Height adjustable desks whatever next? Surely a standard desk is more than adequate. We’ve had them for well over a hundred years and they seem to work pretty well for office workers don’t they?
You may be wondering about the need for height adjustable desks and what they are all about and in this article we’re going to look at 3 important points to do with them:
- What is a height adjustable desk?
- Why are they better than fixed desks?
- What is the best height to work at?
Let’s begin by defining what exactly a height adjustable desk is
Quite simply it’s a desk where the work surface can be easily moved up or down within a height range. Depending on the type of workstation, adjustment is made by one of the following methods:
Turning a cranked handle
Releasing a lever to activate a gas or counter balanced mechanism
Push button control operating an electric motor
There are other methods, however these are mostly used when first assembling a desk and lack flexibility when you need to alter them, so can be discounted. Now you have an idea of what a height adjustable desk is, what makes them superior to a standard desk?
Why they are better than fixed height desks
When you have been working at a conventional desk for a number of years you may wonder why a movable top desk would be any better. Is it really that different?
The answer is yes, it is a significant improvement on fixed height working. And the reason is it enables you to work in a lot of healthier postures as well as the normal sitting position you are used to. So, you can still work as you do now as well as gaining much more flexible alternatives too.
The human body simply wasn’t made to sit for long periods of time it quickly tires. And aches and pains soon start to build up and these can turn into longer term issues if ignored.
The beauty of sit stand working is you get the chance to work in many more different ways. So, you can work sitting down as you do at present, or semi standing which can be very comfortable as it opens up the angle between your legs and body keeping muscles less stressed and blood circulating more freely.
Finally, you can work standing up and this makes the way you work a totally new experience and a healthier one too. So with all these alternative ways of working, is there a perfect height to work at?
There’s a simple answer to that
There is no universal best height to work at. You will find that the height you choose to work at will vary from hour to hour. It can be influenced by a number of things including the type of work you are doing, how you are feeling, and discomfort signals from your body that a change of position is desirable.
So, rather than there being an ideal working height for you it’s likely you will have many. The flexibility of this way of working opens up a whole new spectrum of working postures that simply aren’t possible with fixed height desks.
Here’s a quick reminder of the 3 points we’ve covered
- What a height adjustable desk is and the versatility it offers
- Why it’s a better way of working, offering much more mobility
- Why there is no ideal height setting, instead go with what feels right for you
Of course you can just carry on working at your standard workstation just as you always have done. That would be a shame because once you’ve experienced the flexibility a movable top desk brings, you won’t be in any rush to go back to the old way or working.
Here’s further information on the different types of sit to stand desks that are available.