[Ultimate Guide of Electric Standing Desks] Standing Desk Buying Guide, Benefits, Differences, and Things to Consider

Introduction

IFCO Deco offers high-quality standing desks and other ergonomic products, bringing comfort and convenience to your work and life. Our products feature advanced electric lift systems from the renowned American ergonomic brand Flexispot, enabling smooth and flexible height adjustment. Visit our showroom to experience our wide range of standing desks and receive personalized advice and services from our professional staff. Let IFCO Deco bring comfort and health to your work environment! In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to buying electric standing desks, including the benefits of standing desks, specifications, and things to consider when making a purchase.

What is a Standing Desk?

A standing desk, also known as an adjustable desk, electric height adjustable desk, sit-stand desk, or height adjustable desk, is a work surface with adjustable height functionality. It allows you to easily switch between sitting and standing positions, providing a more comfortable and productive work environment.

Why Do You Need a Standing Desk?

In today's work environment, we often find ourselves sitting for long periods, which can have adverse effects on our health. Standing desks address this issue by allowing us to change our working positions, reducing the strain of prolonged sitting while promoting blood circulation and muscle movement.

Benefits of Standing Desks:

1. Improve Physical Well-being: Adjust the desk height to your needs, reducing strain on your back, neck, and shoulders. By improving your posture, you can enhance work efficiency and comfort.

2. Increase Work Flexibility: Standing desks can be adjusted to suit different work scenarios and activities, such as standing work, seated work, and meetings.

3. Boost Productivity: Studies have shown that standing while working can improve focus and concentration, while promoting creativity and innovative thinking, leading to increased productivity and better work outcomes.

Health Benefits of Standing Work

Standing work offers numerous health benefits, including preventing obesity, improving posture and reducing pain, boosting productivity, regulating blood sugar levels, and lowering the risk of certain cancers. As a result, adopting standing desks for standing work has become a popular choice for many offices to promote employee health and work performance:

• Preventing Obesity

  There is a strong link between prolonged sitting and obesity. Staying seated for too long reduces metabolic rate, leading to decreased calorie burn. In contrast, standing work increases physical activity, promoting calorie burn and effectively reducing fat accumulation.

• Improving Posture and Reducing Pain

  Prolonged sitting has adverse effects on body posture and muscles, often leading to back, neck, and shoulder pain, which are common occupational injuries for office workers in Hong Kong, almost a city disease. Standing work helps maintain proper posture, keeping the spine neutral, and reducing pressure on the muscles of the lower back, back, and buttocks, distributing pressure evenly throughout the body, thereby reducing everyday pain and discomfort. Additionally, standing work helps strengthen core muscles and leg muscles, improving the body's stability and balance.

• Boosting Productivity

  Standing work helps increase blood circulation and oxygen supply, thereby enhancing brain vitality and concentration. Many people report better focus, increased creativity, and improved problem-solving abilities when working while standing. Standing work can also reduce afternoon fatigue, providing sustained energy and making you more energetic at work.

• Helping Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

  Prolonged sitting is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Standing work can promote better blood sugar control, reducing dependence on insulin, and helping lower the risk of diabetes. Studies have shown that standing work improves blood glucose concentration, insulin sensitivity, and lipid metabolism, contributing to healthy blood sugar levels.

• Lowering the Risk of Certain Cancers

  Research suggests that prolonged sitting is linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer. Standing work can play a positive role in preventing certain cancers by increasing physical activity and promoting blood circulation. Standing work can facilitate normal metabolism, reduce the risk of chronic inflammation, and lower the likelihood of developing these cancers.

Things to Consider When Buying a Standing Desk

There are several important factors to consider when purchasing a standing desk. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

1. Stability: Using a wobbly desk while working can be disconcerting. Some standing desks may exhibit wobbling at their highest height settings when typing, moving the mouse, or leaning on the desk. A high-quality electric standing desk, such as the Flexispot E7 Speedo, provides a sturdy base for work that won't wobble at its highest, lowest, or intermediate height settings.

2. Durability: When you invest in a height-adjustable standing desk, you want it to last. It's wise to invest in a quality desk that will last you for years to come, making it worth the investment. All FlexiSpot desks are meticulously crafted, in fact, we are so confident in their quality that standing desks like the Flexispot E7 Speedo Standing Desk, Flexispot E8 Oval Standing Desk, and more come with a 5-year warranty.

3. Height Range: How tall are you? Different electric standing desks reach different heights. It's helpful to measure your ideal standing and sitting desk heights. Whether sitting or standing, for maximum comfort and support, your desk should be at elbow height when using your keyboard.

4. Desk Depth: Desk depth refers to the distance between the front and the back of the desk. How much workspace do you need? If you're using a computer at your desk, how far away do you like to sit from your monitor? Finding your ideal monitor distance can help reduce eye strain.

5. Weight Capacity: If your workspace requires a lot of equipment, you'll need a desk that can handle the weight. Different desks are rated to hold varying amounts of weight. For example, the E7Q Quattro Quad-Motor Standing Desk has a weight capacity of 660 lbs, suitable for handling even the heaviest of workloads. Consider how much weight capacity you need based on your work or hobbies.

6. Adjustment Speed: If you're looking to quickly adjust from sitting to standing, you'll want a faster adjustment speed. But you might also prefer a slower adjustment speed to take a moment to stretch as you transition. Different standing desk models come with motors that adjust at different speeds.

