Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

gregschlom.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 72 posts

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#21

Post by georgieporgie »

albedoa wrote: post #14
jtemplestein wrote: post #10

Most of these hacks (and the comments in this post) miss a crucial point about standing desks. They are supposed to be ergonomic. [1] Putting your laptop on a bunch of boxes puts a lot of strain on your arms. Of course this also doesn't work if you have a big display on your desk. I'd be interested in hacking a standing desk that is 1) ergonomic 2) offers support for both laptops and big displays 3) has a usable keyb…

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a proper ergonomic standing desk have a bar or step to rest a foot for long-term activity? Also, are you supposed to hold your elbows in that position for long periods of time? I feel like there should be an extension to rest the forearms or wrists.

You really shouldn't support the weight of your arms using your wrists or forearms.

If you're standing with proper posture, your upper arms are nicely aligned with the body, and your muscles should easily support the minimal weight of your forearms.

Edit: incidentally, as I'm experimenting with a standing desk, I have a stool which is about a foot too low to stand on. I do, however, find myself using it to accomplish all sorts of odd leg positions and stretches.

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#22

Post by jordanb »

I switched to a standing desk about six months ago. I started by piling a bunch of books on my desk and putting my laptop on top of them. Later I bought this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MS70Z2/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp...

It's a tolerably good desk, except that it's a bit small and, while it's veneered to look like plywood, it's actually made of pasteboard with a laminate veneer (that was a big disappointment when it arrived).

I would like to make my own soon, as I've been getting into woodworking, at which point I will probably sell or give the safeco away.

A few points about standing desks:

* You should be able to stand all day. At first you will get tired, of course. I found that muscles in my back, butt and thighs were getting very sore, but that goes away once they toughen up. For that reason, I don't particularly see the point in desks that convert from sitting to standing. It seems like that would just encourage people to start "cheating" and going back to sitting the moment they get a little tired.

* I tend to rock from foot to foot, kick my feet around, etc, while standing. A big part of the advantage of a standing desk is that you move around more, but if I were in an open-plan office I'd probably try to stand still, which would tire my feet out quickly and give me less of the movement advantage.

* You need good support for your feet. Either purchase very nice shoes or (like me) get something like this:

http://www.americanfloormats.com/rejuvenator-anti-fatigue-ma...

That mat made night-and-day difference for me. Had I not gotten it I would have given up on the desk, because standing all day on a wood floor (even in decent shoes) was starting to kill my feet.

* I also got this monitor stand and clamped it to the top of the safeco:

http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Monitor-Stand-clamp-monitors/dp/B...

With it, my monitors are about a foot off the top of the desk, while the keyboard is at exactly the right height for my arms. Since I look straight forward all day long now, my posture has improved dramatically.

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#23

Post by Gotttzsche »

i've been using a standing desk for quite a while now. first i used a small table that i put on my desk, now i use a board on the wall and the sreen is screwed onto the wall above it.

one problem i have is that it seems like all gel mats only ship to the us. amazon.com would ship to germany, but i dont have any way to pay there.

anyone know of a way to get a gel mat in germany?

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#24

Post by albedoa »

georgieporgie wrote: post #21
albedoa wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a proper ergonomic standing desk have a bar or step to rest a foot for long-term activity? Also, are you supposed to hold your elbows in that position for long periods of time? I feel like there should be an extension to rest the forearms or wrists.

You really shouldn't support the weight of your arms using your wrists or forearms. If you're standing with proper posture, your upper arms are nicely aligned with the body, and your muscles should easily support the minimal weight of your forearms. Edit: incidentally, as I'm experimenting with a standing desk, I have a stool which is about a foot too low to stand on. I do, however, find myself using it to accomplish…

Right, but I mean is it good to support your arms with your elbows in the same position for hours to possibly years? I didn't mean for fatigue. It just doesn't seem to me (as a layman) as if any of our joints would appreciate that over the long-term.

