Top Picks and Tips for A Standing Desk or Workstation
A large number of the people who come to see us spend hours on end sitting at a desk. As a result they end up with a bad back.
Wellbeing For Less
Being immobile, hunched over a computer for long periods of time can give you a real strain.
You will feel it in your upper back, shoulders and neck. Add into that the strong evidence from the World Cancer Research Fund that lack of exercise increases the risk of certain cancers. It makes sense to seek an alternative to sitting for hours. Just like having physio, an alternative benefits your heart and general wellbeing too.
Effective to Promote Health and Wellbeing
Standing desks first arrived in the UK about a decade ago. The original high cost ruled out the choice for many. Now we’re in 2019 and an increasing number of home workers and employers are finding it more affordable and a very effective way to promote health and wellbeing.
Driven By Demand
We set out to research some options for you. We found so many different ways to adopt standing at your desk and better still the cost has been driven right down by demand. Here’s our top six picks for you to check out.
Big Desk, Little Desk, Cardboard Box
We love what I Want A Standing Desk are doing. Their classroom standing desk is getting young people into good habits early and hats off to them for offering schools to trial them, they cut fidgeting and disruption in the classroom! Their Jack range is designed to meet the needs of any environment, including grown up office spaces. Large, small and desktop versions are offered. You can also choose between manual or power assisted heigh adjustment. Check out their brushed steel to catapult you into a whole new working environment, see the range on their homepage here. And here’s an independent review video giving you a full low down on the health benefits.
Yo-Yo Desks
We are impressed by the choice of stand up desks offered by this Swindon-based company. You can start working standing up for about £150. Their Y0-Yo Desk 80s is suitable for anybody up to 6ft 2 tall when on a standard table top and there’s a version available if you happen to be taller.
They even have their own Channel Sit-Stand TV, check it out below.
Swedish Smarts
The guys at Ikea were leaders on stand up desks. They offer adjustable table legs for a semi-permanent solution. They have a version that you wind manually. In addition is their Bezant desk that allows you to adjust the table top electrically to nail that ergonomic working position.
With cable management and easy clean melamine, it might seem pricey even at a reduced Ikea Family price of £385 for the white version. To soften the blow it comes with a ten year guarantee. And you can pick up a load of candles you don’t need at the same time!
By The Way
Wayfair interiors is probably not top of your list for office furniture. However if you’re into a higher tech aesthetic make sure you check out the sleek look in grey and black. The Pataskala is height adjustable and it cleverly tilts. You can get free delivery and you have to put it together yourself but at the time of writing it’s on sale at £52.99. It is lightweight and looks like it would quite easily be put away or stored if you needed your space back but wanted to keep the desk. We agree with the blurb on their web page – it would look right at home in an urban dwelling where space might not be in abundance.
No One Put Baby In the Corner
Unless baby is an Ergo Electric Desk. Towards the top of the range, Ergo are definitely one of the suppliers to check out if you are wanting to kit out your workforce with a standing option. We’re including their Conset 501-7 electric desk Curvy Corner. It is available in four colours with a choice of black or sliver frame. We’d thank you for one of these babies, it looks a good investment even at £450.
Hack it For Home Use
A wall mounted desk is one of the cheapest and simplest ways to get a standing desk. It won’t be adjustable but you can set it to your required height and when you need the space, the table top will drop down. If you google “folding drop leaf table” you should get a range of options. We found this version, available in white or natural, on Amazon. It’s only £39.99 including delivery, a great investment and could wean you off using the laptop sitting crouched on your sofa! Shudder the thought.
Beating Desk Ache
If you haven’t got your sights set on a standing desk, there are some really good tips about beating Desk Ache from Andy in the blog he just wrote for Lancashire Business View.
If you aren’t sure what is causing your back pain get in touch. We offer a free 15 minute initial physio assessment at Sale, Manchester and Whalley. Find your nearest clinic and book online here.
