Check out some of the best standing desks and standing desks converters to help with your posture
Studies have shown sitting for long periods of time is detrimental to health including poor posture, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar and obesity and is thought to be as bad for you as smoking.
For office workers who are tied to a desk for long periods of time, a way to get around this sedentary working routine is to incorporate more movement into their working day.
One way to incorporate more movement into your day is to use a hybrid way of working which allows you to alternate between sitting and standing.
There are several desk layouts that allow you to incorporate a more flexible working regime with either a standing desk converter or an automated sit/stand desk.
So if you have landed on this article looking for the best Eco-Friendly Standing Desks or Desk Converters for your home or workplace you have come to the right place. In this article, I have reviewed 5 products with eco-friendly credentials, which are suitable for a range of budgets and needs.
Contents:
- Buyers Guide
- Chalkdown Standing Desk Converter
- Songmics Bamboo Standing Desk, Height Adjustable Desk Converter.
- Humbleworks – Standing Desk – Sit Stand Workstation
- Flexispot – Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk
- ALLDREI standing desk plus desktop
Buyer’s guide
The main elements that you should factor in when buying a standing desk or desk converter are cost, space, and ergonomics.
Cost:
If you are new to standing whilst working or have a smaller budget, it may be worth investing in a Standing Desk Converter. There are several different ones on the market with some great eco-friendly options.
These provide additional height to add onto your existing workstation or desk, and overall take up a smaller amount of space than a whole new workstation, perfect for home working if you are sharing the kitchen table and need to tidy away at the end of each day.
If you aren’t sure how you will get on with working whilst standing these can be a good start out option as they are relatively budget-friendly.
Space:
If you are keen and looking to invest a little more into either an automated or manual desk, ensure that you have suitable space to install. Ensure there is sufficient clearance upwards as well at the surface area they can take up outwards.
Another factor to take into consideration is an adequate power supply to hand that won’t cause a trip hazard or get
caught up in the mechanics of the desk.
Ergonomics:
Ergonomics is an important factor to consider. As a rule of thumb, the height of the workstation needs to be parallel with your forearm when held at right angles to your body when standing up.
When measuring for your new desk or standing desk converter, ensure you consider the shoes you are most likely to wear at your desk. This could make a difference to your overall height – Health problems can be caused by straining to work at a desk that is too high or too short for you, negating the benefits of your new standing regime.
A useful chart can be found here to help set up a standing working desk:
Sitting & Standing Height Calculator
1. Chalkdown Standing Desk, (Desk Converter)
Overall Favourite for Budget and Eco-Friendliness
Features:
- Size H:78.4 CMS x D:65.6 CMS (Minimum 46.3 cms depth required) x W:65 CMS
- Overall Load Capacity 10kg
- Easy assembly
- Easy to flatpack and store when not required
- Advises 144 different height variations
- 2 Wide shelves
Pros:
- Sustainable Materials – FSC 18mm birch Plywood – Eco Friendly standing desk converter
- Light Weight and Easy to Move approx. 7kg in total
- Two wide shelves to enable keyboard and laptop as well as mouse and other peripherals
- Stylish and Contemporary
- Suitable for taller people
- Versatile
Con’s:
- Single monitor use only
This product is produced by a company with impressive eco-friendly credentials. Its made from sustainable wooden materials, custom made recyclable cardboard packaging and shipped by green logistics companies.
This standing desk converter is stylish, contemporary and has been designed to incorporate stability, flexibility, and sustainability and with the modern design will go with most home décor.
It provides adequate space and height to work from home whilst being versatile enough to be placed on either a table, desk or even the floor. It is also suitable for taller people and has 2 shelves which means there is additional space for folders or stationary.
However, the main drawback, which is the case for all desk converters, is that you can only use one monitored, which may be a bit limiting if you work with 2 plus screens.
2. SONGMICS Bamboo Standing Desk, Height adjustable (Desk Converter)
Best Budget
Features:
- Compact size H:47.5 CMS x D:50 CMS x W:59.5 CMS
- Overall Load Capacity 19kg – with single deck capacity 10kg
- Easy assembly – Just 4 Screws
- 6 Desk Heights
- 2 shelves
Pros:
- Light Weight Easy to Move
- Sustainable eco-friendly Bamboo with wooden bar inserts for strength
- Desk surface painted to prevent water damage and increase its lifespan
- Easy clean
- Budget Friendly
- Stylish
- Versatile
Con’s
- Only suitable for one screen
- More compact than Chalkdown desk converter, so less space for peripherals
- May not be suitable for tall people.
- Due to the ridges of the material not suitable for use with optical mouse, (mouse mat does rectify this issue)
The SONGMICS Bamboo Standing Desk is the most budget-friendly option for an eco-friendly desk converter. Made from sustainable eco-friendly bamboo and strengthened with wooden bars.
The desk surface is painted with a protective coating which helps to prevent water damage, thus increasing its lifespan and is easy to clean.
