I started using a standing desk a few years back. While visiting the Redgate Software office, I saw one of my coworkers standing and using boxes of books to lift their keyboard and mouse. I tried that.
It worked OK, and I found myself adding and removing books to experiment with the process. I first moved upstairs, swapping the desk in the basement for the one upstairs. I added flooring to make things easier on my legs.
Things were fine for a few years, and then last year, I upgraded the platform to a piece of furniture. This was really to give me stability, a place for coffee ( probably the most important) and just a bit more space. That worked OK.
However I’ve found myself getting a bit worn out at times. I often work most of the day standing, and there are certainly days my knees or back will ache. I do switch over and sit at the kitchen counter, or on a couch with my laptop, but those aren’t ideal. What I’d really like is a desk that’s a desk. I could also use space for my laptop, as I’ll use two machines at times.
With that in mind, I started looking at motorized desks. I saw Tim Mitchell get one for his home office, and found someone that rated desks. The Jarvis was well rated, and it wasn’t too expensive. An IKEA desk is around $500, so this wasn’t much more.
Fortunately I work for a company that values employees, and they do allow for some work related infrastructure. Redgate agreed to buy my desk, and I ordered it immediately. Of course, it wouldn’t ship and arrive until I was gone, but I came home to find boxes in my office. I began unpacking and assembling.
Well, actually I started clearing a space in the office. I needed room to assemble, while I continued to work during the couple days I put things together.
I’m somewhat handy, but this assembly was easy. There are feet (to the right and left) and then two legs (middle) with a brace (top middle) that connect together. Lots of Allen screws, but no real tools needed.
I got the bamboo top you see above, with grommets in it for wires. I wasn’t sure about the grommets, and haven’t used them a lot, but they are nice for a few things.
Getting things together felt good, and once I installed the lift, I was ready to try things.
Unfortunately, one of my legs didn’t work. The desk lowered, but wouldn’t reset or go back up. A quick call to Ergo Depot got me support, a few things to try, and then a replacement shipped the next day. Once again, I left town, not having a desk to use.
However the leg arrived and was ready for me when I returned. I managed to swap out the leg with minimal hassles, and without taking everything apart. Once back together, the lift mechanism worked great. I started moving things over and getting setup late one night.
I really just duplicated my existing setup, with the exception that I’d ordered a CPU holder to store and lift my desktop with the desk itself. It’s below the desk to the left.
Here we have the current setup, raised:
and lowered:
I did find that I wanted my monitors offset to the right, which took a few days to determine. I’ve moved the monitors up and down a bit, trying to find a good height relative to the desk.
I’m also still torn on whether I want the keyboard at desk height. I can change the height, and I use a few different settings, but I think I may get a keyboard tray that lets me lower the keyboard slightly and also get more desk space to use.
I’ve moved over my mat, which is a bit of a pain when I switch back to the chair. I still have to work out some sort of process to make this easier.
However overall I like the setup. I usually raise the desk if I check things at night, and start the next day standing. If I have webinars or calls, I often lower the desk and sit, and usually after lunch (often yoga or running), I’ll eat at my desk and lower it for the afternoon.
I think I’ve benefitted from not sitting for long periods of time, and plenty of people see my at events, where I often avoid sitting, even in sessions. However I also know I need a balance, and a motorized, standing desk has helped me feel better.
If you can afford it, I’d urge you to get one. However I’d suggest you start with boxes of books, and see what works for you.
Voice of the DBA 