3 Easy Ways To Convert A Desk Into A Standing Desk
Introduction To 3 Ways To Convert A Desk Into A Standing Desk
Standing behind a desk has priority over sitting all day behind a regular desk. A standing desk is way healthier and supports you to keep your energy and improve your productivity.
Although a recent study did not discover anything with a standing desk that can help in weight loss or preventing weight gain, there might be other advantages of the standing desk. Some researchers acclaim that on days a person spends more time standing, blood sugar levels in its body return to normal faster. The risk of back and shoulder pain will be reduced by standing instead of sitting.
Long hours of sitting lead to a higher possibility of diseases like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. It is more likely to prevent such disease by not sitting for a long time. However, not sitting may contain different things like walking, pacing, or simply standing, and also the health effect of these are not similar. For potential advantages of using a standing desk yet, there are no strong researches. Therefore, the real influences of standing desks are not certain.
Today, so many people are working from home behind a computer screen and it will be beneficial for them to consider a standing desk as an alternative to a traditional sit desk. However, switching to a standing desk does not mean that you have to abandon your current sit desk. You do not have to crowd your office space with a whole new standing desk. Using a standing desk converter makes it easy and simple to transform your desk into a standing desk.
Before deciding on getting a standing desk, ask the following questions from yourself:
- Is it necessary to buy a brand new standing desk or can you just transform your old one?
- Do you have to stand all the time or can you simply switch between standing and sitting?
- Is it possible to write or do other concentration-demanding tasks while standing?
Following, we provide you with 3 ways to convert any desk into a standing desk as well as some guidance on how to find a converter that fits your desk.
1) An Adjustable Lap Desk
One way to elevate your laptop up to a standing height is by getting an adjustable lap desk. There is a popular IKEA hack method that includes getting a cheap side desk to place a monitor and a shelf to place the keyboard; it is affordable but not possible to convert into a sitting desk. The adjustable lap desk is very similar to the IKEA hack method, except for the possibility of simple adjustability of the height and angle of the workstation. It is also packable quickly.
There is a disadvantage to this method that you cannot elevate your mouse and keyboard. To do that you need to use textbooks or buy a stand.
Pros
- An adjustable lap desk can be packed easily and it is even portable, for example, you can bring it on a business trip or to the coffee shop.
- The extent of height and angle adjustment is superior to other alternatives.
- It has an affordable price compared with commercial standing desk conversion options and is way cheaper than a dedicated standing desk.
Cons
- To elevate the keyboard and mouse you are required to use something else.
- It is not strong enough just like other options, to put some heavy stuff on it.
2) The Coffee Table Approach
Another approach to convert your desk into a standing desk is to raise the entire desk, not just lifting your computer station. There are some solutions out there on the internet attempted by people, such as elevating a sitting desk by putting four mesh metal buckets or placing four car jacks beneath the desk’s legs. Using jack is a tricky approach since sticking to any of those can cause the whole desk to collapse. So, it is better to think before going for a solution.
A safe way is to put the whole desk on a coffee table with approximately the same dimensions as your desk. It will lift your desk for around one to two feet so you may need to raise the height of your monitor slightly depends on your height. At least it is a safe solution and will take care of your working station.
Pros
- This way keeps the largest dimension of the working area by elevating the entire desk rather than lifting just the keyboard, mouse, and laptop or monitor.
- This one is the strongest option among the all DIY solutions.
Cons
- This is the most permanent solution since it will not be simple to lift your desk on or off of the coffee table when you do not want to work while standing.
- It can be hard to find a coffee table in approximately the same dimensions as your desk that also is short enough.
- You may require something to elevate your monitor a bit higher, although the keyboard and mouse might be at the correct height.
3) A Box Or Stack Of Textbooks For A Quick Solution
If your work requires you to stand and you want to check how it is like, an appropriate temporary solution is to grab some textbooks and stack them. Other than one stack for your laptop or screen, you may require two additional stacks for your keyboard and mouse.
You obviously should be careful with this method. It is not stable. As your monitor or laptop station fluctuates, a slight nock to the desk causes your laptop or monitor to fall to the floor. In case you are a careful person, it would be a perfect solution to try a make-shift standing desk for a few days to see if you like to work while standing or not.
Pros
- Textbooks usually can be found in any home or office, so this method will be entirely free of charge.
- You can adjust the height of your workstation simply by adding or removing a book or two.
- It can be set up and removed quickly.
Cons
- This is the least stable and most temporary way.
- This way involves the risk of gadgets falling.
- It will limit your standing workspace dramatically.