7. Noise Level: The motors that adjust the height of an electric standing desk make some noise. But different motors can have varying noise levels. If you want a completely silent work environment, you'll want to opt for one with a quieter motor, such as the Flexispot E7 Speedo Standing Desk.

8. Desktop Material: You can choose from different desktop colors or materials, including white, grey, light oak, and walnut. More tabletop sizes and colors can be custom-made according to your needs. The IFCO showroom also provides a variety of table top color swatches for customers to choose from. Please contact customer service for more details.

How to Compare Different Standing Desk Models

1. Motor: Another important feature to consider when choosing a standing desk is the frame design. With FlexiSpot standing desks, you have the option of a single motor or a dual motor. A single motor is ideal for light-duty setups, providing smooth height adjustments. Dual motors offer enhanced performance, featuring two powerful motors on each side. They can handle heavier loads, adjust faster, and provide improved stability.
2. Frame: The frame type is also an important consideration. T-frame standing desks have legs positioned in the middle of the desk, creating a T-shape around the feet for enhanced stability. C-frame standing desks have legs located towards the back of the desk, at the end of your feet, giving you more legroom and space for cabinets or a computer tower. An E-frame standing desk has legs that are slightly set back, offering both stability and extra space for leg extension or additional storage.
3. Leg Design: Our standing desks come with either a 2-stage or 3-stage leg design. If you are 5'3" (165 cm) or below, a 2-stage leg is a great fit. If you are taller than this, we recommend opting for a 3-stage leg. 3-stage legs are also more stable at their highest settings.
4. Control Panel: The control panel of a standing desk is an essential component, allowing you to effortlessly control the desk's height adjustments. FlexiSpot standing desks come with user-friendly control panels that let you adjust the desk's height with a simple touch of a button or a swipe of the touchscreen. The control panels usually feature an intuitive design, displaying the current desk height and offering preset height options. You can easily select your preferred height or adjust it based on different activities, such as sitting, standing, or an intermediate height in between. Some control panels even have memory functions, allowing you to save your favorite height settings for easy switching between different work modes. Whether you're working in an office or at home, the control panel of a standing desk provides convenience and flexibility, enabling you to stay comfortable and productive throughout your work sessions.
5. Anti-Collision System: Some FlexiSpot standing desks come equipped with an anti-collision system. It helps protect your desktop, equipment, and any obstacles from damage as the desk moves. This ensures safer and more reliable operation of your desk.

How to Use a Standing Desk Properly

Height Adjustment

When using your standing desk, whether standing or sitting, you should adjust the desk to a height where your keyboard is slightly below elbow height. At the same time, your eyes should be level with the top third of your computer screen. This will help you find the perfect height and save your eyes from strain.

How Long Should You Stand?

Alternate between sitting and standing every 30-60 minutes. A common recommendation is to stand for 30 minutes after every hour of sitting. It's also important to move around regularly so that you don't get stiff while standing.

Standing Desk Accessories That Can Improve Your Health

• Ergonomic chair - Gives you more comfort and support while sitting.
• Cable tray - Keep your workspace neat and tidy by placing your cables to the side with a tray.
• Keyboard tray - Add a keyboard tray to keep your workspace organized while supporting your wrists.
• Add-on drawer - Stay organized with a stylish and sustainably sourced bamboo add-on drawer.
• Monitor arm - Position your monitor at the right height to reduce strain on your back, neck, and eyes.
• Under desk bike - Stay active and get fit while you work.
• Footrest - Footrests provide extra support and comfort, allowing you to shift your weight and relax your leg muscles while standing.
• Anti-fatigue mat - Anti-fatigue mats reduce stress and fatigue when standing, providing a softer and more supportive surface for your feet.
• Desk plants - Adding some greenery to your standing desk can improve air quality, boost your mood, and help increase productivity and mental well-being.
• Health reminders - Some standing desk accessories come with health reminders that can be set to periodically alert you to change positions or take breaks, helping you stay healthy and productive.

IFCO Deco Electric Standing Desk Product Recommendations

FlexiSpot E9W Woodee Electric Standing Desk

FlexiSpot EC1 Metee Electric Standing Desk

FlexiSpot E7 Speedo Dual Motor Electric Standing Desk Frame

FlexiSpot E8 Oval Round Leg Electric Standing Desk

FlexiSpot E7Q Quattro Quad Motor Heavy Duty Electric Standing Desk

IFCO: Your Trusted Ergonomic Expert in Hong Kong

IFCO Deco is a specialty store dedicated to ergonomic products, established in 2009 with over 13 years of experience in Hong Kong. We take a people-centered approach, committed to providing high-quality ergonomic office chairs, standing desks, and office furniture. Our products are not only of excellent quality and reputation, but we also offer renovation, interior design, and custom furniture services.

IFCO Deco has showrooms in Kwun Tong, Jordan, and Sha Tin, where customers are welcome to try out our ergonomic chairs and electric standing desks. Our professional consultants are ready to assist you. We simplify the selection process, helping customers choose the right colors, dimensions, delivery, and installation to bring their desired furniture home.

When using a standing desk, feel free to apply some of the usage tips provided by IFCO, including proper height adjustment and alternating between sitting and standing positions. We also introduce various standing desk accessories, such as ergonomic chairs, cable trays, keyboard trays, and more, which can further enhance your health and comfort.

IFCO Deco is committed to providing market-leading ergonomic products for the well-being of Hong Kong people, as well as furniture, renovation, and interior design solutions for limited spaces. We put customers at the heart of everything we do, delivering quality products and thoughtful services to make your office environment more comfortable and healthier.