I’ve been wanting to add some videos to this blog for a while, and my very courageous colleague and friend Karen Tkaczyk agreed to be my test interviewee. Karen has an Ikea Bekant sit-stand desk that she really loves. Note from Ikea: The BEKANT sit/stand option is currently unavailable in stores. The delay only affects the sit/stand desk and does not affect the rest of the BEKANT series. There’s a labeling issue on the product, so it’s currently unavailable for sale until this issue can be remedied. Unfortunately we do not yet know how long this will take. IKEA is working this correction, but it is not a quick process. The other sit-stand desk that Karen mentioned in the interview is the Ergotron. Thanks Karen, and hopefully this is the inauguration of a series of interesting video interviews!
Great post, Corinne and Karen! I do have one question for Karen. Ikea is known for having products that can be a bit of a pain to put together (depending on who you talk to). How difficult was it to assemble the desk? I may just have to get one of these! 😉
It was a pleasure, Corinne. If I hear from IKEA that the bases are back being sold, I will post a comment here.
Thanks, Karen and Corinne – you rock! I am SOOOO going to get a sit-stand desk in 2015! The video really helped me to know what I want.
Great post! I have one too!! It was very easy to put together. Mine came with a 10-year warranty. I did a lot of research before I bought my desk. This one was the best option that I found. I love my sit-stand desk. I was experiencing a lot of pain and tight muscles from working sitting down all day. Being able to sit or stand whenever I feel like it has made it more enjoyable to work.
The Ikea here in Taipei, Taiwan will deliver and assemble. I believe you have to either buy $X amount to have delivery &/or assembly done free, or the fee won’t kill you if you need to pay it. Plus they have a cool food court!
Dan Villarreal
Taipei (US expat)
Hi, Corinne, Hi Karen! Unfortunately the video is out (momentarily, according to the help message), but while I’m here, I’d like to plug my split-level workstation by BALT. Here’s a picture: http://www.thehumansolution.com/balt-smart-one-89391.html, though apparently they are no longer being produced. Maybe something similar can be found in overstock. The monitor remains on the static part, and the keyboard part can be raised and lowered pneumatically, and tilted. It’s sturdy and comfortable, and . . . I think I’ll stand up right now! (Problem is I also have a very comfortable chair.) The downside is that the desk is heavy and must be assembled. There are other adjustable-height workstations at thehumansolution.com website.
PS: Video’s working now. Great interview with lots of information!
Hi,
Great post and video, congratulations for the first video interview!
This kind of “How i work at home”-type interviews are very interesting and inspiring for freelancers or telecommuters.
I hope Ikea will soon make this desk available again.
One of the Ergotron adjustable standing desks is the WorkFit-D:
http://www.ergotron.com/ProductsDetails/tabid/65/PRDID/633/language/en-US/Default.aspx (around $700)
Great move into videos! I can see we’ll all be queueing up for a moment in the limelight…. Next stop, Hollywood.
It might be an idea to interview people without a strong light source in the background, but that’s a minor technical point.
I have one of these Ikea desks and am very happy with it. I also have a laptop set up on my treadmill. I mostly use that when proofreading but I also dictate easier texts there using Dragon. These two changes along with getting a large dog that needs walking multiple times each day have all improved my fitness considerably.
Lovely to see you ladies post conference. Thanks for this demonstration; the desk looks awesome!
@madalena: I’d say typical IKEA. We consider that easy but to be honest, my husband and one of our sons put it together while I was making dinner. They only called me in to ask where I wanted the buttons. It took them about 20 minutes.
@Judy: I have the 10-year warranty too. Must be standard.
@Paula: Nice! I hadn’t seen that one.
One feature I didn’t mention for the more expensive desks I saw is a cradle to hold the computer tower.
Thanks so much Corinne and Karen for this really helpful post. I was looking into “standing” desks a while ago but had no idea there were sit-stand versions, and it’s great news that Ikea are now producing one. I’m in France and it looks like they’re in stock in a few stores over here.
Thanks a lot! I checked a few days ago and couldn’t find it on Ikea’s French Website. Here it shows up: http://www.ikea.com/fr/fr/catalog/products/S69022523/#/S39022529 though not currently available right now at my local Ikea
Glad it’s available but what a price difference! I paid $522 including tax.
Great post Karen and Corinne. Now I know what you look like.
I just couldn’t resist mentioning that if you take a nap for about an hour, the pressure on your behind and relevant bones in your body, which is the result of sitting for a long time in a fixed position in a chair, is greatly relieved, not to mention that you also save yourself $522 provided that you already have a bed.
Another approach to this problem: finding clients who pay much higher rates so that one does not have to sit for so many hours in a chair.
In about 20 years when you are about my age, you may both appreciate the wisdom of my suggestion, although probably not right now.
