I know I'm very late to the table-sitting party. My colleague Jeff Benjamin first upgraded to a new desk back in 2016, and Apple did the same for all of its Apple Park employees in 2018.
I've been using a large custom desk until now, but there are two reasons why now is the time to do so:
Why change my desk?
First, I'll be moving to a new apartment in the near future that's more central but has less space, meaning I'll need a desk that's slightly smaller than the county average.
Second, I'll need to store less stuff. There's a saying that expenses rise to match income, and I was faced with something of the equivalent of this desk: Because my desk was so big, I could store a lot of stuff on and under it, which is what I did. Scanner, external drives, two Macs, a microphone, a joystick.
The scanner had long since been replaced by an iPhone app, and a lot of the other stuff was only used occasionally, so it made more sense to store it in a drawer when not in use.
Yes, my 49-inch monitor now takes up almost the entire width of my desk, and I currently still have an excess of stereo-paired HomePods — though that may change — but most of the rest of the kit is gone.
With fewer devices always connected, it also meant that the powered Brydge dock was no longer needed, so I replaced it with a simpler, better-looking Grovemade laptop stand that sits behind the monitor:
I could have just placed the Mac on the desk underneath the monitor, but it takes up less space, and I also found that the vertical stand helps with cooling when doing more demanding tasks like video editing.
Switching to a Sit-Stand Desk
I'd been intrigued by these for a while, but wondered if the novelty would wear off, so I left the motor block to gather dust.
However, I asked colleagues who have them and it was clear that most of them, months later, still switch between sitting and standing regularly.
My specific choice was very limited because I was trying to limit the size to 140cm wide and 60cm deep (55in x 24in). The reason for the latter limitation will become clear when I finally move house and can show it off in my new home.
This is what made me buy the Ikea Mittzon. My personal opinion of Ikea furniture is that it combines very low-quality “wood” (particleboard with thin veneer) with very high-quality mechanisms that are tested to insane levels. I expect to replace the desk itself with a solid wood one in the future, but for now the black ash veneer does the job just fine and I have every confidence that the mechanism will last forever.
It has a simple switch panel with two memory positions and up/down buttons for manual adjustment.
I found the cable management incredibly crude and fully expected to need to replace it. It's a simple three-section, box-shaped, collapsible felt tube. However, it comfortably holds two extension cords and all of my power supplies and feels much sturdier than I expected, so I'll keep it if it doesn't break later.
The only remaining issue with cable management is the desk and power supply cables. Of course, there's no way to secure them in any way because they need to expand and contract with the movement of the desk. I used a simple wrap-around tube to keep things as neat as possible.
Three Surprises, All of Them Pleasent
I've been using the desk for a little over a month now, and I've been pleasantly surprised in three ways.
First, I use it a lot. I expected to remember to switch to standing mode once or twice a day, and to stand for 5-10 minutes at a time. However, the reality is that I switch between sitting and standing about every 30-40 minutes, and I stand almost as much as I sit.
Secondly, the adjustment is useful for more than just sitting or standing. For example, I usually sit with a low chair and my feet flat on the floor. But sometimes I raise the chair a little and raise the desk to match the level. Also, in my new apartment, my desk will be next to the countertop, and I figured I could raise it to match the level when not in use so it would fit in more.
Thirdly, and most importantly, the desk has been absolutely fantastic for my back!
As someone who has spent most of my career sitting, including stupid hours during my tech research days, I have suffered from (thankfully mild) lower back pain for a long time. However, since I started using this desk, it has significantly improved.
What happens now is that I start to feel a slight ache after sitting or standing for about 30-40 minutes. This acts as a trigger for me to change positions, and the pain subsides. Rinse and repeat.
Forget the hyperbole – it's all about flexibility
There's been a lot of debate about the “sitting is the new cancer” idea, with most experts describing it as pure hyperbole. Jeff ended his article with this:
It's not good to stand for 8 hours straight, and it's not good to sit for 8 hours straight. Practice moderation. That's what makes the PowerUp so great, because it can transform between the two in a matter of seconds.
Either way, I'd never want to go back to a “regular” desk. UpDesk has added a fun new dimension to my daily routine that can make me a little more active. For that, I'm grateful.
I feel the same way. It was one of the best office-related decisions I've ever made, and there's no going back.
