17 ms·

Affordable adjustable standing desk

162 points by justjico 12y ago

imroot 12y ago
The adjustable frame/movable base for the geekdesk can be found on alibaba for less than $200/shipped. I bought the frame, then went to Lowe's and had a semi-custom countertop made for my frame, and my end cost was around $350.00. Custom geekdesk max, minus the $1000+ price tag.
- Khao 12y ago
  Could you share a link to alibaba for the product you bought? How's the quality of the one you got?
  - stevesearer 12y ago
    Here's a good start: http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=37013008&SearchText=jiecang http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_... Jiecang and Linak are popular suppliers to a number of US companies who use the bases, add their own desktops, and distribute to US customers for $500-$1000
    - Khao 12y ago
      Thanks a lot for the link, time for me to do some research on this since I'm very tempted to do this at home.
      - stevesearer 12y ago
        Here's a pretty inexpensive option in this realm if you don't want to take the time: http://www.ergoprise.com/s2s-height-adjustable-standing-desk/ http://www.ergoprise.com/s2s-height-adjustable-standing-desk... I don't have this particular brand but a feature I appreciate on my adjustable desk is the ability to save height presets.
  - zo1 12y ago
    Since I was curious, and the Jiecang link the sibling posted was for minimum 100 piece orders, I had a look. Here you go: http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/working-lifting-table-desk-height-adjustment_1920485654.html http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/working-lifting-table-... This is the search I used, if you're curious: http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=&SearchText=lift+table+desk http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_... #Edit: Extra link
    - stronglikedan 12y ago
      Aliexpress is where you want to go for single quantity orders. Here's just one of a few that I found there: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Electrical-Sit-and-Stand-Height-Adjustable-Desk/2034984310.html http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Electrical-Sit-and-Stand-Heig... EDIT: Holy wow, I totally missed the shipping on that thing! Anyway, I'm sure there's more affordable options there, for those in the market.
untothebreach 12y ago
Is anyone else having a problem getting to the product site? Clicking the link in the article takes me to http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/wor..., and it doesn't seem to be listed under the "Bekant" line. Maybe it isn't available in the US yet?
- chton 12y ago
  According to http://www.fastcoexist.com/3037899/we-took-ikeas-new-automatic-adjustable-standing-desk-for-a-spin http://www.fastcoexist.com/3037899/we-took-ikeas-new-automat..., it isn't being released just yet due to a production problem. It was on the IKEA website a few days ago, so they probably just took it off for now.
  - untothebreach 12y ago
    Thanks, nice find! My google-fu failed me.
  - click170 12y ago
    Is anyone else as confused by this explanation as I am? "Unfortunately, Ikea isn't releasing the Bekant just yet. After sending tryout models to journalists, it emailed to say that there was a problem with the labeling. No word on when it will be in stores, though a spokesperson says, \"it’s not a quick fix.\"" Labeling problem? Not a quick fix? A labeling problem? o.0 Whatever it is, I hope it's resolved soon, I'm quite interested!
    - 3rd3 12y ago
      What I don’t get is why they were even forced to stop selling the desks which were already being sold in the stores. It can’t be a logistic problem. And I was quite baffled by how useless the staff was. They had no clue why they were forced to return my money instead of handing over the desk they had in stock. It can’t get any worse once they are all replaced by robots, that’s for sure.
    - 12y ago
lnanek2 12y ago
Honestly, I think spending this much money is a little strange. I have a $20 adjustable piano keyboard stand that does fine. It takes all of 30 seconds to adjust the height by loosening a knob and moving the leg props to a different notch.
- rosser 12y ago
  It "does fine" ... for you. Based on your description, it sounds like you probably live in your laptop. Other folks don't, and a hand-adjustable keyboard stand may not work very well for them. Imagine, for example, trying to raise something like that — even assuming it could take the weight — while using multiple monitors.
  - ics 12y ago
    > assuming it could take the weight One would hope... 88-key keyboards are 45lbs (about twice a normal 27" monitor) and the older ones are significantly heavier... a non-POS stand should take >120lbs without a hitch. That being said, there's certainly nothing wrong with a product better tailored for its purpose.
    - rosser 12y ago
      It's not just about how much weight the stand can hold. How well-balanced is it? How well-balanced is it while being raised or lowered by hand? Keyboards are typically fairly even in terms of weight distribution, and have a low center of gravity. Monitors, not so much.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- Poiesis 12y ago
  Maybe that would work for many people, maybe it wouldn't—but it'd be nice if you included a link so that people could decide for themselves. It's an interesting idea but the first ones I found didn't seem to adjust to the height needed (obviously they exist, though).
- 12y ago
jewel 12y ago
Last time I looked at getting a standing desk for my office at home, I decided it'd be cheaper to get a third monitor and a second keyboard and mouse. They would go on a permanently-standing-height desk next to my regular desk. In linux you can reconfigure displays using the `xrandr` command. A keyboard shortcut would then toggle between the two desks.
- r00fus 12y ago
  So I assume you also have a 2nd set of keyboard/mouse with the standing monitor? Regardless, I would much prefer having all three monitors on a large rising/lowering platform. I don't think $500 breaks the bank here - it's an expensable item, costs less than a high-end smartphone, and probably has much better ROI.
ilamont 12y ago
I am using a $50 standing laptop desk that I got from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BBNROI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BBNROI/ref=oh_aui_detai... It doesn't have a huge table surface, but the height is adjustable and it has rollers if I want to move it around (a feature I use every day).
