Varidesk Standing Desks

I had posted a couple weeks ago that I had received a new convertible standing desk at work and several people indicated interest in learning more about it.  So now that I've been using the desk for a couple weeks, I wanted to go ahead and provide more of a review.

The desk I have is a height adjustable standing desk from Varidesk.  I am sure there are other companies that provide similar products but I didn't research any other options because this is the one that was approved by my company for purchase.  And so far, I'm loving it!

Here is the desk at standing height for me.

The main think I love about it is ease of use.  There was no installation or complicated mechanics involved.  It came ready to use.  All I had to do was place it on top of my existing desk.  There is a clamp on each side and to change the height of the desk, you just press both the clamps and either pull up or push down.  It moves easily but is sturdy at the same time and I have no fears about my computer being in danger.

The only thing I don't like about it, and this is my own fault for not measuring properly, is that when it is down in sitting position it is big enough that it hangs over the edges of my desk a little bit.  So if you have a small or narrow desk, be aware that it is bulky and can take up a lot of the available space.  However, the company does have various size, style, and color options available.

Here's the desk at sitting height and you can see how much room it takes up as well as the fact that it hangs over the edge of the desk a bit.

I switch back and forth between standing and sitting throughout the day.  I stay in one position for 30-60 minutes before changing to the other.  I think what I've found is that my body feels best if I'm not in one position for an hour or longer.  Switching it up seems to work for me.  And I've noticed that I'm not as stiff when I get up now that I've started using this desk.  Here are some useful bits of information if you're thinking of changing to a standing or convertible desk.

1.  Adjust the height of everything as needed.  I had my computer, keyboard, chair, etc. all set up to the ideal height for me.  The desk changes things so I had to readjust all those components.  Because the keyboard was higher, I had to raise the height of my chair.  Because the monitor was higher, I had to lower the height of the screen when I'm sitting and raise it back up a bit when I'm standing. 

2. Transition gradually. This was the biggest tip I heard from other people at work who had received the desks before me.  You cannot go from sitting all day to standing all day overnight.  You have to adjust gradually and I will probably continue to just switch it up throughout the day instead of ever standing the whole day.  If you get a non-convertible standing desk, you can get a stool to go with it so you can change it up between sitting and standing.

3. Remember to still walk around during the day. I have to remind myself that this isn't a substitute for movement.  I still try to get at least 5,000 steps through the work day.

4. Think about getting a mat for extra cushioning under your feet. This was another tip from my co-workers.  Several of them experienced pain in their feet when trying to stand without the extra cushioning.

And that's it!  I'd love to hear if you've ever tried out a standing desk and your thoughts.