Hacker News Reader

Comment by CookWithMe | Hacker News Reader

When experimenting with standing (well, also walking) desks I found that the height of the table is less important than the height of the monitor, and that using a plain laptop, as shown in the pictures, isn't any good if you want to work for longer (>30 min) periods. Constantly looking down isn't a natural position, and it strains the neck.

The cheap option is to raise your laptop and use an external keyboard/mouse, or use an external monitor. Or both :)

View on HN

I'm always baffled by people who go to the trouble of making a standing desk, often at great expense, and then set a laptop on it and call it good. Aside from the ergonomic issues you describe, there's the issue of screen real estate. It's like trying to shoot competitive pool using a tree branch you found in the road.

Not only that, but many of these setups trade an ergonomic chair for a hard floor. I'm surprised that more consideration does not go into floor mats as seen in other jobs requiring long periods of standing.

Well, they did include a footrest. It's a start

If anyone's looking for a recommendation, I've found industrial antifatigue mats (found in machine shops and the like, mcmaster-carr sells some as would most industrial suppliers) surprisingly comfortable for standing on all day.

Indeed. If they're made to be comfortable for a heavyset man holding powertools wearing steel-toed boots, it's definitely going to feel good in comfortable clothes and shoes! :-)

This is a really important point. Setting up a standing workstation is similar to setting up a sitting workstation: you probably need monitor risers and a keyboard tray for maximum ergonomic fit. Alternatively, when you're not on a keyboard w/ screens, you probably want a slanted work surface.

Then again, when I work on a laptop, it's not comfortable either way and I'd rather be standing than sitting.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com