- pbreit 12y ago
  I wish there were some more options like that that didn't look like crap.
- jbernier 12y ago
  So you don't use a mouse? If it had room for a mouse, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
wuliwong 12y ago
We have a crank standing desks at work. Everyone has the same pattern. Once they crank it up, they stay standing for days. And once it gets cranked down, they sit for days. I'd love to have this motorized option. I was surprised at the shape of the desk. Anyone care to speculate as to why they didn't go with a plain rectangle shape? I'm a big fan of the plain rectangle, not sure I want to spend $500 on something else.
- 33W 12y ago
  We've got electric motor ones in the new office I moved to recently. It is quite nice to switch back and forth throughout the day. 2 or 3 days per week, I will move to standing 2-3 times for 30-45 minutes. The other days I'm seated the whole day, but those seem to be the days that I'm moving to and from meetings. Generally, I would say that 75% of people stay sitting most of the time, 15% will stand for about an hour per week, and the last 10% (including myself), stand fairly regularly. I particularly like to raise it when I have others visiting my desk, it is nice to have everyone on the same level (literally, then hopefully figuratively).
- bronson 12y ago
  A motor is a lot better than a crank but still a little tedious. Make sure you can hit the button once, do something else for a minute, then come back to find the desk at the right height. My favorite so far are the pneumatic/spring desks. Someone walks into your office, two seconds later you're standing side-by-side pointing at things. When you're done, it's just as easy to go back down. There's still a lot of room for improvement though, no matter which desk you end up with.
- leejoramo 12y ago
  Many of the legs and desktops for Ikea desks are interchangeable. So it maybe that the video just features the corner style. In fact within the Bekant line, I see quite a variety of desktops. Since Ikea has pulled the motorized legs off of the site, it is hard to say if they are compatible with any/all of the tops. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/18966/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/wor...
DontBeADick 12y ago
Cool, but why not buy a tall stool or drafting chair that matches the height of the desk instead of figuring out all these convoluted ways to lower the entire desk? The whole idea is to sit less, so it shouldn't matter very much how comfortable your chair is. I use an $85 stool with my standing desk (the bare-bones kind you'd see in high school science classrooms), and I prefer it over any of the $300+ office chairs my employers have provided in the past. (edited for clarification)
- pbreit 12y ago
  Since most desks don't adjust easily, that is by far the most common seating choice for stand-up desks.
- iamthepieman 12y ago
  I would like to agree. My Yankee sensibility tells me I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars when the goal is simply to stand up at my desk. For the few times I need to sit I can use a stool as you suggest. That said, I've been sitting at desks for decades. I'm a little reluctant to buy or build a high desk with the assumption that I will be able to stand at it all day and be productive. The adjustable desks give you a "way out" even if it's just for a few hours a day while you get used to it. I think that's why they are popular. Few people want to commit to a change like that and all the ways to "Try" a standing desk are nearly as much effort as the ~$500 is worth. especially if you are counting it as business or office expenses as I would. In my case it would be $85 for the stool, plus a few hours labor and materials to build a little stand on top of my existing desk which includes a trip to the lumber yard. Then if I like it I go out and buy a permanent standing desk for about $150 and I'm rapidly approaching the same cost as if I had just gone and bought the adjustable desk in the first place.
  - DontBeADick 12y ago
    It's surprisingly cheap/easy to put the whole thing together with things from Amazon and IKEA. For example: 4x Olov 36" legs [1] = $60 1x Linnmon 47" x 24" table top [2] = $20 whatever small shelf will fit your monitor(s) = $20 1x Adjustable Stool [3] = $85 Total = $185 Just be aware of the heights. If you're over 6' tall, you'll probably need to put the desk on a $10 set of bed risers (or spring for the $30 Gerton legs that adjust over 40") and you may need the 6430HB stool instead of the 6424HB. The price on those should be within $5 though. [1] http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30264301/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30264301/ [2] http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00251343/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00251343/ [3] http://www.amazon.com/National-Public-Seating-6424HB-Upholstered/dp/B002Y2OTK4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415047633&sr=8-1&keywords=6424hb#customerReviews http://www.amazon.com/National-Public-Seating-6424HB-Upholst...
supergeek133 12y ago
I bought a StandDesk via the KickStarter, it's more affordable than most decent offerings out there. The only pain was the surprise shipping charge at time of delivery (it was way more than advertised). Regardless, I'm excited to see more of these options.
- hoka 12y ago
  Not to mention the current refund fee of 15%..what a nightmare. Reading through their twitter and facebook walls is spooky to say the least.
  - jimmyrustle 12y ago
    I had a really bad experience with StandDesk too. Total bait and switch, and they price-gouged on shipping. Poor customer service -- I eventually got a refund, but only 85% of what I paid. Definitely a company to avoid.
- jxpx777 12y ago
