Introducing StandDesk [video]
standdesk.co
standdesk.co
"A motorized standing desk for just $399." would've grabbed my interest right away.
The website looks great, too, however it has one big problem for me: I felt frustrated to have to sit down and listen to a 4 min. video to even find out what the product was.
In the first 10-15 seconds I was on your site, I actually couldn't figure out exactly what it was (there are so many variations on standing desks these days).
I scrolled way down and I can see there are tons of benefits, but no description of the desk. I had to eventually click play on the video[1], and then when it didn't visually get to the point immediately either, I had to put on my headphones and go and find my music player to pause.
I think it would be great if it had at least one of A) a short intro video that shows the whole desk and automation within 1-2 seconds or B) just some headlines describing it ("An electric adjustable standing desk for under $400") and pictures of the product.
P.S. There is a weird, loud audio glitch/background crowd noise in the video at 2:01. :)
[1]: To be fair, the Hacker News title does say [video]. But still, it's the home page, it should get immediately to the point.
Funny you put it this way. Most of the time, I experience the very same problem with any company's homepage. If I need to know exactly what a product or a company is about, I go to their Wikipedia page. If there isn't one, I'm out of luck and will have to wade through the homepage for at least a few long minutes of cluelessness.
And there are probably good reasons for it. A homepage is a face, not a résumé. And there's a good chance people on HN are biased towards analytical thinking, while the average audience might find an unencyclopaedic, organic style of presentation more appealing.
And yes, I know the kickstarter campaign hasn't started yet.
And I almost forgot ... this looks awesome.
1) You should ease into it - go from one hour to two in a week, two to three in a couple of weeks
2) GET Anti-Fatigue MATS to stand on otherwise sustained standing is going to Screw-up your legs
3) Have a stand-by(!) sitting desk and alternate between the two once you "get tired" standing
4) Don't be afraid to say "This does not work for me". A colleague who tried it with me hated to say this, but she was in constant knee pain standing up but would not go back to her sitting desk.
Surprisingly - two non-adjustible sturdy desks works out cheaper.
Yes this works for many people, but there's several issues with this:
1. You need more real estate to place 2 desks, not everyone has the space in their home or office.
2. Finding that perfect ergonomic height become a chore when you have to prop something under each leg of the desk - and that's - if the desk is too short. If the desk is too high, then may have to saw the leg or resort to any other labor intensive activity. With an automatic desk, you just press a button.
3. If you have monitor(s), keyboard, mouse, etc. When you transition from sitting to standing or vice versa then you have to move everything over one desk to the next. That becomes annoying after a while, unless you just use a laptop. The problem with a laptop, is you only have one screen and its horrible for your neck posture and may lead to shoulder and neck problems in the future.
That said, in the beginning use whatever works for you to stand, whether it be 2 desk setup or simply a cardboard box on top of your desk. The mail goal is to get off you duff and stand more. Use whatever tools you please
My next thought was to look into kitchen mats as line cooks tend to stand for long periods of time.
I have the $60 one from Amazon, a step down from what Wirecutter recommends, but I think I will upgrade. I can generally do 4-5 hours standing with this: http://www.amazon.com/Imprint-Comfort-Nantucket-20-Inch-Cinn...
Unfortunately, the CumulusPro is out of stock everywhere, but I found you could order it online at a significant discount on Costco ($69 vs $115). Here's the link.
http://www2.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11762518&w...
After watching the video, I saw it was mentioned that the horizontal stabilizer was removed, which saves on material costs. Have you compared the stability of the StandDesk with other solutions? Currently I've found the GeekDesk to flex a little more than I would like when at standing height and I lean on it.
> The key is to build movement variety into the normal workday.”
Details:
http://www.reddit.com/r/raldi/comments/kfjet/cornells_standi...
A year later I bought one from Ikea[1], much cheaper around 750USD. The motor was so smooth and felt much more premium. Now we use only those Ikea desks in our office. Picture of desk[2]
I tried looking the desk up in Ikea US website, but it seems it's not sold in the US guys, unfortunately.
[1] http://www.ikea.com/nl/nl/catalog/products/S49895941/ [2] http://cl.ly/image/250M1n3Z1v3H
When I started looking for one I didn't want to use an electric motor... too slow, used up a plug, etc. I wanted a mechanical one that was affordable and didn't use a crank. Counter-balance or pneumatic-assist only!
I found the Ergotron Workfit-B HD [0] to be good for me. It's just the base and let me convert my existing desk. It was about $150 more than the price mentioned in the video for the StandDesk via on online retailer.
It does have cross-bars which may be annoying for some people though but I don't find that they're much of an impediment. It rises and lowers almost effortlessly with just a squeeze of the lever. However there are lock-points where it locks into place that are about 1-inch apart. However I also use a monitor arm and keyboard tray so I get every height I need perfectly anyway.
Might be something worth investigating if you're not interested in the slow-electric motor tables and want something you can get now.
[0] http://www.ergotron.com/ProductsDetails/tabid/65/PRDID/757/l...
I bought mine in The Netherlands for EUR 560 and I love it to bits. The more affordable adjustable standing desks, the better!
But yeah, the big deal here is that it is $400. That should be front and center.
The max height is only 40". At the time of purchase it seemed like it would be sufficient, however in practice my arms are not been parallel to the keyboard. I've started to notice some RSI/pain in my wrists/hands from the downward slope. When I return to sitting mode for a day or so with proper ergonomic positioning, my wrist pain clears right up. I'm 6'1", so my next desk needs to be at least 42"-43" tall -- the more the better! (I'd prefer not to have to be at the highest elevation setting).
Right now I'm experimenting with elevating my keyboard furniture risers to life the whole thing up.
