Since Covid, I primarily work from home and bought myself a standing desk especially for this purpose. Here’s some thoughts and observations on my experience with a standing desk from the past two years.

The desk is a white Ikea Skarsta. It’s adjustable with a manual crank. I chose this model because I like Ikea’s quality and also their prices. It’s big enough to fit two monitors, a laptop, a keyboard, a mouse, a notebook, a glass of water, a coffee mug and a mobile phone comfortably.

I use the desk at a seated position for roughly 80% of the time. I generally switch to the standing position for the mid-morning and mid-afternoon hours where I really feel a slump in my energy levels. Standing up at this point definitely re-energises me and helps improve my focus and concentration.

Other things I noticed using a standing desk:

• Standing is harder than I thought! (which sounds pathetic to admit!) At first I could only manage half an hour but built up stamina over time.
• Video calls are best conducted sitting down, so you can avoid potentially moving positions on camera when the meeting overruns and your legs get tired!
• It’s helpful to (subtly) mark the wall at the seated and standing heights to easily switch the desk to the correct positions (this is probably not an issue on higher-end, digital models).
• I’ve never felt the need for a mat to stand on (I’m standing in slippers on carpet).
• Colleagues can tell when you’re standing up on video calls. The background looks a little different but I also find that I move around more when standing which gives it away.
• Moving the desk into the standing position at the end of the day is an excellent way to keep items safe from inquisitive toddlers.

Would I recommend a standing desk? Yes. It’s not essential, but I find now on my days in the office, sitting down all day, that I miss the option to stand up and change my perspective.