  I bought one as well and have yet to receive it. After I paid the $138 shipping (to Texas), a friend tipped me off to their FAQ page where they're advertising free shipping for preorders. http://www.standdesk.co/faq.html http://www.standdesk.co/faq.html By my calculations, I paid an extra $58 for the privilege of funding them on the second day of their Kickstarter. Lucky me! So, I emailed them and explained how burned I felt by the whole thing. They argued with me that preorders are not being given free shipping. So, I pointed them to the FAQ page. This was on October 15. As of November 4, 2014 at 3:10 PM CST, their FAQ page still says preorders will receive free shipping. If they're not honoring that for preorders, I'd be super angry if I were trying to preorder the desk and got bait-and-switched into paying shipping when they're clearly advertising otherwise. And, lo these three weeks later, the FAQ still tells me I paid an extra $58 for my desk that I paid for in May. Beyond that, communication with these jokers has been spotty, spread across various social media channels. (It looks like they abandoned Twitter months ago. Friday and today were the company's first activity on Facebook since May.) The Kickstarter page saw very little activity over the summer and then Steven Yu posted a long "we're sorry" post explaining some of the unexpected things that happened to delay shipping and to affect the shipping costs. Every item in the list is something that would have been totally understandable if it had been shared as it was happening. Instead, the company chose to go radio silent. From my point of view, when I've sent someone more than $500 for a product that doesn't exist yet, that radio silence leads quickly to that sinking feeling of having thrown away a bunch of money. Some honest communication about the situations would have just gone so far to not burning through whatever good will the Kickstarter backer community had toward them. Luckily, it seems that this long nightmare is about to be over and desks are leaving their warehouse. On October 17, I was told via email that my desk was scheduled to arrive "in 2 weeks" and that they would get it processed and out to me "as quickly as possible". Friday I emailed to ask about the status, and as you can guess, I haven't heard anything back. Overall, the experience with StandDesk has been frustrating and uncertain and after all this delay, they're letting others like IKEA to catch up. For my part, I'll be thrilled to receive my desk, but mostly just so I can never have to deal with this company again. With any luck, packaging and delivery will be good enough that they won't have availed themselves of literally the last opportunity to vex me.
jcrites 12y ago
Switching to a standing desk several years ago had a significant positive impact on my stamina and energy level, and probably health overall. I always used to get tired walking around a city, like on vacation. After a few months of standing, I went on vacation to Paris and immediately noticed a gigantic improvement in my standing and walking stamina. I was the last person to get tired, instead of the first. I could walk around a whole day and be fine! Beyond that, there were ergonomic benefits for me. I have always found it difficult to use a computer properly in a chair. I'd find myself leaning on a hand rest, or on the desk, etc. These postures are more likely to strain the body. I found myself in minor discomfort and thought: "if I'm going to be doing this job a long time, then I had better find the optimal posture". The proper posture according to my company's ergonomics advisor is: allow your arms to hang limp at your sides; then without moving your elbows, rotate your forearms to bring them up in front of you, parallel to the ground. Your keyboard should be under your hands in this position. Again without moving your elbow, rotate your primary hand outward (staying parallel with the ground). Your mouse should be comfortably reachable with this movement. If you must extend your elbows, reach, etc., then those motions put you at greater risk for stress injury. It is very difficult for me to achieve that posture while sitting in a chair - the keyboard and mouse need to be in your lap, basically. (Try the motions I described while sitting and standing and you'll see what I mean.) It was difficult for me to get the right posture while sitting; keyboard trays can do it but are clumsy. Getting the correct posture in a standing desk is easy: make that "arms out front" motion I described. Imagine yourself standing at a counter with your arms just over it. A keyboard sits under your hands. That's where the standing desk should be, and getting it right primarily entails selecting the correct height of standing desk. The man in the picture/video in the article seems to be demonstrating this pose. If you work at a computer all day, and likely will for the rest of your life, then you owe it to yourself to get a standing desk. Best office improvement I made in my life. Hope this helps! Happy to discuss further with anyone interested - reach out!
- JoshTriplett 12y ago
  > It is very difficult for me to achieve that posture while sitting in a chair - the keyboard and mouse need to be in your lap, basically. I found that I could manage that posture with a sufficiently adjustable chair and height-adjustable desk. I adjust the chair until it provides the correct height off the ground (feet touching, hips at the right angle), then adjust the desk and the chair arms until the chair arms go just over the edge of the desk, allowing arms to rest on them and use the keyboard naturally. (Also, I use a USB ThinkPad keyboard, so my mouse is on home row, not off to the side.)
andrewvc 12y ago
Why are they demoing this 'ergonomic' desk, with such an unergonomic monitor configuration? If you don't raise the monitor up, and keep the keyboard level down to keep the right angles you'll be asking for pain. The point isn't just to stand, but it's to stand and have proper form, otherwise you're just asking for pain. You need something like http://www.ergodesktop.com/content/kangaroo-pro http://www.ergodesktop.com/content/kangaroo-pro to actually have ergonomic angles!
- simonmales 12y ago
  Agreed. My biggest problem is people using standing desks, but the monitor at chest height or lower. (Bearer of neck pain)
- hudibras 12y ago
  Using this right now; love it.
WorkFitC4Win 12y ago
The only real/ergonomic solutions are these: http://www.ergotron.com/portals/0/html/exploreWorkFitAll/matrixCarts.html http://www.ergotron.com/portals/0/html/exploreWorkFitAll/mat... I use the WorkFit-C for about 10 years now and I can tell you: With this one, the standing desk discussion is over!
- chromaton 12y ago
  I use an Ergotron monitor arm to move my monitor between sitting and sanding positions. When I stand, I put my keyboard and mouse on a small shelf. There's really no need to move the whole work surface up and down.