[1] http://www.polyvore.com/haworth_eddy_adjustable_height_desk/...
I especially liked having a standing desk, since I had severe RSI problems a few years before that. I managed to get rid of it, mostly thanks to using a break program, an ergonomic keyboard and a pen-like mouse, but being able to alternate between sitting and standing also helps. I've written more about my problems and how I got rid of them here: http://henrikwarne.com/2012/02/18/how-i-beat-rsi/
http://bitehype.com/screw-your-standing-desk-how-about-squat...
But this lack of flexibility is common. It has a name and I forgot it.
It hugely influenced my purchase of a NextDesk Terra :)
The Jerker no longer being available is mourned by some http://www.ikeafans.com/home/modular-desks-ikeas-jerker-is-u...
It's $100 and it's almost perfect - the one thing I may do is add an angled footrest. But I'm not in a big rush.
Solid wood top ($79.99): http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50106773/
Four legs ($120.00): http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60261626/
I can't find Ikea legs that go that height.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10117561/
But this is a lower height than mine, so anyone under 6' would need bed risers (it has 3" extendable feet).
Considering how expensive even basic standing desks are that price is phenomenal especially considering a POS standard wooden computer desk is generally around $100-150.
Exactly.
That said, this particular design seems nice, and if it is decent quality, then it is likely worth $400.
I don't think that's going to be possible. A basic desk from ikea is $200.
I'm thinking about buying a modtable (crank or motor powered: http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A3733671%2Cp_4%...) without a top, then find/buy a rustic wood finished top. No keyboard tray - put mouse and keyboard on the desk, then attach monitors with a nice Atdec monitor mount (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/909028-REG/Atdec_l_pb_...).
* desk base unit ($479): http://heightadjustableworktable.com/index.php/manual-modtab...
* table top ($79.99 - I treated the table top with polyurethane): http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50106773/
* monitor stand ($21.26): http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10828&cs_id=...
* mat for standing ($53.99 - optional but highly recommended): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BYRDK2/ref=oh_details_o...
Total: $580.25 (with mat: $634.24)
Here's a picture of the finished product: http://imgur.com/UW8CvWz (kind of need to organize the wires still)
I recycled this reply from an earlier conversation :)
I just ordered one because of this post. I'm going to replace my barely-adjustable ikea hodge-podge setup.
Edit: Wonder if I could stain that top!
Or just look into craigslist for office warehouses where they usually sell used $1k ones for 25%-50% off (which is where I got mine).
EDIT: Just want to provide some alternatives for someone who wants/needs one now vs. waiting. I think the standdesk is a very good bargain at $399, I've signed up.
In fact, according to [1] a keyboard height of 710mm is only suitable if you are at least 1.88m (6'2") so you have to be pretty tall.
The stroke of the StandDesk is 432mm, and I need 420mm so the range is okay for my height. However if I was 1.85m (6'1") or taller the range would be too small.
Back Designs[2] also have guidelines for adjustable work surfaces and again, the StandDesk ranges are just a bit short.
All in all, it looks like a product with great potential, but perhaps needs the specifications reassessed a bit more in order to be truly suitable to a wider user base.
[1] http://www.computingcomfort.org/create2.asp or http://www.ergotron.com/tabid/305/language/en-US/default.asp...
[2] http://www.backdesigns.com/Desk-work-surface-height-W144.asp... towards the end of the page.
How much?
There's virtually identical, very nicely done desk from SteelCase, which goes for a bit over $1,000. If they can halve this without compromising on the quality, they will do well. Otherwise, it'll be just another "artisans who care sooo deeply about quality" KickStarter flop.Edit: At about the 1:20 mark in the video, they've just talked about how reducing the number of parts reduced the cost. And then "Starting at $399" is written on the screen. They don't actually say it. Text only.
They're really great. You can sit on them and they're powerful enough to lift you up. They also have settings, so you can save your favorite heights.
Can standdesk speak to this? How much sheer force can the desk take before failing, particularly with "2-300 lbs" on the desk surface?
The problem I find with StandDesk and others like it is that it only has one level, when in reality you need a shelf for the monitor or you get into a situation where you're crouching to stare at the screen or your arms aren't in an ergonomic position.
2. How much is this thing? You say it's a lower price than other sit/stand desks, and will be at a special discounted price, but nowhere on the page can I find a number.
Point is ... if you get a standing desk, make sure it works when sitting just as well as when standing. Check the 'lowest height' and compare it to what you use.
EDIT: I am impressed with the removal of the stabilizer between the legs. That's a great feature.
1. Correct standing height (i.e. bicep & forearm creates a 90% angle) 2. Forearm, wrist, & back of your hand is straight as possible when typing.
I really enjoy my desk - being able to alternate quickly is nice.
This is a single platform, and in the video you see (naturally, young) people using either a laptop or an imac on it. It's ergonomically unsound unless you put an adjustable monitor stand on it. The brogrammer at the end talking about "productivity" caps off the video nicely.
Here's my equivalent. One box of the correct height (depends on person and access to boxes). To raise, place box and put laptop on box. To lower, remove box and put laptop on desk. To lower even further, remove desk and place laptop on floor. :-) Effect: The same, ergonomically. Cost: If you take lots of shipments, literally priceless.
(Also I'm on the wrong side of the pond I'm afraid. But you brought me into the furniture market enough to pay the need for seat guy a visit.)
A standing desk is a great way to encourage people to get up and move while they work instead of sitting 8 hours a day. And at 399 this sounds like a great solution to get more people up and about.
As someone who checks in to see what's new (and affordable) in the world of stand up desks each month I'm really looking forward to seeing how this pans out.
Somebody's been drinking a little too much buttered coffee.