However, this standing desk is a more compact version which is suitable for smaller desks so if you require more space this product may not be so suitable.
It also only has 6 height variations so if you are over 6 feet it may not provide the height for the monitor that you require for comfort.
3. Humbleworks Standing Desk – Sit Stand Workstation (desk converter)
Most expensive desk converter
Features:
- Compact size H:70 CMS x D:31 CMS x W:48 CMS
- Overall Load Capacity 5kg
- Holds laptops with maximum screen size 15”
- Easy assembly – Slots together with fixing cables
- 10 Variable Shelf Heights
- 2 shelves
- Minimalistic Ergonomic Design
Pros:
- Light Weight Easy to Move
- Flat pack so easy to store when not in use
- Sustainable wood 18mm birch plywood
- Stylish
- Versatile
Con’s
- Only suitable for one screen or light laptops (Larger option is available)
- Most expensive option
- Not suitable for persons over 6’2
- Lower shelf not long enough to sit a full-length keyboard and a mouse
Again, this is another eco-friendly birchwood desk converter. It is suitable for lighter laptops, although they do produce a larger version for laptops with 17” screens and a weight capacity of 10kg.
This product is great for your posture and easy to assemble and take down, but it is the most expensive of the three converters and not necessarily any better in quality than the Chalkdown product which is less inexpensive.
Nevertheless, it is a great product and looks stylish, with its sustainable material and minimalistic style.
4. FLEXISPOT Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk (desk)
Impressive company eco-friendly credentials
Features:
- Size H:71 – 121 CMS x D:60 CMS x W:100 CMS
- Overall Load Capacity 70kg
- Self-Assembly – arrives in two parcels
- Advanced control panel with 4 memory preset buttons
- Motorlift mechanism offering smooth height adjustment
- Low noise < 50dB
- 5 Year Warranty for Frame, Motor and Mechanism
- 2 Year Warranty for controller switch and electronics
Pros:
- Environmentally Sourced Desktop
- Large surface area allowing room for 2 monitors, laptop and other peripherals
- Stylish and Contemporary
- Suitable for people 112cms – 197cms tall
- Solid Construction
Con’s:
- 2 People Self Assembly time up to 1 hour
- Requires tools for assembly
The FLEXISPOT Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk (desk) is a budget-friendly option for an eco-friendly standing desk, without scrimping on quality. Constructed with strong powder-coated steel and an environmentally sourced desktop to suit most home decors.
Flexistop as a company is a strong advocate in providing ergonomic, stylish, eco-friendly sustainable products and have initiatives to fulfil corporate social responsibilities to reduce their carbon footprint.
This eco-friendly standing desk has a choice of either single or dual motors to provide quiet, smooth height adjustments to go from sitting to standing at the touch of a button.
Although the self-assembly can be a bit fiddly it’s easier to assemble with two people due to its weight. There are very few cons to this product, and I would suggest this is the most eco-friendly stand-up desk I have found on the market.
5. ALLDREI standing desk plus desktop (desk)
Environmentally Friendly Versatile Stand-Up Desk
Features:
- Size H:70 – 120 CMS x D:60 – 80 CMS x W:110 – 200 CMS
- Overall Load Capacity 100kg
- Self-Assembly – arrives in two parcels
- Advanced control panel with 4 memory pre-set buttons
- Dual Motors lift mechanism offering balanced, smooth, and stable height adjustment
- Adjustable desk feet to allow stability even on uneven ground
- Quiet Motor < 50dB
- 5 Year Warranty for Frame, Motor and Mechanism
- 3 Year Warranty for controller switch and electronics
Pros:
- Environmentally Friendly Desktop either Sustainable Bamboo or High Grade MDF
- Large surface area allowing room for 2 monitors, laptop, and other peripherals
- Width Adjustable and L shaped configuration possibility
- Collision Avoidance System
- Stylish and Contemporary
- Suitable for people 112cms – 195 cms tall
- Solid Steel Frame Construction
- Efficient Waste Free Packaging
Con’s:
- 2 People Self Assembly time up to 1 hour
- Requires tools for assembly
- Slight Wobble at top height
The Alldrei Standing Desk with desktop is the largest stand-up desk on the list and has versatile adaptable width and dual motors, which provides stable height adjustment with a top-end capacity of 100 kg.
The eco-friendly desktop comes in either sustainable bamboo or a high-grade MDF making it a highly environmentally friendly desktop.
Due to the adjustable base width, there is also the versatility of purchasing the frame only, to enable an L shaped desktop or upcycled desktop to be installed, giving a large surface area to enable dual monitors, laptop, keyboard, light and other peripherals to be sited.
From the environmentally friendly worktop to the waste-free packaging, the Alldrei stand up desk is one of the best eco-friendly stand-up desks on the market for size, versatility, and German engineering.
However, at its top height, there are reports of a slight wobble, but this could be due to the carpeting that it was sat on and unless carrying out very precise computer work, i.e CAD, Draughtsman work, this shouldn’t affect most peoples’ working day.
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