hindsightbias 12y ago
Someone should do a skit with people throwing Aerons into dumpsters. Frame: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10117561/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10117561/ + whatever table top you want: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=table+top http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=table+top + bed risers if you're 6' or over. Hard to break $200. These are geek sexier and some are adjustable: http://www.simplifiedbuilding.com/projects/category/furniture/ http://www.simplifiedbuilding.com/projects/category/furnitur...
jgwest 12y ago
Wait... IKEA??? $489??? SOLD!!! Don't even need to know anything more... SHIP IT!!!
djrogers 12y ago
$489 is a mere $10 cheaper than the electric, fully adjustable desk I bought over a year ago. http://www.scandinaviandesigns.com/office/desks/network-plus-sit-stand-desk/4705 http://www.scandinaviandesigns.com/office/desks/network-plus... Mine was $499, and is made of slightly better materials than the average ikea desk (i've owned plenty of those, nothing wrong with them). Guess SD should have been advertising them on Apartment Therapy!
- kareemm 12y ago
  It looks like the desk is $499 but that doesn't include the price of the desk-top. Is that true?
frandroid 12y ago
The "Wall bureau" is pretty neat too. So neat that it's the Royal Ontario Museum's collection... http://www.andrewjonesdesign.com/f-wallbureau.html http://www.andrewjonesdesign.com/f-wallbureau.html
louhike 12y ago
Maybe it is because I'm not familiar with adjustable standing desk and the complexity needed, but I was disappointed by the price. Does it really need to be adjusted through electronics? I was hoping to see something really simple, cheaper no electronics. But as I said, I'm not familiar with this kind of product.
- leejoramo 12y ago
  I have used very good standing desks that used springs or pneumatics. They were easier to use and faster to adjust position. They were also much more expensive and heavier than the ones I have seen with electric motors. Other methods that use sliders with bolts or pegs, telescoping tubes with compression rings, and the like can be MUCH cheaper, but almost impossible to adjust if there is any thing on the desk. The are mostly used to set once an leave.
- spott 12y ago
  I think the problem is that it needs to be effortless to change. Either a complicated counterweight system so the desk can be raised or lowered smoothly with only a little effort, or electronically. Honestly, electronically is probably easier.
  - seanmcdirmid 12y ago
    Not to mention electronic is probably cheaper than an equivalent mechanical solution with lots of hydraulics and moving parts.
- simonmales 12y ago
  I find it really odd that I would need to plug in my desk into the power grid. Having crawled under enough office desks searching for a free power socket, the idea of a hand crack is very appealing. Though the other commenters do make good points, I do imagine an electrical version would potentially be lighter.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
chromaton 12y ago
I should probably submit this as a story as it keeps coming up. I have a very nice sit-stand setup that I put together for less than $200. You can do the same provided you have 1) a regular desk and 2) a wall. http://planiverse.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/building-a-sit-stand-desk-for-less-than-200/ http://planiverse.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/building-a-sit-st...
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
NDizzle 12y ago
I have a mechanically adjustable desk from http://multitable.com/ http://multitable.com/ - the hand crank is kind of pleasing. It's not as fancy as the electric motor desks, but then again it doesn't have an electric motor... I'm actually using a tabletop that I bought from Ikea for the desk surface. I just bought the bare frame for the desk from multitable to keep costs down. I think all in all I paid around $600. It's pretty nice.
- simonmales 12y ago
  Thanks for sharing this! A desk with an electric motor is a little odd to me too.
kolev 12y ago
$500 is not truly "affordable". Yeah, it's a bit more than half the price of the cheapest Biomorph desk, but that's it. My IKEA desk (Jerker) was just $99 and it can be assembled as a permanent standing desk. Add a stool to it and you can have it both ways - that's the option we had at Oakley.
dba7dba 12y ago
Any idea how log it takes to assemble it? Few years ago my work bought one for a star programmers. And i remember 2 people taking half a day to assemble it. It also had motors for up/down movement... i would love to get one at work and home.
d4m0 12y ago
I already have an Ikea standing desk. Well it's an Ikea book shelf sitting on a desk. https://www.dropbox.com/s/3z473x9kco92c8f/standing%20desk.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/3z473x9kco92c8f/standing%20desk.jp... The key ingredient is the adjustable monitor pole so that I can sit on the odd occasion that my legs get tired. The beauty of this setup is that it works in with the fitted desktops that my company has. I wouldn't be able to remove a section and slot in a normal adjustable desk.
nickbauman 12y ago
I own this one: http://www.ergodepot.com/Ergo_Depot_adjustable_desk_AD17_p/ad17.htm http://www.ergodepot.com/Ergo_Depot_adjustable_desk_AD17_p/a... I got mine at $480 (I got it without a top: I made my own) delivered to my door a couple of years ago. It's a single column with wheels in the back, so it's compact and transportable. I push and pull it around in my office very easily. The only problem with the single-column design is it wobbles a bit when cranked up. This doesn't bother me. Otherwise it's _probably_ built better than the Ikea one.
grimman 12y ago
> The Bekant—Swedish for “friend” No! For anyone reading it and thinking it's accurate, it's most certainly not, and the author should be ashamed! "Bekant" means "familiar" or "acquainted".
h- 12y ago
The downside of a standing desk: Standing still for long periods of time can cause permanent damage to the veins in your legs and lead to varicose veins. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varicose_veins#Causes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varicose_veins#Causes
jreed91 12y ago
If want a combination of standing and sitting I recommend this. http://www.focaluprightfurniture.com http://www.focaluprightfurniture.com

