and cheaper options (for home). First, in 2012 I looked at several options. Helpful were review articles from WireCutter, Business Week, and StandingDeskReviews. I also tried out the desks of colleagues: Suresh Naidu’s Steelcase ($1500 range), and John Huber’s Anthro Elevate.
The Anthro was my favorite, but easily the most expensive ($3000 range). Most of the sit/stand options are high-end, in the $1000-$3000 range. When I first bought my desk, I thought this sit-stand capability was crucial. I liked to sit about 10-20% of the time at first. After a year, though, I very seldom feel like sitting, and can spend hours at the desk. Of course, the days that I’m tired or sick, or have just come back from a run, I love the sitting function. My 50-year old self may also like it more than my current 39-year old self. My recommendation: If you can afford it, an expensive sit/stand is as wise an investment as a good bed. You spend most of your waking hours at one or the other. If you can’t, there are still good options for <$300 or even <$100. I return to these below. For my office, in the end I got the Anthro. To be honest, this is partly because I have serious back problems and so the University disability office offered to pay. I have never spent more than $3000 on something that does not have wheels and an engine.
But it is simply fantastic, and I have zero complaints. My back has never been better. Looking back, however, even if disability hadn’t offered to pay, the Anthro would have been money well spent. And I am someone who doesn’t have a single piece of furniture remotely that expensive in my home. For home, though, I was more budget conscious, in part because I don’t spend as much time at my home office. I also did not want to have to throw out my current desk. I looked around and, again following John Huber, opted for Ergo Desktop’s Kangaroo for the iMac ($300-600). It comes highly recommended at all the review sites. The Kangaroo sits atop your existing desk and smoothly goes up and down from sitting to standing position. It can be slid out of the way, to the side of the desk, fairly easily. It mounts a very heavy monitor without issue. I live with the Kangaroo, but I don’t like it. I am six feet tall–not an unusual height–but I can’t quite get it up to the arm and monitor height I need.
Thus my back troubles me a little. The Kangaroo is also jiggly, even with the stabilization arm. And you cannot lean on it, which I find helpful from time to time if spending hours at the desk. In retrospect, I would probably have bought this <$300 Safco standing-only desk or something similar. I may still, and so please let me know if you’ve found a good option. I’d prefer more desk space. So far one of my favorite and most important purchases, though, is this traveling standing desk: The Ninja. Basically, this folds down to the size of a large-ish laptop, and sets up in 3 or 4 minutes on the back of most doors. It can also be nailed into a wall for more permanent use. I bring it on every trip. Unfortunately, most of the time I am facing a door, but occasionally I have been able to set it up facing a vista. In the picture I’m look out over the Black Mountains in NC. Highly, highly recommended for traveller. Finally, for the truly budget conscious, there are many <$100 do-it-yourself options that won’t have the sit/stand capability.
I did this for a few weeks before making the big purchase and it was an improvement over sitting. The height issue on the Kangaroo: partly solved. I spoke to Ergo Desktop, and they design their models for a 30″ desk. The keyboard surface is then supposed to raise up to 15″ above the desk surface, for a maximum height of 45″. I find the maximum stable height is about 14 to 14.5″ above the desk, however. In theory, this (just barely) gets me the recommended height for a 6′ tall person: 44″. Unfortunately, my desk is 29″ high and I use a mat which adds 1/2″ or so. So I am about an inch below my preferred height. This might be one reason why the Kangaroo troubles my back but the Anthro does not. If you think you want to lean on your desk (I do) or you are taller than 5’11, this may not be the desk for you. I still don’t like the jiggly-ness and wish I had taken advantage of the free 30-day return policy (where I figure out and pay for shipping).
Human Solutions sells a variety of ergonomic office furniture, and I think they have a very helpful ergonomic setup guide They also have a decent desk selection tool, and a pretty good blog. Finally, several people asked for more details about the Anthro versus the Steelcase. One thing I like about the Anthro elevate is that it is big and has two levels, giving me more desk space. I’m not sure if this is worth the extra cost. Anthro apparently have a $1200 option (they link to this in comments) and that may be worth checking out.And the different styles mean they fit in wherever you want to work in comfort. If you're shopping for your business IKEA BUSINESS can help you with that perfect fit for your office space too. Contact us here, sign up, or learn more. You can temporarily lift this restriction by proving that you're human: Click on image to zoom Designers: Bill Stumpf and Jeff WeberForm doesn't just follow function with Embody. Function is on full display.
This ergonomic office chair's highly technical structures—such as the spine-like Backfit, with its visible H-flexors—show how it bends to encourage seated movement. Embody is purposeful design that creates harmony between your mind and body, and between your body and work. Configure Your Embody Chair So intelligent, sitting in it actually helps you think With Embody, designers Bill Stumpf and Jeff Weber set out to solve the problem of the lack of physical harmony between people and their technology. They worked with more than 30 physicians and PhDs in the fields of biomechanics, vision, physical therapy, and ergonomics who contributed their expertise to help guide the development of this office chair. As a result, you feel Embody’s responsive ergonomics the moment you sit down—like you are floating, yet perfectly balanced. The seat distributes your weight evenly while supporting your body’s micro-movements. The narrow backrest allows you to move freely and naturally as it automatically adjusts to support a full range of seated postures.
By reducing seated pressure and encouraging freedom of movement, Embody allows blood and oxygen to flow more freely, which helps keep you focused. "Sitting is bad for you. Embody is good for you." Less Pressure, More Cool A combination of support layers in Embody’s seat work together to reduce seated pressure. These layers were designed to allow for airflow, keeping you cool and comfortable as you sit. As Agile as You Are Embody encourages movement, keeping your body and brain limber all day, and helping you stay focused and relaxed at the same time. That’s good, because movement promotes blood and oxygen flow, which keeps the brain more focused. Embody encourages the most healthful posture for computer users—a working recline, which reduces spine compression and even slows fluid loss from discs. The Backfit adjustment positions the backrest in line with your spine's natural curve, from your sacrum to lumbar and upper thoracic. When you move in this office chair, your head remains properly aligned to your computer display.
Embody's tilt technology maintains your back in a fixed position relative to the seat, encouraging your body to move naturally into the most positive seated postures while keeping your pelvis stable. Three Zones of Support The tilt technology of the Embody chair also provides three zones of support—for your thighs, sacrum/sitting bones, and thorax. The pelvis remains stable with no rearward rotation. Without a rigid frame and with edges that flex, Embody prevents uncomfortable pressure on your legs and arms. A dynamic matrix of pixels creates seat and back surfaces that automatically conform to your every movement and distribute your weight evenly. One chair size fits every body because Embody automatically adapts to the wide variation in the sizes, shapes, postures, and spinal curves of different people. Best of NeoCon Silver Award, Ergonomic Desk/Task Seating2009 "Best of 2008," Wired magazine2008 "Best of Tech," Yahoo Tech2008 People's Choice at the National Ergonomics Conference and Exhibition2008