Adjustable Standing Desks and Ergonomic Chairs

Having spent the past two decades doing a substantial amount of writing at a desk, I have great appreciation for a setup that protects my back and allows me to stay mobile.

Of all of the ergonomic chairs that I've tested over the years, my favourite one by far is the HÅG Capisco. Here is a no-frills look:

The HÅG Capisco is pricey relative to any garden variety office chair that can be purchased from a big box store. But having spent considerable time with the Capisco, I feel that it has been a priceless investment in my back, hips, and overall health.

The Capisco is made in Europe but is available through national distributors worldwide - a simple google search should lead you to your country's distributer. In Canada, the national distributor is in Montreal, while in the States, I believe it is in the Portland region.

Equally valuable to those who work at a desk for long stretches is an adjustable standing desk, one that allows you to alternate between sitting and standing at your work station. I've tested a handful of such adjustable standing desks over the years, and the one that I like best is the HÅG Flow Standing Desk:

I also like the solid build quality of a table called the Upcentric Standing Desk, though I prefer the HÅG Flow Standing Desk for its portability and out-of-the-box readiness. The Upcentric Standing Desk is a bear to assemble and quite heavy to move around with no rolling wheels. The advantage of the Upcentric desk is that it allows for pre-programmed heights that you can adjust your desk to with the press of one button, though I don't find it any trouble to press and hold the adjustment buttons on the Flow Standing Desk.

Here's a look at the Upcentric Standing Desk:

Trust me when I write that assembly of the Upcentric desk is a lot more labour-intensive than this video makes it out to be. But there's no denying its exceptional build quality.

I hope that my observations on the Capisco chair and these adjustable standing desks inspire you to think about your work station and how you might set it up to allow for regular movement whereby your spine and hips can comfortably experience varying positions as you work.