162 points by justjico 12y ago

The adjustable frame/movable base for the geekdesk can be found on alibaba for less than $200/shipped. I bought the frame, then went to Lowe's and had a semi-custom countertop made for my frame, and my end cost was around $350.00. Custom geekdesk max, minus the $1000+ price tag.

Khao 12y ago
Could you share a link to alibaba for the product you bought? How's the quality of the one you got?
- stevesearer 12y ago
  Here's a good start: http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=37013008&SearchText=jiecang http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_... Jiecang and Linak are popular suppliers to a number of US companies who use the bases, add their own desktops, and distribute to US customers for $500-$1000
  - Khao 12y ago
    Thanks a lot for the link, time for me to do some research on this since I'm very tempted to do this at home.
    - stevesearer 12y ago
      Here's a pretty inexpensive option in this realm if you don't want to take the time: http://www.ergoprise.com/s2s-height-adjustable-standing-desk/ http://www.ergoprise.com/s2s-height-adjustable-standing-desk... I don't have this particular brand but a feature I appreciate on my adjustable desk is the ability to save height presets.
- zo1 12y ago
  Since I was curious, and the Jiecang link the sibling posted was for minimum 100 piece orders, I had a look. Here you go: http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/working-lifting-table-desk-height-adjustment_1920485654.html http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/working-lifting-table-... This is the search I used, if you're curious: http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=&SearchText=lift+table+desk http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_... #Edit: Extra link
  - stronglikedan 12y ago
    Aliexpress is where you want to go for single quantity orders. Here's just one of a few that I found there: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Electrical-Sit-and-Stand-Height-Adjustable-Desk/2034984310.html http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Electrical-Sit-and-Stand-Heig... EDIT: Holy wow, I totally missed the shipping on that thing! Anyway, I'm sure there's more affordable options there, for those in the market.

untothebreach 12y ago

Is anyone else having a problem getting to the product site? Clicking the link in the article takes me to http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/wor..., and it doesn't seem to be listed under the "Bekant" line. Maybe it isn't available in the US yet?

chton 12y ago
According to http://www.fastcoexist.com/3037899/we-took-ikeas-new-automatic-adjustable-standing-desk-for-a-spin http://www.fastcoexist.com/3037899/we-took-ikeas-new-automat..., it isn't being released just yet due to a production problem. It was on the IKEA website a few days ago, so they probably just took it off for now.
- untothebreach 12y ago
  Thanks, nice find! My google-fu failed me.
- click170 12y ago
  Is anyone else as confused by this explanation as I am? "Unfortunately, Ikea isn't releasing the Bekant just yet. After sending tryout models to journalists, it emailed to say that there was a problem with the labeling. No word on when it will be in stores, though a spokesperson says, \"it’s not a quick fix.\"" Labeling problem? Not a quick fix? A labeling problem? o.0 Whatever it is, I hope it's resolved soon, I'm quite interested!
  - 3rd3 12y ago
    What I don’t get is why they were even forced to stop selling the desks which were already being sold in the stores. It can’t be a logistic problem. And I was quite baffled by how useless the staff was. They had no clue why they were forced to return my money instead of handing over the desk they had in stock. It can’t get any worse once they are all replaced by robots, that’s for sure.
  - 12y ago

lnanek2 12y ago

Honestly, I think spending this much money is a little strange. I have a $20 adjustable piano keyboard stand that does fine. It takes all of 30 seconds to adjust the height by loosening a knob and moving the leg props to a different notch.

rosser 12y ago
It "does fine" ... for you. Based on your description, it sounds like you probably live in your laptop. Other folks don't, and a hand-adjustable keyboard stand may not work very well for them. Imagine, for example, trying to raise something like that — even assuming it could take the weight — while using multiple monitors.
- ics 12y ago
  > assuming it could take the weight One would hope... 88-key keyboards are 45lbs (about twice a normal 27" monitor) and the older ones are significantly heavier... a non-POS stand should take >120lbs without a hitch. That being said, there's certainly nothing wrong with a product better tailored for its purpose.
  - rosser 12y ago
    It's not just about how much weight the stand can hold. How well-balanced is it? How well-balanced is it while being raised or lowered by hand? Keyboards are typically fairly even in terms of weight distribution, and have a low center of gravity. Monitors, not so much.
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Poiesis 12y ago
Maybe that would work for many people, maybe it wouldn't—but it'd be nice if you included a link so that people could decide for themselves. It's an interesting idea but the first ones I found didn't seem to adjust to the height needed (obviously they exist, though).
12y ago

jewel 12y ago

Last time I looked at getting a standing desk for my office at home, I decided it'd be cheaper to get a third monitor and a second keyboard and mouse. They would go on a permanently-standing-height desk next to my regular desk. In linux you can reconfigure displays using the `xrandr` command. A keyboard shortcut would then toggle between the two desks.

r00fus 12y ago
So I assume you also have a 2nd set of keyboard/mouse with the standing monitor? Regardless, I would much prefer having all three monitors on a large rising/lowering platform. I don't think $500 breaks the bank here - it's an expensable item, costs less than a high-end smartphone, and probably has much better ROI.

ilamont 12y ago

I am using a $50 standing laptop desk that I got from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BBNROI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BBNROI/ref=oh_aui_detai... It doesn't have a huge table surface, but the height is adjustable and it has rollers if I want to move it around (a feature I use every day).

pbreit 12y ago
I wish there were some more options like that that didn't look like crap.
jbernier 12y ago
So you don't use a mouse? If it had room for a mouse, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

wuliwong 12y ago

We have a crank standing desks at work. Everyone has the same pattern. Once they crank it up, they stay standing for days. And once it gets cranked down, they sit for days. I'd love to have this motorized option. I was surprised at the shape of the desk. Anyone care to speculate as to why they didn't go with a plain rectangle shape? I'm a big fan of the plain rectangle, not sure I want to spend $500 on something else.

