Sit-Stand adjustable desks are widely used in Scandinavia where over 90% of office workers
enjoy the health and engagement benefits of being able to easily switch between sitting and standing.
A standing desk can be easily adjusted to sitting or standing height. There are four mechanisms:
Electric Sit-Stand
Counterbalance
Winding Handle
Hybrid
Electric Standing Desks desks are the most popular solution, easy to use and prices have come down.
Electric desks use little power and certain brands measure your sitting time and provide PC user prompts.
We suggest looking for a 5 year warranty.
Counterbalance desks adjust by releasing and locking a lever to alter height. They require
moderate force to push down and can easily be raised upwards. For optimum performance it is essential to
firstly identify the proposed weight loading for each desk.
Winding Handle sit-stand desks use a cog and wheel system to elevate the desk. A more
traditional solution with mixed reports of reliability. Being slower and less practical it has
become less popular over time.
Hybrid desks combining both counterbalance and winding handle functionality
are a recent development and may be a popular solution although currently more expensive
DIY Standing Desks
There are a variety of DIY standing-desk solutions that you can combine
or build. The most important thing to note when building our own standing
desk is to make sure that you consider basic ergonomic requirements.
A treadmill desk, walking desk or treadmill workstation is a computer desk
that is adapted so that the user walks on a treadmill while performing office
tasks.
According to a study by James Levine at the Mayo Clinic,
users can burn an estimated 100-130 calories per hour at speeds slower
than 2 miles per hour.
When walking at a slow pace it is surprisingly easy
to type and of course speak, but less easy to write by hand.
There are several types of treadmill desks available. Treadmill desks fall
into three categories: a desk that is designed to cover a traditional
treadmill, a treadmill that is designed to fit under a standing desk,
and a treadmill with desk included. A treadmill requires basic
maintenance (i.e. lubrication) and this will vary depending on the
model selected.
Desk Mounts and Desk Risers
There are a variety of retrofit sit-stand desk solutions ranging from:
Levered Arm Desk Mounts
Fixed Position Desk Mounts
Desk Risers
OUR ADVICE: Desk Risers are not suitable for people who are above
180cm or 5' 11'' tall when placed upon a standard height desk (72cm).
Retrofit solutions offer a budget alternative to the height adjustable sit-stand desk.
Typically you need to adjust monitors etc. when you change position from sitting to standing.
Retrofit solutions are also less stable and typically come with only a 12 month warranty.
Active Seating
When considering seating for a Sit-Stand work station it may not be necessary
to adjust your existing seat. However, you may wish to consider an adjustable
Stool or Saddle Chair. They can be used whilst you alternate between
sitting and standing at work. Both will:
reduce fatigue by decreasing muscular effort
improve alignment of the spine
Comfort Mat
A Comfort Mat is designed to reduce fatigue caused by standing for
long periods on hard surface (e.g. wooden or cement floors). It may not
be necessary in an office especially if you are standing for intermittent
periods.
When considering the use of comfort mats, there are other
factors that should be considered such as:
Changes in working / standing position
Changes in working/standing position: Your work
should be organized so that you have some choice about your working
position and an opportunity to change position frequently.
A workplace that includes an optional seat (chair, sit/stand stool,
balance board) and some kind of footrest increases the variety of
body positions and encourages frequent changes between them.
Footwear
Footwear: Footwear is a factor which, if properly
chosen, may further reduce the harmful effects of prolonged standing.
There is no doubt that the choice of footwear is an important
consideration for people who work on their feet. Shoes should
ensure adequate arch and heel support and cushioning while
providing comfort to the wearer.
Balance Board
To encourage movement whilst standing at your desk we recommend you try
standing on a Balance Board. There are a variety of Balance Boards
and we deem the most appropriate to be:
Rocker Board
The Rocker Board is the most basic and least challenging type of
balance board. It is a flat board with a fulcrum attached to the
board's underside.
With one foot placed at each end of the board,
the user can tilt it from side to side until the balance point is
found and can then either try to keep the board stationary or
continue rocking.
Rocker boards offer only one degree of movement:
part rotation about the longitudinal axis, i.e.,
banking (left-right tilting).
Wobble Board
The Wobble Board is a rocker board that tilts toward 360 degrees.
This allows the board to pivot in all directions during the same ride:
forward-backward, left-right and anywhere in between, i.e.,
toward 360 degrees. This exercises muscles that are not exercised
by standing on boards that tilt in only two (opposite) directions.
The basic exercise is standing on the wobble board with both feet and
tilting in any direction without letting the board tilt so far that
its edge touches the ground.
