To sit or stand

Every CEO I talks to tells me the story of how the employees want Stand Up desks but he/she thinks they’re too expensive and people just end up sitting anyway so what’s the point? Then I hear from employees how badly they want the option to stand or sit, depending on what they’re working on.

While there are Sit Stand Desks worth thousands of dollars but there’s also options in the hundreds. Let’s look at a few…

Ikea Bekant – This desk has electronic controls to control the sit and stand. Easy to assemble but it’s a big desk, at 63 inches, it takes up a lot of space. My personal experience is that the motors in these are a bit weak and they can’t hand too much weight. 2 monitors on a rig is all it took for the motor to quit. Once the monitors were removed, it started moving up and down again without any problems.

Varidesk – This standard desk add-on prices at about $400-500 (depending on the model) and allows you to plonk this height adjustable add-on to an existing desk so you can move from sit to stand. They’re easy to use but they look a little strange and robotic when in the stand mode. It’s a good solution if you’ve already invested in desks and now was to enhance them but if you’re looking to outfit a new office, there’s better options out there.

Uplift Desk – Built to order, this desk has so many options. A base model with no frills will set you back about $630. I’ve never actually used one so I can’t give a recommendation but, with it’s 7 year warranty, I’d say it’s worth a look.

Stand Up Desk Store – Starting at $300, these are a budget friendly option with lots of variations. To combat the motors on electric desks, there’s even a hand crank option. There’s a 48″ and a 60″ version; 1 tier and 2 tier options and they are on wheels! If you have teams that want to be mobile and move around the office, their desk can easily move with them. Assembly takes about 10 mins. They’re a budget model but if you’re looking for sit/stands at a reasonable price, this is your best bet. With so many options, they’re definitely worth a look.

Autonomous SmartDesk 2 has several options in both desktop, base and power (the newer model, SmartDesk3, includes a tablet that will remind you to eat and even order food!). There’s Home and Business models and various shaped desktops to suit every need. The last office I outfitted was completely Autonomous Business desks. They were an absolute hit and are holding up well to the daily use in both sit or stand configs or a mixture of both. I highly recommend them

Sitting all day is not healthy but nor is standing all day. A balance of both is ideal. A sit/stand desk helps to achieve that ideal balance. It’s important to invest in good quality floor mats and chairs so that whatever position the employees ultimately choose to work in, they’re positioned for success, not pain.