Sometimes a luxury is worth it’s weight in gold. The problem most people have is that they don’t know to differentiate between when to purchase at a luxury level, a cheap level, or avoid a purchase altogether. A car is a perfect example. You can get 80-90% of the utility of a $60,000 luxury car for $10,000. Another example may be one of the many subscription services you had had for years, but barely use. You get no utility from that but could have easily saved the money. Same goes for another purse or pair of shoes you didn’t need.
However other times, it’s better to get the best quality you can afford. This is particularly true for items that you use all the time, have a real affect on your life, and you want to last for many years. As my friend Bridget says, her body is the most expensive thing she owns. At my last company, standing desk were standard. Every cube and office had a nice (and I assume very expensive) desk that would raise and lower at the push of a button.
When I switched earlier this year, I moved in to a much nicer office, but with old school office furniture. My desks did not power themselves up and down. While I’m enjoying the better view (I have windows), I was not enjoying sitting 8-12 hours a day and then going home to sit some more.
If you read much you’ll keep seeing the meme – “sitting is the new smoking”. I don’t know if I would go that far, but it’s very clear that sitting is better for your back and your brain. Here’s a few of the benefits (link here):
- Reduced Risk of Obesity
- Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Other Metabolic Problems
- Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
- Reduced Risk of Cancer
- Lower Long-Term Mortality Risk
Not there is some controversy on the topic, but I can tell you just from personal experience that I feel dramatically better throughout the day when I rotate between sitting and standing every hour or two. It prevents back pain, shoulder and neck pain that I can occasionally get from straining. I also don’t get as tired and feel like I need a nap about 3pm.
So what to do without my standing desk? Time to pony up and buy one. What were my options?
iCraze Adjustable Vented Laptop Table – $39.99
It’s only going to hold your laptop and it may be a pain to stand up and down, but if you just want to be able to type away while standing and you don’t need monitors or to raise and lower the stand, this is a perfect starter model.
Stand Steady Standing Desk – $149.99
LARGE DESKTOP: The 24 inch x 20 inch desktop
- Specs: Desktop is 24″ x 20″, footprint is approximately 18″ x 15″, height adjusts from 11.25
Varidesk Cube Plus 48 – $400
This baby is the Cadillac of desktop standing desks.
- VARIDESK Cube Plus 48 standing desk is specially designed to fit in most standard cubicles with 24″ depth and 48′ width, even up against a cubicle wall
- The two-tier design gives you an upper display surface for multiple monitors, and a spacious lower keyboard and mouse deck
- Height-adjustable to 11 different positions for ergonomic comfort. Remains sturdy and stable even when fully extended
- Uses VARIDESK’s patented spring-loaded lifting mechanism to easily lift up to 35 lbs. in 3 seconds, allowing you to stand up and sit down without breaking your concentration
My office
You can probably guess what I went with. I don’t want to be stuck standing all day and I don’t have a setup that allows to different work stations. I wanted the ease and speed of going from standing to sitting that the expensive $2,000 desks provide while still going on your desktop. That really only left me with the Varidesk, even if I had to pony up a good bit more than I intended.
BUT I have to stay, this is the definition of intentional, well reasoned spending. I dropped $500. That could have gone in the savings account. Do I feel bad about a luxury item that I could have gone without? Absolutely not. I spend more time at this desk (unfortunately) than anywhere else in my life (except maybe bed) and I want to be comfortable and healthy. I also want my brain firing on all cylinders so the quality of what I do is better. Money well spent.
I love my Varidesk. Anybody else using one? Using something similar or cheaper? What else are you guys doing in Cube Nation? What have you spent money on lately that was well deserved?
Look at that beautiful Arkansas gear.
If you’re not rocking 2 wide screens you’re not doing it right.
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