The story of the stand-up desk (on a quest to be healthy)…
So, Raul and I are on a flight from Portland, OR to Santa Fe to visit family (our yearly pilgrimage to a place we completely adore), and as I am not one who can relax or sleep on a flight, I read everything I can get my hands on, and this includes the Skymall catalogue. I flip to page 36, where I see a product that sparks my interest and has its roots in a conversation that my brother-in-law (one of the people we are going to see) and I had talked about just the year before, the benefits of a standing desk.
I saw his stand up desk setup the year before, and promised myself that I would look into one when I returned home (which I did for like a nano-second). What I do for a living requires a lot of sitting (a LOT), and so the standing desk seemed like it might be the perfect solution for me… if I would just use it.
So I told myself that:
- ONE — I would take my free copy of Skymall to jog my memory when I got home
- TWO — Check to see if my brother-in-law was still using his standing desk
- THREE — Research the benefits of a stand-up desk
- FOUR — If # THREE offered favorable findings and reviews, order one
- FIVE — USE THE DANG THING!
- ONE — Yes, I squirreled away my Skymall and managed not to misplace it
- TWO — Yes, brother-in-law is still using it
- THREE — Yes, I did the research and found favorable reviews and data to support the health benefits
- FOUR — Yes, I ordered one (The VARIDESK Laptop version — it comes in 3 different versions to accommodate different computer setups)
- FIVE — I await my VARIDESK… so will write about the use of it in a bit…
Why the VARIDESK over all other stand-up desks?
Well, this was the version that sparked my attention in the Skymall catalogue. I liked it because it was something that could be placed on top of my current desk, vs. having to replace the whole desk (as my desk is fairly new — was a pain to build — is really cool — and does NOT need replacing)!
The key benefits of the VARIDESK are:
- Requires no assembly or fixed installation
- Adjusts upward to a height of 15.5”
- Sets up in under five minutes
Cost:
The cost of a VARIDESK is $275-$300 (but I found it on Amazon for $10 less, with the same shipping cost), depending on the version (VARIDESK Pro, VARIDESK Single or my version, the VARIDESK Laptop)
The VARIDESK is less expensive than replacing with an entire standing desk, but runs more than some desktop versions. My over-all decision for the VARIDESK version comes from the fact that it has an easy height adjustment, so moving from sitting to standing several times a day should be a breeze. There is also a downloadable desktop APP that will remind you when it is time to stand (which I will definitely need).
Stay tuned for my review of my VARIDESK Laptop coming soon!