News - IKEA BEKANT motorised sit and stand desks are now available

[HEXUS]

Prices for the 'healthier' desks start from £445/$479.

Read more.

[Moby-Dick]

Thats pretty good value - I got my Electric desk 2nd hand, but if that had been around at the time I'd have considered new.

[Game388]

Hope the price will go down, then i might be able to afford it

[synaesthesia]

Not bad, but all I could think about during the video was how bad the faux-typing was!

[Saracen]

This is not for me.

That's not saying it's a bad idea, and for some people it's very likely a great idea.

But for me, the idea of standing meetings is .... horrendous. Put it this way. For me, after a few minutes, it'd have about the same physical effect as most people spending hours at the tender mercies of a CIA 'enhanced interrogation' team putting them in a stress position. After a couple of minutes simply standing, I'm in some discomfort. After 5 minutes, it's very painful. After 15 minutes, it's agony. And I sure as hell wouldn't be concentrating on a 'meeting'. Sitting, I can do. Walking, up to a point, is okay. Standing? Not for very long.

For me, I want my desk at the right height, relative to my sitting position. At most, I'd want to adjust the desk once, then lock it off. In reality, I've not yet come across a desk so far off the right height that I can't adjust my chair to achieve the perfect combination. So, spending a not inconsiderable amount on an adjustable desk? Not me. On a high quality chair? Hell, yes. But not on an adjustable desk.

Besides, my home "lab" has fixed position, custom-built work surfaces, including a desk position for my main computer station. And my home office has a rather nice and large 'executive' desk. Both have nice adjustable chairs.

My main exercise in the working day is walking between them.

So, for me, this is of no use.

[Brian224]

...On a high quality chair? Hell, yes. But not on an adjustable desk...

As a wheelchair user, an adjustable desk makes much more sense to me (ever try adjusting the height of a wheelchair, you either need a heavy mechanism on the chair or a toolkit), although before the chair I felt differently.

Having got used to moving easily between standing and sitting on a stool, either in laboratories or at a drawing board, I never really understood why offices have desks that you have to sit at rather than high desks and draftsman's chairs. Perhaps it is to keep employees from moving around?

[TheAnimus]

But for me, the idea of standing meetings is .... horrendous.

The idea isn't standing for meetings (like standups) but for doing your work standing for large portions of the day. One hour sat, one hour standing etc.

Healthy people shouldn't have any pain standing. It is better in many ways than being sat, if I've got any back pain, like carrying too much weight in a rucksack on a long cycle, or doing something wrong at the gym, I'll get out the swiss ball, it really helps!

I'd consider a standing desk like this in a heartbeat, if it actually allowed modular desks, that is, I could have 'two' desks joined in the corner style I have from Ikea.

[Saracen]

The idea isn't standing for meetings (like standups) but for doing your work standing for large portions of the day. One hour sat, one hour standing e...

Erm, from the HEXUS article ....

The researchers suggest a number of ways to break up a deskbound day, for example, by having "standing meetings," lunchtime walks, using the work laptop atop of a filing cabinet in the office and so on...

The bold emphasis is mine.

.... Healthy people shouldn't have any pain standing. ....

Exactly. Which is why I said it isn't for me.

[Saracen]

As a wheelchair user, an adjustable desk makes much more sense to me (ever try adjusting the height of a wheelchair, you either need a heavy mechanism on the chair or a toolkit), although before the chair I felt differently.

Having got used to moving easily between standing and sitting on a stool, either in laboratories or at a drawing board, I never really understood why offices have desks that you have to sit at rather than high desks and draftsman's chairs. Perhaps it is to keep employees from moving around?

Understood. Believe me, understood. Despite not being a wheelchair user.

That's why my post started with

This is not for me.

That's not saying it's a bad idea, and for some people it's very likely a great idea.

....

Wheelchair users are part of what I had in mind with the 'some' people for whom it's a great idea.

I'm certainly not knocking the product. Just that it's no use for me.

