
Ask HN: Standing desks – still using over the long term? - ishbits
I&#x27;m finally thinking of getting a standing desk since I was last at Ikea and found one for a reasonable price.<p>What are peoples thoughts on standing desks after long term use?  First I have to consider the loss of desk real estate, but I should still be able to run my triple monitor setup.<p>Second is the fact that I do often take breaks for a quick run on the treadmill, lift some weights, etc. So maybe there is no benefit to a standing desk for me.
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bnycum
Beware of the sit/stand Bekant desk, unless you live near an IKEA. The power
supply in them goes bad, and it's not a standard power supply either. While
they do give you a 10 year warranty on the desk, the replacement of the power
supply proved to be difficult for me. My first lasted maybe ~6 months of light
use, and took another 4-5 months to get a replacement.

I live ~4 hours away from the nearest IKEA. They completely acknowledged there
was a power supply problem when I was able to chat with them on the phone, but
only wanted me to bring the whole desk back in for replacement. It's easy to
prove it's just the power supply that stops working because the green light
goes out on it, and unplugging it a few hours makes it work again. I finally
raised enough of a storm they sent me a new one and it's worked since.

[https://www.reddit.com/r/IKEA/comments/3h92d6/bekant_sitstan...](https://www.reddit.com/r/IKEA/comments/3h92d6/bekant_sitstand_raising_problem/)

[https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/192585/fault...](https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/192585/faulty-
relays-capacitor-or-power-source)

[http://www.workwhilewalking.com/ikea-bekant-standing-desk-
re...](http://www.workwhilewalking.com/ikea-bekant-standing-desk-
review#gsc.tab=0)

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cauterized
How does a standing desk represent a loss of desk surface space? Unless you're
talking about one of those tiny podium-style desks, which, yeah, you may find
yourself resenting.

I've used a sit-stand setup for about 4 years now and will never go back. My
neck, back, and wrist pain are significantly reduced. Note that a standing
desk alone will NOT suffice. Neither sitting not standing for extended periods
is particularly healthy or comfortable.

Always make sure that whatever height desk you use, you're rising your monitor
to an appropriate height above the desk surface to allow you to look straight
ahead at it instead of downwards. This is especially important with laptops,
but even external monitors tend to be too low by default. With a laptop, use
an external keyboard and mouse whenever you're at your own desk, and put the
laptop itself on a riser.

Previously I used two risers on top of a normal height desk. When sitting I
would put the laptop on the low riser and the keyboard and mouse on the desk.
When standing, the laptop would go on the upper riser and the keyboard on the
lower one.

I finally got a hydraulic desk, and love it. I never could find a riser quite
tall enough to raise a laptop quite to eye level atop a normal height desk.
And I'm not very tall.

There's more space to spread out the keyboard and mouse even when standing.
It's also easier to set up an external monitor to work at both heights. Not
cheap but totally worth the investment.

~~~
ishbits
I currently use a huge Ikea Galant wrap-around desk. So I can run my 3 24"
displays and just swivel my chair to move to writing space. To get the
equivalent standing space is beyond my budget, so at least for me, it impacts
my current setup more than just being able to stand.

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afarrell
I use an Ergotron adjustable standing desk and find it works well to hold
MacBook, external monitor, Lenovo keyboard, and lab notebook. It is sturdy and
switching between sitting and standing works well for me.

[https://www.ballicom.co.uk/33-397-062-ergotron-workfit-t-
sit...](https://www.ballicom.co.uk/33-397-062-ergotron-workfit-t-sit-stand-
desktop-.p1115593.html?ref=PLA&gclid=CjwKEAjw-
uDABRDPz4-0tp6T6lMSJADNoyPbrIzEqlOPHd_z2Cql_vB_NrsEIT4CQw1fVnFA5RI7GRoCqfHw_wcB)

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shanecleveland
I made the move to a standing-only desk about three years ago. I made a riser
to go on my existing desk, so it cannot be lowered. I reserved an area for
sitting if I need it.

It takes some getting used to, but I would not go back now. Invest in a good
standing pad.

I primarily made the move to relieve back pain from sitting for long periods.
I don't know if I buy all the sitting-will-kill-you talk, but I figure it
can't hurt.

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spajus
Yes! Using every day for ~3 years. Thinking of going even further with
treadmill desk.

My story about it here: [https://www.fitnessblip.com/how-standing-desk-can-
change-you...](https://www.fitnessblip.com/how-standing-desk-can-change-your-
life)

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Gustomaximus
Rather than getting an expensive lift/drop standing desk, consider getting a
tall desk and hi-chair. This was you get the best of both worlds and it's
cheaper and quicker to transition between standing/siting

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BOOSTERHIDROGEN
is there any recent study about standing desk?