Other than these DIY solutions, there are standing desk converters that you can buy at a reasonable price and will let you easily switch between sitting and standing desks. It will work for almost any desk with adequate surfaces.
Buy A Standing Desk Converter That Fits Your Desk
When it is time to get your suitable standing desk converter to look for the following:
Base Size: Check the dimension of your desk surface, and buy a converter that is small enough to fit easily on your desk. The standard desks normally fit a converter comfortably.
Top Platform Size: Make sure that your screen or laptop will fit perfectly on the top platform of the converter.
Keyboard Platform Size: Check there if is adequate space for your keyboard and mouse.
Lift: Be sure the desk converter adjusts effortlessly from sitting to standing.
Colour: Look for a converter that has the same colour as your desk, if possible. This way it seems just like a part of your desk, not some add-on.
Set Up Your Standing Desk Converter
You may need someone to assists you to set up your new standing desk. As desk converters designed to stand strong, they are normally heavy. In most cases assembling is easy; you may need just a screwdriver on the keyboard platform.
Cord placement can be tricky. It is not possible to pass cords under the desk converter. To hold cords out of their away, you should rout them out the back or side. To do that you can use some little clips. To prevent the mouse cord from getting caught, you can keep the mouse cord loose to move it more easily.
Standing Desk Ergonomics
Keep the following guides in your mind while adjusting the height and ergonomics of your standing desk:
Place your keyboard at the right level
Regardless of standing or sitting, while working with a computer your elbow should be at a 90-100 degree angle. When you adjust your desk, attention to this angle and tweak the heights as required till it feels comfortable.
Put your monitor high enough
The top of the monitor has to be at eye level or slightly below it. If you think your laptop is too low, try an adjustable riser.
Comfort your feet and back
An ergonomic mat is necessary, especially for those who were used to sitting for long hours. Standing for hours a day can lead you to have painful feet at the beginning. Standing on an anti-fatigue mat can help you with this.
The time you need to be standing
You should be careful when transforming to a standing desk, even with an ergonomic mat. We recommend you to alternate between one hour of sitting and one hour of standing till you get used to it. Or you can initiate with just one hour of standing every day, and move up gradually. Standing all day, in the beginning, is not healthy and can hurt.
Put on supportive shoes, do not lock your knees, and be careful to move slightly. You can listen to music to get your feet tapping if it does not interrupt you. Even a bumpy ergonomic mat can be great to keep you in motion.
To do some medium-concentration projects, such as responding to your emails, graphic design, photo-editing, or some quick jobs it is better to stand. After taking a break, switch to sit to do high-concentration projects like writing.
Your posture
When you are standing, your posture will be perfect. You will see that it is very easy to keep your back upright while standing, whereas you probably end up slouching while sitting.
Keep Moving At Your Desk
If you can focus to walk on a treadmill while working then you can buy a treadmill desk. This will help you keep moving. An under-desk elliptical can be great too. You also can use it while sitting on the couch and watching movies. It helps you keep your legs powerful.
Consider A Chair Cushion
In addition to experience back pain by sitting all day, there is bottom pain. It is more common for people who spend much of their time behind the computer especially for bloggers and writers. Sitting for a very long time like 10 hours a day will lead you to feel bruised in your bottom. In this case, you seriously need to consider getting a standing desk or a converter.
While you do your search to find your fitting standing desk, you better get a seat cushion. You can use it when switching from standing to a sitting desk.
Conclusion
Today, many people around the world are working from home behind a computer screen. It will be beneficial for people who spend a lot of time sitting behind a desk to consider a standing desk alternative to a traditional sit desk. However, making a switch to a standing desk does not about abandon your current sit desk. You do not have to crowd your office space with a whole new standing desk. Using a standing desk converter makes it easy and simple to transform your desk into a standing desk.
After reading this article, you now have the required information to get the right standing desk converter or just do it by yourself. When you want to convert your sit desk into a standing desk make sure to consider your desk surface space. Check to place your monitor or laptop, keyboard, and mouse at the right height.
Feel comfort in your back and feet. Using an anti-fatigue mat sometimes can be very helpful. You also can put on supportive shoes. Overall, to prevent end up with painful legs, try to switch into sitting.
I trust you enjoyed this article on 3 easy ways to convert a desk into a standing desk. Please stay tuned for more articles to come. Take care!
JeannetteZ
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I would love to hear from you. Please leave me your questions, experiences, remarks, and/or suggestions about this article on 3 easy ways to convert a desk into a standing desk in the comments section below. You can also reach me by email at Jeannette@WorkFromAnywhereInTheWorld.com.