33W 12y ago
We've got electric motor ones in the new office I moved to recently. It is quite nice to switch back and forth throughout the day. 2 or 3 days per week, I will move to standing 2-3 times for 30-45 minutes. The other days I'm seated the whole day, but those seem to be the days that I'm moving to and from meetings. Generally, I would say that 75% of people stay sitting most of the time, 15% will stand for about an hour per week, and the last 10% (including myself), stand fairly regularly. I particularly like to raise it when I have others visiting my desk, it is nice to have everyone on the same level (literally, then hopefully figuratively).
bronson 12y ago
A motor is a lot better than a crank but still a little tedious. Make sure you can hit the button once, do something else for a minute, then come back to find the desk at the right height. My favorite so far are the pneumatic/spring desks. Someone walks into your office, two seconds later you're standing side-by-side pointing at things. When you're done, it's just as easy to go back down. There's still a lot of room for improvement though, no matter which desk you end up with.
leejoramo 12y ago
Many of the legs and desktops for Ikea desks are interchangeable. So it maybe that the video just features the corner style. In fact within the Bekant line, I see quite a variety of desktops. Since Ikea has pulled the motorized legs off of the site, it is hard to say if they are compatible with any/all of the tops. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/18966/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/wor...

DontBeADick 12y ago

Cool, but why not buy a tall stool or drafting chair that matches the height of the desk instead of figuring out all these convoluted ways to lower the entire desk? The whole idea is to sit less, so it shouldn't matter very much how comfortable your chair is. I use an $85 stool with my standing desk (the bare-bones kind you'd see in high school science classrooms), and I prefer it over any of the $300+ office chairs my employers have provided in the past. (edited for clarification)

pbreit 12y ago
Since most desks don't adjust easily, that is by far the most common seating choice for stand-up desks.
iamthepieman 12y ago
I would like to agree. My Yankee sensibility tells me I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars when the goal is simply to stand up at my desk. For the few times I need to sit I can use a stool as you suggest. That said, I've been sitting at desks for decades. I'm a little reluctant to buy or build a high desk with the assumption that I will be able to stand at it all day and be productive. The adjustable desks give you a "way out" even if it's just for a few hours a day while you get used to it. I think that's why they are popular. Few people want to commit to a change like that and all the ways to "Try" a standing desk are nearly as much effort as the ~$500 is worth. especially if you are counting it as business or office expenses as I would. In my case it would be $85 for the stool, plus a few hours labor and materials to build a little stand on top of my existing desk which includes a trip to the lumber yard. Then if I like it I go out and buy a permanent standing desk for about $150 and I'm rapidly approaching the same cost as if I had just gone and bought the adjustable desk in the first place.
- DontBeADick 12y ago
  It's surprisingly cheap/easy to put the whole thing together with things from Amazon and IKEA. For example: 4x Olov 36" legs [1] = $60 1x Linnmon 47" x 24" table top [2] = $20 whatever small shelf will fit your monitor(s) = $20 1x Adjustable Stool [3] = $85 Total = $185 Just be aware of the heights. If you're over 6' tall, you'll probably need to put the desk on a $10 set of bed risers (or spring for the $30 Gerton legs that adjust over 40") and you may need the 6430HB stool instead of the 6424HB. The price on those should be within $5 though. [1] http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30264301/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30264301/ [2] http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00251343/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00251343/ [3] http://www.amazon.com/National-Public-Seating-6424HB-Upholstered/dp/B002Y2OTK4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415047633&sr=8-1&keywords=6424hb#customerReviews http://www.amazon.com/National-Public-Seating-6424HB-Upholst...

supergeek133 12y ago

I bought a StandDesk via the KickStarter, it's more affordable than most decent offerings out there. The only pain was the surprise shipping charge at time of delivery (it was way more than advertised). Regardless, I'm excited to see more of these options.