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#25

Post by sonnekki »

albedoa wrote: post #14
jtemplestein wrote: post #10

Most of these hacks (and the comments in this post) miss a crucial point about standing desks. They are supposed to be ergonomic. [1] Putting your laptop on a bunch of boxes puts a lot of strain on your arms. Of course this also doesn't work if you have a big display on your desk. I'd be interested in hacking a standing desk that is 1) ergonomic 2) offers support for both laptops and big displays 3) has a usable keyb…

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a proper ergonomic standing desk have a bar or step to rest a foot for long-term activity? Also, are you supposed to hold your elbows in that position for long periods of time? I feel like there should be an extension to rest the forearms or wrists.

A good parallel to typing is playing classical piano, where the hands are lifted, and a straight line can be projected through the wrist to the elbow.

Resting the wrist or elbow on some sort of extension is what causes the strain. The trick is building the strength to hold up your hands and arms (maybe take up piano ;) ) without becoming tense in your shoulders and back. All of this follows from having a good posture.

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#26

Post by boredguy8 »

run4yourlives wrote: post #12

Google the Ikea Jerker desk. They discontinued the standup model - or rather the model that could be configured as such - but you'd probably be able to find one used on craigslist or ebay. It is designed for this specifically, although it is big, so you need a good deal of space. I've been using one in my home office for about 7 years now.

I managed to craigslist this desk and love it. Finding the accessories, on the other hand, has been harder.

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#27

Post by unignorant »

jordanb wrote: post #22

I switched to a standing desk about six months ago. I started by piling a bunch of books on my desk and putting my laptop on top of them. Later I bought this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MS70Z2/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp... It's a tolerably good desk, except that it's a bit small and, while it's veneered to look like plywood, it's actually made of pasteboard with a laminate veneer (that was a big disappointment when i…

I entirely agree with you, excepting for your comment about shoes. In most circumstances, the best way to avoid foot problems is not to "buy better footware/orthotics" but rather to strengthen your feet.

If you are skeptical, look into the "minimalist" running movement. There is quite a bit of research which suggests that the human foot is itself a better support system than any external aid. The problem is that, living as most people do, their foot muscles have atrophied.

I stand barefoot on hardwood all day long.

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#29

Post by kujawa »

rationalbeaver wrote: post #18
run4yourlives wrote: post #12

Google the Ikea Jerker desk. They discontinued the standup model - or rather the model that could be configured as such - but you'd probably be able to find one used on craigslist or ebay. It is designed for this specifically, although it is big, so you need a good deal of space. I've been using one in my home office for about 7 years now.

There's actually a current model at Ikea that works awesomely as a stand up desk: The Fredrik. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00115992 I own one and enjoy it greatly.

I have these at work and home. They work well, but I wish they were built a little more solidly.

What can you say, though? Ikea.

Re: How to hack yourself a standing desk - an illustrated guide

#30

Post by yason »

I didn't know "cool guys are coding standing these days". I had never even imagined much less heard of someone working in an office in a standing position. So I thought I was just crazy but did this myself some time ago.

I don't know why; I think I wanted to be in a natural, straight stance when coding instead of sitting in some semioptimal position. I'm 196cm tall so I have never really had a table and chair that was made to fit my measures. I've had various ergonomic tables but they just don't cut it for a man with my height.

I work from home and simply upgraded my working table myself. It is a nice wooden table with lathed legs that you could screw into the corners of the table top. I simply went to the hardware store, lost 30 euros and came back with a total of 480cm of lathed wood of the same diameter. And after a bit of sawing and drilling I had four 120cm pieces that I could replace the old legs with: total time one hour, including the trip.

I've adjusted the height a few centimeters since that so as to get the table truly optimal to my personal height and now I'm fine. I must say that was the best 30 euros I've ever spent, I already notice that my abdominal and back muscles are stronger, and I naturally revert to a better stance even when not at my desk.

And I haven't had any back problems from getting stuck in the same position for too long, since I constantly move around when standing at my desk.

It is cool, actually. (The table, not me necessarily.)

Post reply on HN