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Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

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Re: Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

#71

Post by wlesieutre »

vijayr wrote: post #37

related to this, are there any decent standing desks for < 200$?

I have a "Cool Living Stand Up Desk" at home that I bought on Woot a couple of years ago. Note that it's a hand cranked height adjustment. Currently going for $220 on Amazon, but the slow adjustment process is an annoying barrier to switching positions and keeps me from doing it as often as I'd like to.

https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Living-Stand-Up-Desk-Black/dp/B0...

I'm otherwise pretty happy with it, but it's my home desk not my work one. If you're looking for a desk to use for full time work I'd recommend an electric or something with a counterweight or spring system to allow easier changes between sitting and standing.

Re: Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

#72

Post by pfooti »

MikeKusold wrote: post #55
pfooti wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you might want to try a balance board. i've been meaning to get one myself - they apparently are good for low-back pains.

I've found that balance boards (on top of a tube) require too much concentration to balance. Instead I used a skateboard deck on a cushion[0] at my standing desk. You can adjust difficulty by adjusting the inflation of the cushion. [0]: http://indoboard.com/cushion

huh, I'd been eying a fluidstance board (put off a bit by the price), but those indoboards are way cheaper. Thanks!

Re: Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

#73

Post by traeregan »

takk309 wrote: post #29
m_ke wrote: post #23

I'm looking to buy or make a standing desk now. What desks are you using and do you have any recommendations?

I have a Varidesk ( https://www.varidesk.com/ ). It is solid, no frills, and easy to use. The price point is reasonable too.

I agree. I split my time between a co-working space and home, and I have a Varidesk Pro 36 at each location. I have been using them for a few years now, and I think they're a great product.

Re: Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

#74

Post by drfuchs »

nathcd wrote: post #51

A couple years ago my co-worker and I each built the $22 IKEA standing desk from iamnotaprogrammer.com[1]. We also each got a nice standing mat and stool (about $100 each), and I got a monitor mount (about $50). It's been excellent. I'd say I spend about half my time standing and half sitting on the stool. For me, rather than losing focus when I'm standing, sometimes I'll just pace around my office a bit, which I've…

Many folks mention standing on a mat. Anybody care to give specific advice on what to buy (brand, material, thickness, link, whatever)?

Re: Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

#75

Post by akulbe »

Can't beat this drum enough. Consider using a treadmill desk. Alternate between sitting and walking. Moving is better than standing still.

See my setup. https://www.dropbox.com/s/089qqvaa7j5ob77/office_setup.jpg

I've lost a lot of weight with this setup. Still have a long way to go.

I've found the key to concentration is walking slow. It has a max speed of 4MPH (which is way too fast). I walk at a pace of 1.2 - 1.4 mph. I walk in segments of 25 minutes. Break for 5. Longer breaks every 4 cycles. (Pomodoro Technique)

I look at this as in investment in my health. It's paid off already, in big ways.

Re: Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

#76

Post by nathcd »

drfuchs wrote: post #74
nathcd wrote: post #51

A couple years ago my co-worker and I each built the $22 IKEA standing desk from iamnotaprogrammer.com[1]. We also each got a nice standing mat and stool (about $100 each), and I got a monitor mount (about $50). It's been excellent. I'd say I spend about half my time standing and half sitting on the stool. For me, rather than losing focus when I'm standing, sometimes I'll just pace around my office a bit, which I've…

Many folks mention standing on a mat. Anybody care to give specific advice on what to buy (brand, material, thickness, link, whatever)?

I don't have any real advice, but here's [1] the one I got, which has been good for me. And it looks like the price has come down a good bit since I bought it in early 2015.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UA2WO2/ref=oh_aui_deta...

Re: Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

#77

Post by EADGBE »

driverdan wrote: post #33
dahart wrote: post #30

Standing hurts my feet within 10-20 minutes, but I found a treadmill/walking desk to be something I could do all day long. It helped a lot with back pain, and as a side-effect it cured post-lunch sleepiness. Coding while walking was never a concentration problem for me, so I can only offer that as an anecdotal data point. It might be me, but maybe walking rather than standing makes it easier to concentrate? There wer…

Were you using a good mat at the standing desk? Without one most people will have foot pain.

