This is an awesome project, and I'm really impressed at a quality automatic adjustable desk for so cheap. I almost can't believe it.
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.
I had the same issue; I'm in the market for a simple, sub-$1000 standing desk, and the main thing I was looking for was what the price range would be. Great work on the standing desk, but please add a tiny bit more up-front info outside the video so mobile phone passers-by can get the details quickly :)
> 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.
Thank you so much for your feedback!! We haven't completely finished the site, but you're completely right. We'll have some updates soon with concise copy, more product photos, and a shorter "trailer" style video.
After experimenting with standing desks for a while I have noticed the following (YMMV):
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.
As for 3, the desk in the article can be raised and lowered electically. I have a similar one and it makes it really easy to switch between standing and sitting.
<two non-adjustable 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 cheap solution was to have a single desk that is standing height and a tall stool that lets me sit in front of that same desk. Add a large wooden box of the right height for a footrest and it's perfect. I don't even have to move the box out of the way for standing up because it's tucked just far enough underneath that it's not in the way.
I tested many of the anti-fatigue mats, but personally prefer the "Imprint CumulusPro Commercial Grade". It's heaven on your feet, and it makes a huge difference once you start standing 6+ hours a day.
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.
It would be great if some of the info from the video was on the page. I was just about to ask questions related to how this differs from the GeekDesks we are using now, before I decided to play through the whole video.
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.
> Standing to work has long known to be problematic, it is more tiring, it dramatically increases the risks of carotid atherosclerosis (ninefold) because of the additional load on the circulatory system, and it also increases the risks of varicose veins, so standing all day is unhealthy. The performance of many fine motor skills also is less good when people stand rather than sit.
> The key is to build movement variety into the normal workday.”
I had a motorized standing desk from a Danish maker, about 1500USD. The Bosch motor was always shaking everything on my desk and made a lot of noise.
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.
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.
For a few years Ikea has been selling a _relatively_ cheap motorized adjustable standing desk with Linak legs: http://www.ikea.com/nl/nl/catalog/products/90088946/ -- this also only has the two legs and no stabilizer. (I'm not sure what the StandDesk patent could possibly be for, it looks identical to the Ikea version)
I bought mine in The Netherlands for EUR 560 and I love it to bits. The more affordable adjustable standing desks, the better!
Agree with the rest of the comments here. I was wondering why this was even posted, because sit/stand desks are standard at work and this doesn't look any better than the ones we use.
But yeah, the big deal here is that it is $400. That should be front and center.
I've been using a "Haworth Eddy Adjustable Height Desk"[1] that I picked up at Crate & Barrel. It was inexpensive and I liked the aesthetic, however it has one flaw that makes me excited to find an alternative.
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.
Most people using standing desks have to hack something together. But what do you do if you're buying standing desks for your whole office? That's why we need companies like this to mass produce them. I wish you the best of luck. If more offices used standing desks, we'd all be a little bit healthier... I think. Maybe there's some unforseen consequence.
Hmm standing desks have been the standard for office work in many years here in Denmark. You can buy them in any store that sells office equipment. Seems weird that would not be the case in the US. They usually cost from around $300 to $1000.
They are becoming more and more popular in tech companies around Seattle. I personally own one from GeekDesk which ran about $900 and I've seen other versions go up to $2000. Something like this at a much more reasonable cost could allow for them to grow in popularity with ease.
Same in Sweden. When I worked at Tilgin (7 years ago), everybody got a standing desk (quite like the one in the video) without even asking. If I recall correctly, they were around 1500 SEK (250 USD) each. Nothing fancy, but worked very well.
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/
There are some great mass produced standing desks already. The Humanscale Float is priciest but it also has it all: height range, no motor (counterbalance mechanism), no support brace that gets in the way of your legs, good size (up to 72x30") and weight support (200 lbs).
That woman in the second photo has crazy ankle range of motion. Also helps if your torso is relatively long compared to your femurs -- relatively common among east Asians.
A Japanese doctor once told me that asians tend to have slightly curved femurs from a lifetime of sitting on the floor. He told me this as he was treating me for tendonitis of the ankle that I got from sitting in the seiza position too long.
I have a drafting chair + standup desk (modified IKEA Jerker). I can sit, or stand, total cost $60 (used). Both are solid and will probably outlast me.
I never understand the fascination with moveable standing desks, instead of just getting a tall "drafting" chair like you did. That also lets you put shelves or hanging holders (eg for tower cases) under the desk.
You may be able to find the Ikea Jerker on craigslist or other classifieds. I got mine from a college student for relatively cheap, I think around $40 or $60. It works great as a standing desk but you don't have any motorized mechanism to lower or lift the desk. This is probably a good thing if you are trying to stand but an alternative solution is getting a high-rise stool/seat. I alternate between standing and sitting now.
