Price: $295-$495 (depending on size)
Best Place to Buy: Amazon.com
Guarantee: It has a 30 days risk-free guarantee plus year warranty.
Did you know that sitting disease is a real thing? You physician may not diagnose it using these words exactly; however, the term is becoming more common. It is often a subtitle connected to sedentary lifestyle. Sitting disease refers to the ill-effects of an overly sedentary lifestyle that happens when you sit for long periods of time during your day – in your car, at your desk, on your couch. Symptoms include poor posture, weight gain, back and shoulder pain, and fatigue. It can put you at higher risk for all kinds of sedentary-related diseases, too.
If you work from home at your desk all day, you are at risk. But don’t panic. There are many ways to combat the ill-effects. Take frequent breaks and stretch/exercise, go for walks, make exercise part of your daily routine, and stay active. The reality for many of us is that we MUST work at our computers. One Solution: The Varidesk Proplus 36 Standing Desk.
Product Description
Varidesk is a cool company that offers many solutions designed to make your work space more active. The Varidesk Proplus 36 is designed to allow you to both sit and stand periodically throughout the day making you more active and reducing your risk for sitting disease. This two-tier design fits on your current desk allowing you to use your desk while sitting. Then, when you are ready to stand up and work, it allows you to easily lift it to the right position. There is no need to move your computer or monitor. It all raises together and allows adjustment to the perfect, ergonomic height. The keyboard and mouse shelf moves up as well to the proper height.
The Upsides
There definitely pros to the Varidesk Proplus 36 model. The designers have obviously spent a lot of time working at a traditional desk and put thought into what is needed to easily work standing up.
- Two-tier means that there is an upper shelf for your laptop and monitor or two monitors and then a lower shelf for your keyboard and mouse. These shelves are large to accommodate just about any setup.
- Adjusting the Varidesk up and down is really easy. It is spring-loaded so very easy to lift when you are ready to stand and move down when you are ready to sit again. You can also adjust it to any of the 11 height settings. Personally, I tend to stand up and then sit down many times a day. It really is very easy to move the Varidesk into the up or down position. There is no fighting it at all.
- It is very stable, even when raised all the way up. You don’t need to worry about the weight of your laptop and monitor tipping it over when raised.
- It comes to your door fully assembled. There is no assembly whatsoever. Just take it out of the box and set it on your desk. No assembly! No tools needed.
- It is really well constructed from industrial materials. You can tell that it is a quality product.
- They have three sizes (30 inch, 36 inch, and 48 inch) to accommodate your desk and space.
- It comes in black, white, and wood grain.
- There are lots of great reviews.
The Downsides
It is a bit heavy (about 50 lbs, depending on the model). This isn’t something you will want to move on and off your existing desk frequently. Once it is on your desk, you will no doubt want to keep it there.
- The maximum weight capacity is 30 pounds, so if you have really heavy monitors, you need to pay attention. Most monitors don’t come close to this, though.
- Since it is heavy, you will want the desk holding it to be solid enough. It will work on most office desks.
- I have seen a few negative reviews, especially about there not being enough room on the platforms to work. This isn’t my experience, however. I have a laptop and second monitor plus a keyboard and mouse. I find that I have more than enough space to put my calendar, note pad, and coffee cup. I personally use the middle sized Varidesk.
My Rating: 9 out of 10
I give Varidesk a pretty high rating because of its design, high quality construction, and ease of use. There are definitely lots of other options, but Varidesk is at the top of the list.
Considerations For Your Research
- If you are used to sitting, you may find that standing up and working is not that comfortable. It might take a little time to get use to it. Try standing up for a short time every hour or so. Then make your stand up time longer and longer. Just like any exercise, it is best to work up to your goals.
- I have seen some negative reviews about a lot of the popular stand up desks. These may be because those users are not using the products properly or are not use to standing up while working. Posture is important as is developing your “stand up desk” muscles. Work into it slowly and watch your posture. No slouching – either in the sitting or standing position!
- Finally, read the information that comes with your standing desk so that you position it properly. You want your elbows at right angles and your monitor so that you aren’t cranking your neck up or down. Like any tool, there are proper and improper ways to use a stand up desk.
Happy Home Officing!
Terry at Home Office Insights
Terry@HomeOfficeInsights.com