Sitting down at a desk for most of the day can leave you feeling stiff and sluggish and contribute to lower productivity. Standing desks are a helpful alternative in some situations, though they’re not for everyone.
Luckily there’s a third option worth a serious look, and that’s the desk converter. Sometimes called a desk-rider, a desk converter is an adjustable height device that sits on top of a solid surface, transforming it into a standing desk.
There’s no need to prop up your laptop with books or suffer a stiff neck after hunching over a desk that is simply too low. Here are five excellent reasons why a desk converter is such a worthwhile purchase.
Reason 1 - The Cost
A good quality desk converter is generally cheaper than investing in a standing desk. If that leaves extra cash in the office furniture fund, it’s a win-win situation. You get to buy and enjoy the desk-riser with all its benefits. Then, what’s left in the budget can be used to buy something extra on top.
Reason 2 - The Convenience
Desk converters can easily be your secret weapon, whether you work from home or in a shared workspace.
Home-based employees can easily use a desk riser to transform breakfast bars, dining room tables, kitchen worktops, or a low-level desk into a functional space to work from.
Anyone short of dedicated space at home could hot desk with their child. Meanwhile, office-based staff can create a standing desk as and when they need to.
Reason 3 - The Choice
Anyone new to the world of desk converters might be surprised by the wide range of styles there are on offer.
Desk converters fall into various categories. Some are electric, with memory systems that can be programmed to reflect the required height. Others may need to be assembled by hand, making them more suitable for a permanent installation.
Then there’s size and weight. Limits on both surface space and maximum load vary between the desk converters on sale, so there are models to suit all needs. This Standing Desk Converter can cope with up to 20KG, which is pretty generous. Even better, you don’t need an awful lot of strength to operate it when fully loaded.
Desk risers with smaller surfaces may be perfect for a laptop and accessories, but not so much if you need lots of things close to hand as you work. Hold out for a model that has space for your computer monitor or laptop, mouse, and other essentials.
Serious multi-taskers may find a double-decker desk converter will be a better choice. Some riser desk converters offer a one or a two-tier option, so desktop computer users can easily access a keyboard. Of course, these work well with external keyboards too.
Reason 4 - The Health Benefits
Taking care of our health is essential, and a good desk converter can help you do that. It makes sense to do what you can to reduce the risk of potential injuries, or at least perhaps help to ease some existing niggles.
Adopting good posture reduces the risks of annoying health problems like backache and muscle tension. Look for height adjustable desk converters and laptop stands to make the most of this.
Eyecare is another aspect of health that ergonomic desk converters can help sustain. Ideally, a computer monitor or laptop screen is best viewed at a 10 degree backwards tilt, with around an arm’s length gap between you and it. This helps avoid eyestrain, which can then trigger headaches.
Look out for desk converters that are flexible enough to be raised and lowered if you need to move them between different height surfaces.
Reason 5 – The Productivity Boost
An ergonomically designed desk converter is designed to make your work life easier. Physically comfortable employees are bound to get more done than colleagues distracted by cramped spaces or aches and pains.
Traditional desks are usually designed to be stable, so you should expect nothing less from a desk converter. Look out for a model that offers stability, so there’s no chance of getting stuck with a shaking unit that will quickly crank up muscle tension ad eyestrain.
There’s also the problem of tension in your hands and wrists. Both take quite a beating from the additional force that unstable keyboards require from a user.
Ergonomics are the future of all office furniture design, but you can make the most of these products right now. Products like desktop converters offer us a convenient and comfortable way to embrace both modern working styles and workplaces.
