With increasing awareness about the importance of ergonomics, people today are making conscious choices that would benefit them in the long run. Most jobs involve sitting in front of computer screens, and unfortunately, there’s little you can do to change the nature of your job. What you can do is invest in ergonomic workplace furniture that will make your workplace a lot more comfortable. One of the most talked-about ergonomic pieces of furniture is a standing desk.
Most of the work-related health problems like back pain, neck pain, and stiff shoulders are due to sitting for extended hours and that too in an incorrect posture. With a standing desk, you can combat the side effects of sitting in the same (usually incorrect) posture for a prolonged duration.
There are numerous benefits of a standing desk. From helping you minimize the health risks associated with sitting all day long to enhancing your productivity at work, a standing desk might just be what you need right now.
If you’re planning to buy a standing desk for your workplace or your home office, you might benefit from a guide that would help you buy a standing desk that’s right for you. Most first-timers often end up making some mistakes when purchasing a standing desk. If you end up buying the wrong standing desk, you may not be able to reap any of the benefits associated with this piece of ergonomic piece of furniture.
But fret not. We’ve listed down these mistakes so that you know what you aren’t supposed to do when buying an adjustable standing desk for your workspace.
Buying a Standing Desk in the Wrong Size
Standing desks come in various sizes. One of the most common mistakes that standing desk purchasers often make is buying a standing desk that’s either too small or too big for them. You may require a desk that’s just big enough to accommodate a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, or you might need a much larger one on which you can accommodate multiple monitors, a keyboard, mouse, notebook, pen holder, a coffee mug, and some of the other office essentials that you use frequently. If you buy a desk that’s smaller than what you require, it won’t really serve the purpose right. And buying a larger standing desk than you need is simply a waste of money. Standing desks don’t come cheap, and this is one costly mistake! Not all manufacturers offer a return policy. Those who do charge a hefty fee to make size adjustments.
So, make sure you’re purchasing a standing desk that’s the right size. Measure your current desk at least twice to ensure you’ve got the tabletop size that you need right. If your current desk space is sufficient, you can order a standing desk of the same measurements. If it feels small for you, purchase a standing desk bigger than your current work desk.
Buying the Frame and Desktop Separately
Another very common mistake that standing desk purchasers make is buying the desk frame and desktop separately. They do this for a number of reasons. They feel that buying a standing desk as a complete package from a particular vendor is costing them too much, and buying a desktop from a cheaper vendor would save them some bucks. Others buy the two components separately because they don’t like the combination the vendor is offering. Whatever the reason is, you shouldn’t buy the standing desk frame and desktop from two different vendors.
The desktop from one vendor may not match the size of the frame from another vendor. There’s always a possibility of size variation from a vendor to vendor. If you get a desktop of the wrong size, you might have to buy another, which is going to cost you double what buying the two components as a package would have cost. Contrary to a common assumption, buying a desktop separately often costs more than buying a desktop from the same vendor as the table frame. This is because you’ll have to pay for shipping charges which many people forget to consider. Also, desktops are usually priced higher when sold separately. So, you should try to buy a standing desk as a package from the same vendor, even if it seems costlier than what you had in mind.
Buying a Standing Desk with Excessive Weight Capacity
A common misconception is that the more the weight lifting capacity of a standing desk, the stronger and more durable it is. Most purchasers buy a standing desk with way more lifting capacity than they need, hence end up paying more money. What you can do is evaluate your current work desk and analyze the approximate weight of things that you’ve placed on it. Buy a standing desk that has about 20% more lifting capacity than your approximation just to be on the safe side, in case you ever decide to add more weight to your desk. Paying a higher price for a standing desk with higher weight lifting capacity than you need is simply an unnecessary expenditure.
Not Buying Basic Accessories with the Desk
Most people think that they can buy the accessories later. For them, setting up their standing desk is the first priority. While this sounds wise and the right thing to do, it’s not the best thing to do. You’ll need some accessories for your standing desk to make sure your work desk is comfortable. Some of the most basic accessories include a keyboard tray, a cup holder, and a monitor mount. If you purchase them separately, you’ll have to pay shipping charges all over again. Most companies offer discounts when you order multiple products from them at the same time. Ordering the standing desk accessories that you think you’ll need with the desk might actually help you save money. Even if you don’t get a bundle discount (which you most probably will), you’re saving money on shipping charges.
Not Paying Attention to the Stability
A wobbling table isn’t just annoying but it also poses a safety risk. Some standing desks may have minor engineering issues that can affect the desk’s stability. Not many users find stability an important factor. While you may not be able to tell if the desk is stable or not just by seeing it, you can evaluate it by leaning on it or giving it a shake by holding the edges. If the desk wobbles even a little, know that it’ll be a nuisance to work on it, especially if you’re a hard typist or are habitual of leaning on the desk while working. Apart from the annoying wobbling, unstable desks are at a higher risk of tripping or collapsing because they aren’t holding the ground as well as they should.
Assuming that All Standing Desks are Same
If you think that a standing desk that costs $500 would be same of the same quality as a $1500-worth standing desk, you’re highly mistaken. This is another that people make. They trust the manufacturer’s claim of their standing desk being of premium quality while being priced lower than most market leaders. When purchasing a standing desk, you basically get what you pay for. You should understand that the quality of a standing desk that’s costlier will be superior to a cheaper standing desk.
Not Considering How the Desk will be Shipped
Thanks to remote working becoming the new normal, more people have turned towards setting up ergonomic home offices than ever before. Since most people purchasing standing desks are doing it for the first time, they order the largest standing desk, thinking that’s the right thing to do. After all, if they end up with a smaller desk than they need, they’ll have to spend extra money to fix their miscalculation. They say – more is better than less. While there’s no harm in ordering a larger standing desk than you need if money isn’t a concern, there’s one very important consideration that purchasers miss out on, and that’s how the desk will be shipped.
If the standing desk is quite big, it won’t be delivered via the regular courier driver. Instead, they’ll be shipped and delivered to you in a larger 18-wheeler furniture carrier. The problem is – not all neighborhoods accept the entry of such large vehicles. Other times, you may not have a big enough driveway to accommodate such a large vehicle at your property. One thing that not many people know is that in the case of these semi-trailer deliveries, the off-loading and lifting of your desk aren’t included in the standard shipping charges. These services come with an additional charge. It means, if you haven’t paid for this service, you’ll have to unload and move the desk into your house yourself.
Buying your first standing desk is surely an exciting experience, and we would understand if you forget a thing or two in your excitement. However, it’s best to consider all the important factors before you lock your purchase and make sure you aren’t making any mistakes that most first-time standing desk purchasers end up making.
