Sitting down, it seems, is just too good to be true, and can increase your risk of premature death and some chronic diseases by up to 20%.
It slows the metabolism, and so affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat. It speeds up the wasting away of the large leg and gluteal muscles, causes your hip flexor muscles to shorten, and encourages blood to pool in your legs, which can bring on varicose veins.
Bet that made up sit up, and maybe even stand up!
It’s not just in the office, but getting the best home office equipment is vital for your health and productivity.
Getting up and moving about, as encouraged by activity trackers, is one way to reduce your time sitting still, but doing your work standing up is a more radical solution.
A standing desk allows you to work with a computer without sitting down for excessive periods of time during the working day. And, what goes up must come down, so it works perfectly well as a normal sit-down desk, too.
The electric models make raising and lowering the desk as easy as pushing the right button, and you can set heights that suit you.
A decent standing desk with worktop costs from £300 to well over £500, and this model sits in the middle of that range but boasts an impressive range of features.
We liked the entry-level ED2 Standing Desk from Flexispot (which requires separately purchased worktop), and the same company’s EG8 Standing Desk, reviewed here, is even better.
It comes with its own rounded-edge tempered glass desktop (122-x-61cm), plus a pull-out drawer (66.5cm-x-31.5cm) and smart features such as built-in USB charging ports.
It’s available in Black and White. In the US, there are also chipboard desktop options in Black, White and Maple.
The glass is the type, especially on the black model we tested, to leave fingerprints, but it looks very slick and cool when clean.
There are Up and Down buttons to push to raise and lower the desk, and four programmable height memory muttons for multiple positions requirements, which could be used if you are sharing the desk with others. After all, we’re not all the same height.
The height adjusts from 72cm to 121cm. It can hold up to 50kg weight.
I’m 6ft, and at the top position it was a little high for me, so it should be good for people a few inches taller.
The Child Lock Button prevents accidental control that might disturb your desk setup when you’re not around to check. An anti-collision function further ensures safety by preventing the desktop from being damaged or crushing other objects and devices while in motion.
The three USB charging ports are a useful addition, with two USB-A and one more modern USB-C. Each can charge up to 18W, so a maximum of 54W at one time, which is impressive, and easily enough to charge a phone and even a tablet.
The cheaper ED2W took a while to construct. It wasn’t overly difficult, but if you’re not a fan of screwdrivers and instructions, it might be too much for the average desk worker to contemplate, risk of premature death or not.
The EG8, on the other hand, is simple to construct, with clear instructions. Flexispot claims it takes less than five minutes to build as much of it is factory-installed. Actually, it took me all of 10 minutes – still remarkably fast.
It comes in three parts – two feet, frame and desktop – and 16 screws, plus hex wrench.
It’s a heavy desk, so you may need assistance pulling it up the right way after building it upside down.
EG8 standing desk price
Unlike some standing desks, the EG8 comes with its own worktop (with integrated drawer and USB ports), so you don’t need to add any extras.
Verdict
The Flexispot EG8 Standing Desk is a simple-to-construct standing desk with tempered glass desktop, USB ports and a handy storage drawer.
It’s hard to fault with its range of features and quality build, and so represents a healthy investment if sitting is getting you down.
Simon was Editor of Macworld from the dark days of 1995 to the triumphant return of Steve Jobs and the launch of the iPhone. His desk is a test bench for tech accessories, from USB-C and Thunderbolt docks to chargers, batteries, Powerline adaptors and Fitbits.
