Standing desk tips: How to get started with your standing desk

How to build a healthy workspace that lets you sit, stand, and everything in between

If you’re thinking about an adjustable standing desk, or you’ve just made the switch, congratulations, and welcome! A desk that lets you sit, stand, lean, stretch—and everything in between—is a game-changing purchase.

Purchasing a standing desk is just the first step toward your new, more active work life, but no need to be intimidated. We’ve done the research, talked to the experts, and compiled the best practices on how to maximize your experience so you don’t have to. We’re here to help you customize for optimal productivity, creativity, health and fun. Whether your desk is already set up, or if you’re wondering how to get started with a standing desk, read on.

Standing mats & balance boards

The Earth isn't flat!

Now that your desk is dialed in. Let’s find some more bliss with accessories, starting at the floor. Here’s a fact about human feet: They weren’t meant to stand on perfectly flat surfaces. There were almost none around when our feet evolved. And our feet, like our bodies, were meant to move. That’s why we offer a range of comfy standing desk mats. They have contours—bumps, ridges and valleys—that massage your arches and stretch your toes. Or, if you really want to get moving, try one of our balance boards. They work your core while while you type and talk on the phone.

Monitor Arms

Mind your spine

We promised to talk about your neck and getting your computer screen at just the right height. Looking down at a monitor day after day collapses the natural curves of your neck and back and can compress the disks in between your vertebrae. So, it’s time to ditch that stack of books and try a monitor arm or shelf to get your screen right where you need it. Whether you work from just a laptop or a 4-monitor command station, we have options for getting your screen right to eye-level where it belongs.

desk accessories

Power to the (tidy) people

Pop quiz: What is a grommet? A) A piece of rock-climbing gear; B) Wallace’s dog; C) A little kid who surfs; D) The little metal eyelet in your tennis shoes that the laces goes through. The answer is E, all of the above. In our world, a grommet is a hole in your desk near the back that funnels all your cords down in one tidy stream to the outlet in the wall. With an adjustable desk, you can’t hide your rats’ nest of cords underneath with those shoes you keep meaning to return. A well-placed grommet and a wire management kit keeps everything untangled.