4 ms·

I have been trying to find info on laying down desks and chairs in the past few weeks, but there is really not a lot of people who have experienced with it. If

by polote 6y ago

I have been trying to find info on laying down desks and chairs in the past few weeks, but there is really not a lot of people who have experienced with it. If you had, please comment here

themodelplumber 6y ago
You mean laying down to operate a computer? I've been experimenting with that on and off for about 4-5 years now. Looking to deepen / accelerate this practice recently. It's pretty nice when it works well. I use one of those adjustable (3 joints per side) laptop desks and a mouse or trackball at my side. The laptop desk has a large lip on one end that prevents it from falling off when tilted. The great thing about this is that laying down seems to reduce strain on the nervous system so much that it's a more sustainable working position in a lot of ways. I find that my overall working mood is much more stable, especially compared to 1h+ sitting upright. I sometimes go back to a sitting position at work in the late afternoon (WFH) and my energy seems sapped by sitting within about 30-45 minutes (not completely sapped; just compared to the laying position). Laying down, on the other hand, is much more sustainable. I usually experiment with what I have on hand first (I used storage tubs and cardboard boxes to build my first standing desk), and I haven't yet tried any special chairs that allow laying down, except for a reclining couch. I think my next experiment in this area will be a lumbar pillow to be used when laying flat. I've been surprised at how much lumbar support can make a big difference in chairs, couches, etc. A friend told me he believes lack of lumbar support in his chairs at home caused his nerve damage, and I can see why he would say that. Some aspects that I don't like: - It has a social stigma. Either "hospital bed" (are you sick?) or "lazy" (you've been in bed for how long today?) - I can't (yet) put two 24+ inch monitors to use in this position :) - Same with my favorite keyboard...laptops are what allow this to work. - Some other minor things, but I believe paying attention to little adjustments can help here.
megameter 6y ago
Here is my setup, which is a very inexpensive, low-footprint way of doing it: 1. A large lap desk. This is a powerful tool for adding flexibility as you'll see. It lets you keep all the peripherals near you. I currently use it with a USB hub, a 65% mechanical keyboard, a keypad with macro functions, and a trackball mouse. 2. A floor chair with reclining functions. The one I have is one of the cheapest on Amazon, basically a folding backrest with a bit of cushion. 3. A laptop/monitor arm and a shelf to hang it off of. With a laptop angled at 90 degrees so that the screen is overhead, I have a fully supinated setup on the floor, with the floor chair folded most of the way back for support. But it gets better. With a low folding table or breakfast tray I can switch the laptop and chair over to floor seating. Here the lap desk serves as a way to let me move around more. This is a great way to add variety of posture and stretch as I work, and I find that I use different positions for different levels of intensity during the day. Supination is better for passive viewing, while upright with no support is focused, intense. Seated with the chair reclined is the medium for "Tired but still want to work". And then I still have more traditional feet-dangling seats I can use too. Again, just haul over the lap desk and plug in. The best part is, none of these items need to cost more than $100. Most are closer to $50. So you can solve everything with an investment of perhaps $200-300.
- nfour 6y ago
  Sounds interesting - I have a lapboard setup as well but it could use improvement. Any chance you could provide some pictures?

by polote 6y ago

I have been trying to find info on laying down desks and chairs in the past few weeks, but there is really not a lot of people who have experienced with it. If you had, please comment here

themodelplumber 6y ago

You mean laying down to operate a computer? I've been experimenting with that on and off for about 4-5 years now. Looking to deepen / accelerate this practice recently. It's pretty nice when it works well. I use one of those adjustable (3 joints per side) laptop desks and a mouse or trackball at my side. The laptop desk has a large lip on one end that prevents it from falling off when tilted. The great thing about this is that laying down seems to reduce strain on the nervous system so much that it's a more sustainable working position in a lot of ways. I find that my overall working mood is much more stable, especially compared to 1h+ sitting upright. I sometimes go back to a sitting position at work in the late afternoon (WFH) and my energy seems sapped by sitting within about 30-45 minutes (not completely sapped; just compared to the laying position). Laying down, on the other hand, is much more sustainable. I usually experiment with what I have on hand first (I used storage tubs and cardboard boxes to build my first standing desk), and I haven't yet tried any special chairs that allow laying down, except for a reclining couch. I think my next experiment in this area will be a lumbar pillow to be used when laying flat. I've been surprised at how much lumbar support can make a big difference in chairs, couches, etc. A friend told me he believes lack of lumbar support in his chairs at home caused his nerve damage, and I can see why he would say that. Some aspects that I don't like: - It has a social stigma. Either "hospital bed" (are you sick?) or "lazy" (you've been in bed for how long today?) - I can't (yet) put two 24+ inch monitors to use in this position :) - Same with my favorite keyboard...laptops are what allow this to work. - Some other minor things, but I believe paying attention to little adjustments can help here.

megameter 6y ago

Here is my setup, which is a very inexpensive, low-footprint way of doing it: 1. A large lap desk. This is a powerful tool for adding flexibility as you'll see. It lets you keep all the peripherals near you. I currently use it with a USB hub, a 65% mechanical keyboard, a keypad with macro functions, and a trackball mouse. 2. A floor chair with reclining functions. The one I have is one of the cheapest on Amazon, basically a folding backrest with a bit of cushion. 3. A laptop/monitor arm and a shelf to hang it off of. With a laptop angled at 90 degrees so that the screen is overhead, I have a fully supinated setup on the floor, with the floor chair folded most of the way back for support. But it gets better. With a low folding table or breakfast tray I can switch the laptop and chair over to floor seating. Here the lap desk serves as a way to let me move around more. This is a great way to add variety of posture and stretch as I work, and I find that I use different positions for different levels of intensity during the day. Supination is better for passive viewing, while upright with no support is focused, intense. Seated with the chair reclined is the medium for "Tired but still want to work". And then I still have more traditional feet-dangling seats I can use too. Again, just haul over the lap desk and plug in. The best part is, none of these items need to cost more than $100. Most are closer to $50. So you can solve everything with an investment of perhaps $200-300.

nfour 6y ago
Sounds interesting - I have a lapboard setup as well but it could use improvement. Any chance you could provide some pictures?