10 ludicrous standing desk equipment it’s a must to see to consider
As somebody who’s been utilizing a standing desk for over a decade, I’ve ended up shopping for, attempting, and reviewing every kind of equipment over time. A variety of them have improved my total standing desk expertise, however I’ve additionally run into a number of which are enjoyable and attention-grabbing however extravagant, costly, extreme, and downright ridiculous.
Once I say “ridiculous,” I don’t imply “pointless” or “horrible.” Most of them have official makes use of… and some of them I truly need! However they do make you elevate an eyebrow and marvel. Even when they appear cool, they’re sort of exhausting to justify. That’s what I imply.
With that mentioned, listed here are among the most enjoyable, foolish, and actually ridiculous standing desk equipment I’ve encountered.
Bottle opener
Jon Martindale / Foundry
I’d stay up for cracking open a chilly one on the finish of a workday, however I’m unsure I want a bottle opener constructed into my desk or added on as an adjunct. I have already got a novelty keyring that may pop open bottle caps, plus I’ve an precise one mendacity in a drawer someplace. Worst case? I can at all times pry the highest off with a spoon.
OK, certain, having a bottle opener constructed into the desk proper there is marginally helpful, however who’s opening so many bottles at their desk that one thing like that is actually wanted? Why not simply tuck an ordinary bottle opener in a drawer and name it a day? That is simply plain pointless.
Punching bag
Jon Martindale / Foundry
I get annoyed at work typically. All of us do, I feel. However sufficient to lash out with a must punch one thing? Most likely not. Yeah, it’s humorous the primary few instances you do it, however that novelty fades quick.
Truthfully, this factor is extra of a velocity bag than a heavy bag—and it has a pleasant whip-back motion—however I’m not precisely working towards head motion at my desk. And irrespective of how a lot I tighten it, I can’t assist however wince as my displays wobble round each time I strike it.
It’s a enjoyable concept and a novel dialog starter for anybody who occurs to go to my workplace, however I feel if you would like a stress aid instrument which you can safely use at your desk, I’d suggest these desk fidget toys.
Leather-based desk pad
@emiebel / Ergonofis
A leather-based desk pad isn’t a lot ridiculous as it’s pointless. This factor harkens again to a day the place leather-based surfaces had been a premium, however as of late I’d fairly simply have a neoprene mat that’s as comfy, manner cheaper, extra washable, and fewer susceptible to break.
Whereas I like the look of the leather-based desk pad that Ergonofis despatched me, it blocks the view of my beautiful butcher block desk beneath and leaves me paranoid about utilizing it with care. (It’s so costly, I fear an excessive amount of about scuffing it or worse.) This could be nice for somebody with deep pockets, however for over $200? It’s not for me.
All of the totally different keypads
Uplift
All electrical standing desks include some type of keypad for elevating and reducing the desktop, however do you know there are every kind of keypad upgrades in the marketplace? Yeah, it’s sort of loopy.
There are flappy keypads that may alter the desk peak simply by slapping at them, and light-up RGB keypads for avid gamers, and superior keypads that retailer 5+ totally different preset heights… and I’m right here to let you know that they’re all ridiculous. No, you don’t want them. Actually.
Jon Martindale / Foundry
Belief me, I’ve been utilizing a standing desk for 10+ years and also you solely want two peak settings: the one for whenever you’re standing and the one for whenever you’re sitting. That’s it!
If you happen to’re sharing your desk with another person, okay, that may warrant a 3rd setting. And should you actually love RGB bling, then perhaps a gamer-style keypad can be good for you. However for everybody else, paying extra simply to alter what strikes your desk up and down is pointless.
Beneath-desk hammock
Jon Martindale / Foundry
That is the one which at all times used to catch my eye once I’d scan the standing desk accent pages of Uplift and different firms. I’ve seen a number of folks use it at main LAN events earlier than, however it by no means appeared very comfy. Plus, the concept of individuals simply strolling previous the place I’m sleeping meant I by no means thought to offer it a strive.
As you’ll be able to see from the picture above, I not too long ago took the plunge and… I’m not impressed. My again hated me 10 minutes after I bought in it, and sleeping in it for any prolonged time period appears not possible. If I had been feeling skeptical, I’d say this was a gimmick product to attract consideration to standing desks. It has definitely at all times grabbed my eyes.