hoka 12y ago
Not to mention the current refund fee of 15%..what a nightmare. Reading through their twitter and facebook walls is spooky to say the least.
- jimmyrustle 12y ago
  I had a really bad experience with StandDesk too. Total bait and switch, and they price-gouged on shipping. Poor customer service -- I eventually got a refund, but only 85% of what I paid. Definitely a company to avoid.
jxpx777 12y ago
I bought one as well and have yet to receive it. After I paid the $138 shipping (to Texas), a friend tipped me off to their FAQ page where they're advertising free shipping for preorders. http://www.standdesk.co/faq.html http://www.standdesk.co/faq.html By my calculations, I paid an extra $58 for the privilege of funding them on the second day of their Kickstarter. Lucky me! So, I emailed them and explained how burned I felt by the whole thing. They argued with me that preorders are not being given free shipping. So, I pointed them to the FAQ page. This was on October 15. As of November 4, 2014 at 3:10 PM CST, their FAQ page still says preorders will receive free shipping. If they're not honoring that for preorders, I'd be super angry if I were trying to preorder the desk and got bait-and-switched into paying shipping when they're clearly advertising otherwise. And, lo these three weeks later, the FAQ still tells me I paid an extra $58 for my desk that I paid for in May. Beyond that, communication with these jokers has been spotty, spread across various social media channels. (It looks like they abandoned Twitter months ago. Friday and today were the company's first activity on Facebook since May.) The Kickstarter page saw very little activity over the summer and then Steven Yu posted a long "we're sorry" post explaining some of the unexpected things that happened to delay shipping and to affect the shipping costs. Every item in the list is something that would have been totally understandable if it had been shared as it was happening. Instead, the company chose to go radio silent. From my point of view, when I've sent someone more than $500 for a product that doesn't exist yet, that radio silence leads quickly to that sinking feeling of having thrown away a bunch of money. Some honest communication about the situations would have just gone so far to not burning through whatever good will the Kickstarter backer community had toward them. Luckily, it seems that this long nightmare is about to be over and desks are leaving their warehouse. On October 17, I was told via email that my desk was scheduled to arrive "in 2 weeks" and that they would get it processed and out to me "as quickly as possible". Friday I emailed to ask about the status, and as you can guess, I haven't heard anything back. Overall, the experience with StandDesk has been frustrating and uncertain and after all this delay, they're letting others like IKEA to catch up. For my part, I'll be thrilled to receive my desk, but mostly just so I can never have to deal with this company again. With any luck, packaging and delivery will be good enough that they won't have availed themselves of literally the last opportunity to vex me.

jcrites 12y ago

Switching to a standing desk several years ago had a significant positive impact on my stamina and energy level, and probably health overall. I always used to get tired walking around a city, like on vacation. After a few months of standing, I went on vacation to Paris and immediately noticed a gigantic improvement in my standing and walking stamina. I was the last person to get tired, instead of the first. I could walk around a whole day and be fine! Beyond that, there were ergonomic benefits for me. I have always found it difficult to use a computer properly in a chair. I'd find myself leaning on a hand rest, or on the desk, etc. These postures are more likely to strain the body. I found myself in minor discomfort and thought: "if I'm going to be doing this job a long time, then I had better find the optimal posture". The proper posture according to my company's ergonomics advisor is: allow your arms to hang limp at your sides; then without moving your elbows, rotate your forearms to bring them up in front of you, parallel to the ground. Your keyboard should be under your hands in this position. Again without moving your elbow, rotate your primary hand outward (staying parallel with the ground). Your mouse should be comfortably reachable with this movement. If you must extend your elbows, reach, etc., then those motions put you at greater risk for stress injury. It is very difficult for me to achieve that posture while sitting in a chair - the keyboard and mouse need to be in your lap, basically. (Try the motions I described while sitting and standing and you'll see what I mean.) It was difficult for me to get the right posture while sitting; keyboard trays can do it but are clumsy. Getting the correct posture in a standing desk is easy: make that "arms out front" motion I described. Imagine yourself standing at a counter with your arms just over it. A keyboard sits under your hands. That's where the standing desk should be, and getting it right primarily entails selecting the correct height of standing desk. The man in the picture/video in the article seems to be demonstrating this pose. If you work at a computer all day, and likely will for the rest of your life, then you owe it to yourself to get a standing desk. Best office improvement I made in my life. Hope this helps! Happy to discuss further with anyone interested - reach out!

JoshTriplett 12y ago
> It is very difficult for me to achieve that posture while sitting in a chair - the keyboard and mouse need to be in your lap, basically. I found that I could manage that posture with a sufficiently adjustable chair and height-adjustable desk. I adjust the chair until it provides the correct height off the ground (feet touching, hips at the right angle), then adjust the desk and the chair arms until the chair arms go just over the edge of the desk, allowing arms to rest on them and use the keyboard naturally. (Also, I use a USB ThinkPad keyboard, so my mouse is on home row, not off to the side.)

andrewvc 12y ago

Why are they demoing this 'ergonomic' desk, with such an unergonomic monitor configuration? If you don't raise the monitor up, and keep the keyboard level down to keep the right angles you'll be asking for pain. The point isn't just to stand, but it's to stand and have proper form, otherwise you're just asking for pain. You need something like http://www.ergodesktop.com/content/kangaroo-pro http://www.ergodesktop.com/content/kangaroo-pro to actually have ergonomic angles!

simonmales 12y ago
Agreed. My biggest problem is people using standing desks, but the monitor at chest height or lower. (Bearer of neck pain)
hudibras 12y ago
Using this right now; love it.