My setup is similar. I've wall-mounted my screen and a keyboard shelf at standing height, then I pull up a tall drafting chair when I want to sit. When it takes only a couple of seconds to switch between sitting and standing, you don't even have to think about the change. Cheap and simple, very space efficient.
I wanted to hate it (ANOTHER standing desk disciple???), but after watching the video, it seems pretty cool. I like the ability to quickly go from sit to stand without a bunch of drama. Only question is the cost. We really need something in the sub $200 range.
I wish I could, but I'm 6'2". I calculated my height needs to be about 46"-48" (would have to play with it when I got it assembled). The legs go max 42 1/4". I'd rather have the desk itself be at that height and not have to put something else on it (like smaller desk or box).
>> "Only question is the cost. We really need something in the sub $200 range."
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.
The thing that I liked about that top was that it was unfinished solid wood. You should be able to stain it no problem. I used polyurethane to seal the table top and give it a glossy finish.
If someone is not to fuzzy about having the crossbar between the legs, scandinaviandesigns sells one at $439, and a bigger, no cross bar, and very good looking one at $879 (org price at $1099). Or go manual with single pivot lever with their $200 tiny desk one.
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.
According to this ergonomic workspace planner[1] for my height of 1.75m (5'9") I want a keyboard height of 660mm when sitting, and 1080mm when standing. The StandDesk min/max is 711 to 1143mm, so the upper bound is fine, but a bit high for me when sitting.
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.
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.
I'm very interested in the UpDesk (http://updesk.com). They have a motorized desk (PowerUp) and a manual desk (CrankUp) that are both lacking the middle crossbar and are very affordable. They also can handle up to 300lbs. I'm hoping to get one next month.
Great, looking forward to picking one up! The one thing that was holding me back form buying a sit-stand desk was the cost. Even the Geek Desk, which is much cheaper than others, is pricey. This is quite affordable while having the luxuries of the motorized heigh adjustment.
If you want something relatively cheap, IKEA has been selling them for years for around the $100 mark. The only catch is that it's not easily adjustable. I paired mine with a walking treadmill. Unfortunately IKEA has increased the price to $200 http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50219044/
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.
1. Did you guys license the Aphex Twin track you started the video with?
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.
This desk doesn't look like it does very low. When I do sit, I like my desk to be almost on my lap, so that my arms hang straight down, and my elbows are very close to 90 degrees. I find this very comfortable. However, it means the desk itself has to go fairly low (mine is at 26.5 inches or 670mm right now).
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.
Anyone have issues with finger numbness with a standing desk? I used a GeekDesk for about 6 months and started to get numbness in either hand that I tried to use my mouse with. I guessed that it was related to the new pressure on the wrist, because my arm no longer rested on my chair's armest. I've went back to sitting most of the time and the numbness went away.
Love my standing desk. It's actually a drafting table that's raised up and is perfect for me. And I stand on a yoga mat which I also use to do light yoga during my work day. But this looks like a great option also as it's adjustable much more easily than mine is which requires a set of screw drivers and about half an hour.
I work at Moat and they gave all of the engineers UpDesks. They're pretty great - the desks are motorized, there are settings you can save and they're powerful enough to lift you up if you sit on them.
I really enjoy my desk - being able to alternate quickly is nice.
I'd be much more interested in purchasing just the frame so I could use my own desk top instead. I hope eventually that will be an option. Other than that, I'm glad someone is trying to make mechanical standing desks more affordable to everyone.
I agree. Even if it's in the video, they should have the price front and center. Standing desks are nothing new, although publicizing them has been difficult. Part of that is the high price, usually around 800-1000 USD. To put one out around 400 USD would be worthwhile.
I interned last summer at a place that used standing desks and I've been wanting one for my college apartment but could never justify the price. I hope this comes out by at least next fall!
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.
If they're going to do free advertising of the cinema display just like any other hipster website, they could at least fix the perspective of the screen stand.
Cool, I hope you can figure out a way to do it cheaply. Too often I see great products double in price after taxes and shipping. Good luck - if you can work it out I will definitely purchase one!
They have these at Google Venice (in LA), but I think they are prototypes because these look much more refined. Maybe it was a different brand actually.
I just interviewed at Google Boston (in Cambridge) and it looks like there's lots of automatic standing/sitting desks there, but they're definitely the expensive versions ($1,200+ on amazon).
Closed the tab at the diabetes argument. It's such a strawman that I refuse to look at the construction work you did. Yes it's bad for my blood sugar to eat wrongly and not move, but the best practice way to fix this is not by buying your desk.
(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.)
Instead of attacking their product, maybe Google the benefits of standing or light walking during the day in re: to diabetes, heart disease, so forth..
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.
I just checked it out on a pc, and the site resized with the browser window. I haven't checked it out on a phone. Does it not resize? I had this problem before on a website I made a while back. I forgot the meta viewport tag.
"A motorized standing desk for just $399." would've grabbed my interest right away.