Digging a little bit deeper, the under-desk hammock looks like an embrace of crunch tradition. I might think about it getting used as an upsell throughout an employment interview. “Everybody will get their very own standing desk and it even has a hammock beneath!” Sleep at my desk, huh? Not going to occur, particularly when I’ve a mattress simply down the corridor.
Canine beds
Jon Martindale / Foundry
If I’m not going to sleep at my desk, I don’t see why my pup must both. Uplift sells a really small canine mattress—as you’ll be able to see above, my svelte 20-pound French Bulldog combine is mainly spilling out of it—that’s designed to slot in the desktop PC “CPU holder” extension that lifts your system up and down with the desk. It’s useful for stopping stretched cables and protecting the PC up off dusty flooring. However for a canine? Come on.
Uplift
Firstly, small canine shouldn’t be lifted off the ground to a peak they’ll wrestle to soundly get down from. Secondly, they don’t want any assist with their Napoleon complexes. Preserve these little guys down the place they belong: on the ground in a mattress that’s appropriately sized.
Cup holders
Jon Martindale / Foundry
I’m a slipshod man, so I get not desirous to spill your drink on paperwork, electronics, fancy board video games, or no matter else you may need in your desk. I actually do. In reality, I’ve cup holders on my board gaming desk for this actual cause.
However a standing desk is a desk—and truthfully, standing or not, a coaster is greater than sufficient. If you happen to’re significantly vulnerable to knocking over drinks and don’t belief your self, that’s truthful sufficient… however $20 and even $30 simply to carry a drink which you can simply place on the desk? I don’t assume so.
Headphone stand
Jon Martindale / Foundry
Headphones will be massive, cumbersome, and take up quite a lot of useful desktop area. I’m not completely towards the concept of reclaiming desk area with headphone mount. However among the standing desk headphone stands in the marketplace are plain ridiculous.
Take a look at this Uplift one. It’s definitely stylish and it offers a singular aesthetic when the wooden is paired to the desk, however simply take a look at the dimension of that factor. It takes up as a lot room as my SteelSeries Arctis Professional Wi-fi headset, so what good is it doing? And should you order it with the wooden block, you’ll be billed nearer to $50. Eesh…
A easy hook on the underside of the desk can do the identical job with a smaller bodily footprint at a fraction of the value.
Beneath-desk train bike
Flexispot
If you happen to’ve seen my article on why I’m a standing desk convert, you’ll know I’m a giant fan of shifting round whereas standing. I take advantage of an under-desk strolling treadmill, I rock forwards and backwards on a stability board, and I’ve even tried biking at my desk. (See my expertise with under-desk treadmills!)
I had a Flexispot desk bike for a number of months and it did assist me burn some critical energy as I sweated away whereas typing or gaming. However my drawback with it? Desk bikes simply aren’t sustainable. The bike seat isn’t designed for long-term use and it shortly provides… let’s say “an excessive amount of stress” to what you’re sitting on. It merely isn’t comfy, and in my case it was total deleterious to my well being.
Desk bikes are huge, unwieldy, and probably not suitable with house workplace or work environments. They’re worse than easy treadmills. Your mileage might range right here, however I’m squaring these away as ridiculous.
Bluetooth controller
Ergodesks
I’m all for comfort, but when I’m going to work at a standing desk, I actually don’t thoughts ready the 5 or so seconds it takes for the desk to succeed in my desired peak. More often than not, I don’t even have to the touch it as a result of it’s the place I left it the day earlier than. So paying over $100 for the power to set the desk peak “remotely” is peak ridiculous.
Admittedly, I haven’t truly used one in every of these Bluetooth standing desk controllers—however going off my previous expertise with 1,000,000 different Bluetooth equipment, I’m prepared to wager it takes longer to whip out your cellphone and open the suitable app than it does to simply press the dang bodily button that’s already there on the desk itself.
Residence automation nerds may need enjoyable with the novelty of an auto-adjusting desk peak whenever you stroll into the room (or one thing like that), however that’s an entire different degree of pointless ridiculousness. It’s not for me and never what I’d suggest for anybody else.
If you happen to’re to know what I would suggest, take a look at my article on standing desk equipment that are definitely worth the cash.