WorkFitC4Win 12y ago

The only real/ergonomic solutions are these: http://www.ergotron.com/portals/0/html/exploreWorkFitAll/matrixCarts.html http://www.ergotron.com/portals/0/html/exploreWorkFitAll/mat... I use the WorkFit-C for about 10 years now and I can tell you: With this one, the standing desk discussion is over!

chromaton 12y ago
I use an Ergotron monitor arm to move my monitor between sitting and sanding positions. When I stand, I put my keyboard and mouse on a small shelf. There's really no need to move the whole work surface up and down.

hindsightbias 12y ago

Someone should do a skit with people throwing Aerons into dumpsters. Frame: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10117561/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10117561/ + whatever table top you want: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=table+top http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=table+top + bed risers if you're 6' or over. Hard to break $200. These are geek sexier and some are adjustable: http://www.simplifiedbuilding.com/projects/category/furniture/ http://www.simplifiedbuilding.com/projects/category/furnitur...

jgwest 12y ago

Wait... IKEA??? $489??? SOLD!!! Don't even need to know anything more... SHIP IT!!!

djrogers 12y ago

$489 is a mere $10 cheaper than the electric, fully adjustable desk I bought over a year ago. http://www.scandinaviandesigns.com/office/desks/network-plus-sit-stand-desk/4705 http://www.scandinaviandesigns.com/office/desks/network-plus... Mine was $499, and is made of slightly better materials than the average ikea desk (i've owned plenty of those, nothing wrong with them). Guess SD should have been advertising them on Apartment Therapy!

kareemm 12y ago
It looks like the desk is $499 but that doesn't include the price of the desk-top. Is that true?

frandroid 12y ago

The "Wall bureau" is pretty neat too. So neat that it's the Royal Ontario Museum's collection... http://www.andrewjonesdesign.com/f-wallbureau.html http://www.andrewjonesdesign.com/f-wallbureau.html

louhike 12y ago

Maybe it is because I'm not familiar with adjustable standing desk and the complexity needed, but I was disappointed by the price. Does it really need to be adjusted through electronics? I was hoping to see something really simple, cheaper no electronics. But as I said, I'm not familiar with this kind of product.

leejoramo 12y ago
I have used very good standing desks that used springs or pneumatics. They were easier to use and faster to adjust position. They were also much more expensive and heavier than the ones I have seen with electric motors. Other methods that use sliders with bolts or pegs, telescoping tubes with compression rings, and the like can be MUCH cheaper, but almost impossible to adjust if there is any thing on the desk. The are mostly used to set once an leave.
spott 12y ago
I think the problem is that it needs to be effortless to change. Either a complicated counterweight system so the desk can be raised or lowered smoothly with only a little effort, or electronically. Honestly, electronically is probably easier.
- seanmcdirmid 12y ago
  Not to mention electronic is probably cheaper than an equivalent mechanical solution with lots of hydraulics and moving parts.
simonmales 12y ago
I find it really odd that I would need to plug in my desk into the power grid. Having crawled under enough office desks searching for a free power socket, the idea of a hand crack is very appealing. Though the other commenters do make good points, I do imagine an electrical version would potentially be lighter.
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chromaton 12y ago

I should probably submit this as a story as it keeps coming up. I have a very nice sit-stand setup that I put together for less than $200. You can do the same provided you have 1) a regular desk and 2) a wall. http://planiverse.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/building-a-sit-stand-desk-for-less-than-200/ http://planiverse.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/building-a-sit-st...

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NDizzle 12y ago

I have a mechanically adjustable desk from http://multitable.com/ http://multitable.com/ - the hand crank is kind of pleasing. It's not as fancy as the electric motor desks, but then again it doesn't have an electric motor... I'm actually using a tabletop that I bought from Ikea for the desk surface. I just bought the bare frame for the desk from multitable to keep costs down. I think all in all I paid around $600. It's pretty nice.

simonmales 12y ago
Thanks for sharing this! A desk with an electric motor is a little odd to me too.

kolev 12y ago

$500 is not truly "affordable". Yeah, it's a bit more than half the price of the cheapest Biomorph desk, but that's it. My IKEA desk (Jerker) was just $99 and it can be assembled as a permanent standing desk. Add a stool to it and you can have it both ways - that's the option we had at Oakley.

dba7dba 12y ago

Any idea how log it takes to assemble it? Few years ago my work bought one for a star programmers. And i remember 2 people taking half a day to assemble it. It also had motors for up/down movement... i would love to get one at work and home.

d4m0 12y ago

I already have an Ikea standing desk. Well it's an Ikea book shelf sitting on a desk. https://www.dropbox.com/s/3z473x9kco92c8f/standing%20desk.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/3z473x9kco92c8f/standing%20desk.jp... The key ingredient is the adjustable monitor pole so that I can sit on the odd occasion that my legs get tired. The beauty of this setup is that it works in with the fitted desktops that my company has. I wouldn't be able to remove a section and slot in a normal adjustable desk.

nickbauman 12y ago

I own this one: http://www.ergodepot.com/Ergo_Depot_adjustable_desk_AD17_p/ad17.htm http://www.ergodepot.com/Ergo_Depot_adjustable_desk_AD17_p/a... I got mine at $480 (I got it without a top: I made my own) delivered to my door a couple of years ago. It's a single column with wheels in the back, so it's compact and transportable. I push and pull it around in my office very easily. The only problem with the single-column design is it wobbles a bit when cranked up. This doesn't bother me. Otherwise it's _probably_ built better than the Ikea one.

grimman 12y ago

> The Bekant—Swedish for “friend” No! For anyone reading it and thinking it's accurate, it's most certainly not, and the author should be ashamed! "Bekant" means "familiar" or "acquainted".

h- 12y ago

The downside of a standing desk: Standing still for long periods of time can cause permanent damage to the veins in your legs and lead to varicose veins. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varicose_veins#Causes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varicose_veins#Causes

jreed91 12y ago

If want a combination of standing and sitting I recommend this. http://www.focaluprightfurniture.com http://www.focaluprightfurniture.com