DIY standing desk
Mar 04, 2013
Improvised standing desk: file holder, old books, magazine holders, two shelves
I got crafty last week and decided to see if I could make a standing desk from found materials around my office. The result was pretty cool, and so far I’m enjoying testing it out.
Ingredients:
- base of monitor stand: 1 plastic stacking file crate from Staples I’d been using for recycling</span>
- table for monitor stand: a shelf from my (mostly-empty) office bookshelf
- base of keyboard/mouse stand: textbooks and yellow pages from 6 years ago, shoved into magazine holders for structural integrity
- table for keyboard/mouse stand: another shelf (from my boss’s bookshelf)
…and that’s it. I don’t think this will be a forever desk, but it’s fun to try out for now. I do know I will need an anti-fatigue mat to stand on, which apparently is a gamechanger.
Down the road I’m hoping we’ll get pneumatic, easily-adjustable desks a la GeekDesk. In the short term, though, this is a good way to figure out if a standing desk will work for me.
Supports: note the hardback on the end is the “load-bearing” piece with softbacks to fill up the magazine holder completely and provide support
Update 4/17: I’m still standing. The first few weeks were rough – the concrete floors were not very forgiving and I was having pain in my feet and back at the end of most days. In mid-March I got an anti-fatigue mat (a 2′ x 3′, 7/8″ thick mat from SitBetter) that has made all the difference.
Anti-fatigue mat: gamechanger
The mat’s super-comfy and supports standing for long periods of time. I’ve been standing at my desk all day and only sitting for meetings. On days without meetings I am standing to 8 hours comfortably.
Also: I subscribed to the base-level Spotify account and have found myself dancing at my desk.
I’ve loved this change of pace and don’t see myself returning to a seated desk any time soon.