They're nice to be able to change up your position during the course of the day, but regardless of what you do, it's bad for your body to be in the same position for several in a row. You can throw some money at the problem, but having discipline to get up and have a quick break every 30 minutes will take you much further than a standing desk will IME.
Ask HN: Are height adjustable desks worth it?
51–60 of 81 posts
Re: Ask HN: Are height adjustable desks worth it?
#52I love the idea but can't deal with how much they wiggle. They all seem to only have 2 legs, which results in them being very wobbly, particularly at standing height. Interested to hear if anyone knows of any actually stable sit-stand desks..
I have this desk from a Michigan-based company called Deskhaus ( https://desk.haus/collections/sale/products/apex-pro-max-but... ). It’s very stable. They also have a YouTube channel, and they test the wobbliness of desks in a few videos (e.g., https://youtu.be/dv-vjJqukn0 ).
I've had a negative experience with Deskhaus's customer service. Their product is good, but if anything goes wrong during its life you may have trouble getting a response.
In my case I wanted to ask about replacement parts because it seemed like a power surge might've knocked out the box controlling the desk - didn't get a single response despite reaching out via email and their contact form, not even a "We don't sell replacement parts and you're on your own" reply.
Re: Ask HN: Are height adjustable desks worth it?
#53I agree with others that this is pretty personal to your own values. For me: it was definitely worth it, and if you buy a decent quality frame/desktop it'll be durable and a pretty minimal premium over time. I usually switch sitting standing 1-10 times/day depending on how restless I'm feeling. That said: - it's hard to know how much you'll like standing (or switching) until you try it - it is pretty hard to vet qual…
For me the adjustability has been worth even though I don’t stand all that often, because it allows me to dial in the height of the desk in addition to chair height to make the setup perfectly suited to me. Addition of high quality desk clamp VESA monitor arms (used HumanScale arms from office liquidators on eBay) takes this adjustability even further, making my desk very comfortable to work at for long periods.
And yes, the frames on the nicer standing desks are very robust. The frame on my Fully desk is several mm thick enameled steel that will be good for the foreseeable future… even when/if the top gives out, I can just get some butcher block countertop or something similar cut at Home Depot and bolt it on and it’ll be as good as new.
Re: Ask HN: Are height adjustable desks worth it?
#54When I was working on the road/relative's houses, the height adjustable desk was the only thing that I missed from the office. You have to get one that has a motor though - I've never found the manual ones worth the effort (they usually seem to be low quality and very wobbly). But being able to switch between standing and sitting has been valuable for keeping me comfortable.
Re: Ask HN: Are height adjustable desks worth it?
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Using mid-tear Ikea sit-stand desk for 5+ years. So far so good. Not wobbly even with a 24" display with some plants next to it.
The important thing to bear in mind here is that wobble is relative, i.e. One persons `wobbly` is another persons' `stable`.
Yes. But with this desk one should be really really sensitive to wobble to call it wobbly. For the record, I do consider some desks wobbly. E.g. cheapest Ikea desks.
Re: Ask HN: Are height adjustable desks worth it?
#56I'm 190cm (almost 6'3") and the 6 months with a motorized height adjustable IKEA desk have been the happiest in my life at a desk.
It's not about standing for me. It's about having room to keep my chair high enough that my knees don't hurt (I'm also 46) and also having room for keeping it under the desk for optimal posture.
Then, when I felt like switching posture, I could easily make it taller or shorter.
Heaven.
Re: Ask HN: Are height adjustable desks worth it?
#57Yes, just like an ergonomic keyboard was important for my hand, wrist, and forearm pain my sit/stand desk making it actually possible to change my body position when I’m stuck in several hours of meetings helped with my back, neck and shoulder pain.
Re: Ask HN: Are height adjustable desks worth it?
#58I have a Flexispot standing desk. Before I purchased, I was concerned about how sturdy the desk would be in standing mode — but it's actually sturdier than my old sitting desk. I love it. Look for sales. They have quite a few throughout the year. Their optional accessories do seem overpriced though. I attached a cheap ikea wire shelf underneath to hold all the cables instead of buying a $50 "Cable Management Mesh"
Re: Ask HN: Are height adjustable desks worth it?
#59I have mine from Flexispot.de and I absolutely love it. Already 3 years that I have it, I believe I got a good deal. I stand maybe like 10% of the time but still I think my body and my back is thanking me for this.
I've also got a Flexispot (from Amazon, assuming its the same brand) and its been good for a little over a year now. Seems well built and sturdy at any height.
I don't stand a lot, but it is nice if I wake up and my back is sore. Also gives me better adjustability with the office chair, lets me set the height just right.
Re: Ask HN: Are height adjustable desks worth it?
#60It depends. I suggest you first try to work at your desk with a tray on top or something that lets you try out switching between standing and sitting all the time. See if you’ll actually be switching between standing and sitting and enjoy it. I have one. Bought it about 9 years ago. Thought it was so cool. After the first week I barely ever moved it to standing. Fast forward to now. I have some pretty bad lower back…
It may be worth finding out if it’s a motor issue or a power supply issue. I thought my IKEA standing desk was broken for 3 years or so, then Covid hit and I really needed to stand at home.
I’d lost the receipt and couldn’t get help from them. Then I emailed the motor manufacturer and they sent me a free power supply replacement. (I heard a few stories about it being the power supply rather than the motor, of course that may not be the case for you)