Is it Ergo? - Standing Desk Converter
They’ve been around for over 5 years now and at first glance they seem like the silver bullet to the “sitting is killing me” werewolf. I’m talking about desktop converters that raise your computer equipment so that you can sit or stand and keep on working.
The most popular brands, and those that have been around the longest are Varidesk and ErgoTron. But at the National Ergonomics Conference and Ergo Expo last month in Las Vegas there were about a dozen manufacturers displaying their versions! A handful of them were direct from China, which was the first time I’ve ever seen that at this conference, and I’ve been going for the last 15 years. I took that to mean that it is a global phenomenon at this point.
The price point is usually better than buying an entire sit-to-stand desk. You can find one for $200-$500, whereas a full desk is around $500-$1000.
With all of these desktop converters to choose from, the question is: Is it Ergo?
My answer: Not totally.
Here’s why: While it works great for adjusting to your correct STANDING height (which is your standing elbow level, that is coincidentally right about belly-button level), it most likely will not adjust to your correct SITTING height (which is your resting elbow level, which is lower than standard table/desk height for most people).
Check out the man sitting in the photo above. He can’t even sit back in his chair because his keyboard is too high on the table.
Some models have a keyboard tray that is lower than the main surface, which tries to address the issue, but they are usually in a fixed position, which means they aren’t adjustable to fit the majority of individuals (especially petite statures). The ErgoTron WorkFit TX (pictured below) is your best bet since the keyboard tray is independently adjustable from the main platform and the whole unit only adds 2 inches to your desktop when collapsed. BUT - I would not be comfortable recommending this for a petite person because everything will still likely be too high.
The other problem when using them in a sitting position - the monitors are higher than they would be without the converter. This can be a problem for petite statures and also for folks who wear bifocals or progressive lenses. Check out my blog post about monitor heights for more.
Bottom line: These converters work great for standing, but usually make your sitting situation worse.
So here’s my advice - spend the extra couple hundred dollars and buy an electric height adjustable desk. They’re sleeker looking anyway and are actually ergonomic because they can adjust to fit YOU in both sitting and standing.
There are a lot out there to choose from (Ikea, Varidesk, ErgoTron, Grandstands, etc.), which means you should be able to find one for well under $1000. The only thing to watch out for is the height range - manufacturers can save a lot on parts if the desk doesn’t go lower than 28” or 27” - but this is too high for a lot of folks. Measure your resting elbow before buying your desk.