Also, shoes and/or soles/inserts.

- 10 years experience in service industry.

Re: Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

#78

Post by octopoc »

akulbe wrote: post #75

Can't beat this drum enough. Consider using a treadmill desk. Alternate between sitting and walking. Moving is better than standing still. See my setup. https://www.dropbox.com/s/089qqvaa7j5ob77/office_setup.jpg I've lost a lot of weight with this setup. Still have a long way to go. I've found the key to concentration is walking slow. It has a max speed of 4MPH (which is way too fast). I walk at a pace of 1.2 - 1.4 m…

That is pretty interesting! I have a couple questions:

1. How much does your words per minute drop while on the treadmill? 2. What effect does walking while working have on your mind? I.e., a lot of people (myself included) need to pace to clear our minds. Can you clear your mind on that treadmill? Does walking while working distract you very much?

Re: Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

#79

Post by bhauer »

At my office, I used a fixed-height standing desk without the bar-stool height chairs that are commonly seen paired with fixed standing desks. In other words, I am standing for the full work day. Meanwhile, my desk at home is a traditional sitting-height fixture. So I do a fair amount of sitting in the evenings as well.

For what it's worth, I don't perceive any difference in my ability to concentrate or be effective while standing, with some caveats:

* With the unfortunate advent of glossy-screened displays, there can be additional glare at a standing height. You may want to evaluate whether your concentration problem is related to the amount of glare or outright reflections of nearby activity you are perceiving on your display. For me, it was important to get semi-matte displays (truly matte is ever harder to find these days) and orient the displays to minimize glare. Side rant: hardware manufacturers, please make matte displays mainstream again.

* My desk was quickly hand-built out of plywood and is non-adjustable. It was intended to be experimental but I've used it for about two years now. My intent is to replace it with a hardwood fixture soon. If you aren't interested in splurging for an adjustable desk, don't make a stupid mistake I made: I forgot to factor in the height of the keyboard itself (approximately 1.5 inches for my mechanical keyboard) when planning the height of the desk. I measured the distance away from the floor that I wanted my hands to be at, but forgot that in practice they would be 1.5 inches higher. This is a continuous annoyance making me look forward to replacing this "temporary" desk.

* As others have said, a gel pad may be helpful. I think this may be a matter of taste. I personally use one, but I sometimes move it away since it can cause a weird "floating" sensation at times.

* I do a lot of periodic movement while I am working or thinking. I squat, leg-lift, walk, sway, stand on one foot, etc. I feel this helps keep me from feeling "locked up" in a standing position.

* If you can situate your desk so that you are back up against a wall, you can also do a lean-back arrangement which is pretty comfortable.

Re: Ask HN: How is your standing desk working for you?

#80

Post by rsync »

ne01 wrote: post #61

> Curious about other opinions? I don't think sit-stand desk is such a good idea. Sitting and standing for long periods of time is not good for your health. Here is the way I work, it's like a game... + Work in 30 minutes intervals where you only sit. + Have a timer (e.g. Google Calendar) that let's you know your time is up. + To get another 30 minutes of work, you have to workout for 2-3 minutes. + Have a set of 10-…

"I don't think sit-stand desk is such a good idea. Sitting and standing for long periods of time is not good for your health."

I have had a standing desk for about seven years. For what it's worth, I only work at a desk about 10-15 hours per week.

I have found that I feel best when cycling between standing, sitting and lying down. In fact, there are certain kinds of work that I find myself completing more efficiently and enjoyably in different physical configurations. I like to stand at my desk for phone calls and support interactions but I like to lie down on my couch for research/reading.

I have indeed found that standing for 4-6 hours doesn't feel all that great, but in different ways that sitting for 4-6 hours doesn't feel great. So I have a standing desk, a chair, and a couch and cycle between them depending on what kind of work I am doing.

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