[wasabi]

I'm doing a lot more stuff standing up at home these days as compensation for having a ridiculously deskbound job. I have no meetings, no reason to go anywhere. As a reuslt my hips, glutes and lower back are sll becoming a mess. So when I get home now play guitar standing, tend to read leaning against a wall, and eat breaskfast/lunch standing at the worksurface. I think standing for hours isn't a good plan though - too much stress as bad as sitting. Variation is the problem most office workers face.

[CK_1985]

I really want one of these at some point, if Ikea are doing them then fingers crossed others will join in and prices will start to come down a bit. Two questions though: 1 - how noisy is the mechanism (can imagine it being really annoying) and 2 - what do you do about cables? Can envisage a scenario where a laptop gets yanked off the desk by a too-short power cable!

[hellig]

stand on my feet all day working the cnc lathe, so when home i like to sit, i'm sure you can get some raise lower tables that are mechanical and not electronic.

[wasabi]

Has got me thinking - it must be possible to make something that slides up and down the wall then locks into position like a smith machine......

[Willzzz]

The original was quite a lot cheaper.

http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Ikea-Standing-desk-for-22-dollars.html

[crossy]

Thats pretty good value - I got my Electric desk 2nd hand, but if that had been around at the time I'd have considered new.

I got mine 1st hand! Actually mine got supplied (free of charge) by my employer on the advice of the occupational health folks. Unit I've got is a Kinnarps brand (don't know the model name) and was delivered, built and demoed by someone from Kinnarps.

I'd assumed that I'd just find a "good" position and leave it there, but was quite surprised to find myself changing position (up or down) on occasion about once a week. Sometimes, if I'm doing a lot of fast typing it's nice to have it as low as possible for comfort, other times if I'm reading a lot of docs then I want it a wee bitty higher up.

I really want one of these at some point, if Ikea are doing them then fingers crossed others will join in and prices will start to come down a bit. Two questions though: 1 - how noisy is the mechanism (can imagine it being really annoying) and 2 - what do you do about cables? Can envisage a scenario where a laptop gets yanked off the desk by a too-short power cable!

Base on mine:
1. The noise level is comparative with an ink jet printer - yes, you know it's operating, but it's not what I'd call "loud".
2. The desk has a power adapter block supplied that rises with the desk, so if you've got a lappie with a short cable (which - in my experience - is very unusual these days) then use the power adapter block on the desk.

Right - ergonomics. I can see the point of getting out of the chair, but "standing meetings" are a bad idea in my book. Far, far better to be able to wander around a bit, or go for a (brisk?) walk. I know someone who actually gets into a degree of pain if forced to stand in one place (which you would be for a standing meeting, or using this desk standing), so maybe the alternate desk position isn't for everyone.

[Game388]

I got mine 1st hand! Actually mine got supplied (free of charge) by my employer on the advice of the occupational health folks. Unit I've got is a Kinnarps brand (don't know the model name) and was delivered, built and demoed by someone from Kinnarps.

I'd assumed that I'd just find a "good" position and leave it there, but was quite surprised to find myself changing position (up or down) on occasion about once a week. Sometimes, if I'm doing a lot of fast typing it's nice to have it as low as possible for comfort, other times if I'm reading a lot of docs then I want it a wee bitty higher up.

Base on mine:
1. The noise level is comparative with an ink jet printer - yes, you know it's operating, but it's not what I'd call "loud".
2. The desk has a power adapter block supplied that rises with the desk, so if you've got a lappie with a short cable (which - in my experience - is very unusual these days) then use the power adapter block on the desk.

Right - ergonomics. I can see the point of getting out of the chair, but "standing meetings" are a bad idea in my book. Far, far better to be able to wander around a bit, or go for a (brisk?) walk. I know someone who actually gets into a degree of pain if forced to stand in one place (which you would be for a standing meeting, or using this desk standing), so maybe the alternate desk position isn't for everyone.

Lucky you, where do you work?