I got one at COMET about two years ago. When I first started using it I got tired of standing pretty quickly, so it went up and down quite a bit, but now I often do 4 hour stretches standing. Mood is not a factor for me, but I do find that when I get tired, standing gets me going again. I will definitely look at IKEA, $500 is a really good price.
Thanks Corinne and Karen for this video. It’s great to hear that Ikea are now offering a sit-stand desk. (Thanks Fred for the link for France.) Can I just ask Karen – how easy do you find it to concentrate when you’re standing up? Is it any different to when you’re sitting down?
Hi Caroline,
I don’t find any difference whatsoever for concentration. If I’m on mic though – giving a webinar or talking to someone on Skype, unsurprisingly my voice is better when I stand up.
That’s great to hear Karen, thanks.
Hi Karen and Corinne. Great video!
Karen, when you work standing, do you try and make sure you have both feet flat on the floor, or do you do weight bear entirely on one leg from time to time? Just wondering if that would make a difference to the relief you get from standing and if it would affect your back.
Hi Emma. I find the anti-fatigue mat alone makes a huge difference to how standing feels. I do have two feet on the floor sometimes, but I also use my foot rest to help alternate where I bear my weight. It has bumps to massage my feet a little and it tips back and forth so I get some movement. I thought very little about it but a colleague Jill Sommer who attended an ergonomics session at the recent ATA conference told me that the presenter recommended using a foot rest in this way if you use a standing desk routinely. For what it’s worth I have very little back pain – none unless I spent the entire day before gardening or the like – so my starting point may be different than yours.
@Karen don’t understand this huge price difference either, except maybe Ikea thinks the US are a much bigger market for this type of product (higher demand for standing or adjustable height desks). 699-729 € is not a very competitive price for an Ikea product…
When I was looking a while back, there were no sit-stand desks available at all in France – my only option would have been to ship one in from the UK. I bet that’s why they’ve made it so expensive!
After some serious back problems which could not be eased by physical therapy I switched to a standup desk in 2011 (GeekDesk) and never looked back. Friggin love it. Also after some time I completely stopped sitting down.
Greetings from Austria,
Alexander
I want one! Corinne and Karen, thanks so much for making the video.
Thanks Corinne and Karen! I was looking into standing desks a little while ago, and then heard about the Ikea one from a friend – more expensive in the UK than the US, but still a lot cheaper than other options I’ve found. I was thinking of maybe getting one next year, but this has convinced me!
I, too, have an adjustable desk and I highly recommend it. I also switch between sitting in a chair, stool and exercise ball. My back problems cleared up after I started doing this. I also switch at random, though you need to be careful about not waiting to long. If it hurts, you’ve waited to long.
@Karen: Sorry but I also have a off-topic question: what is the benefit of positioning one screen upright? Thx!
Hi Matt. Glad adjusting works for you too. I’ve been thinking about a kneeling chair for ages but I’d like to try one for more than a minute in a shop before I invest and I haven’t managed to do that.
I’ve used rotatable screens for years. This is my second set. Just preference. I like to see a full-size, entire page on screen. Typically I set one at portrait for source text or browser plus Outlook, and the other at landscape for Studio.
Thx! Very interesting. I have 2 22″ monitors & might try that on for size!
Hi Karen and Corrinne,
The desk looks great! My other half is hoping to get his set up this weekend – he’s gone for a smaller desk (120 x 80 cm) so that’s also an option. I will borrow it once it’s working and see how it goes!
Hi – I was in IKEA the other week and asked if these desks were available again. They said that that the labeling problem is solved and that they were just waiting for the shipment to arrive.
Fantastic!
Hi, Karen, thank you for your update. I have been looking for this after I heard it at our S&TD dinner in Chicago! It would be nice if everyone makes some updates for the availability in their local stores or online. The nearest Ikea is 3-4 hours ride from my home. However, I will make all efforts to get one this time!
Newest update: it’s available online right now!
Just for people who would like to buy. It’s available online with different models and colors. But the quantity in local stores is very limited or N/A. The shipping fee varies from $99 to $350 (for my home address). So you may want to ship it to your friend’s house in some bigger city, and then pick up yourself from your friend’s house. I did so to save the expensive shipping fee.
Finally, thank Karen and Corinne for introducing such a great product to us!
I hope you enjoy it when you get it, Caitlyn.
Thank you Corinne and Karen for this useful post! I’m a bit late in commenting, but I just wanted to mention that for people who don’t want to spring for a new desk, there’s also the Varidesk (varidesk.com) which is a height-adjustable platform for your monitor(s), keyboard and mouse that sits on top of a standard desk. Prices range from $275 to $400. After some pain associated with sitting all day, I’m seriously considering getting one.