A standing desk is both an antique desk and a modern desk form conceived for writing and/or reading while standing up or while sitting on a high stool. The term stand-up or stand up desk is also used. During the 18th and 19th centuries, standing desks were popular in the homes and offices of the rich. While most modern desks are 30 inches (76 cm.) high and most antique desks 29 inches high (73.7 cm), there is no such average for standing desks.
Users of a ‘sitting desk’ are fairly immobile so it is relatively easy to adjust the height of a seat to compensate for variations in the individual height of the users. Users of a standing desk move around a bit more, so it is not practical to have them stand on a small pedestal or some other object. Thus, standing desks tend to vary greatly in height.
It was common in the past to have a standing desk made to measure to the height of the user, since only the rich could afford desks. One way to get around this problem when one had many users for a single desk, was to give an angle or slant to the writing surface, as was common on the typical drawing table. The other alternative, to produce a desk with adjustable legs, was less popular, but it was frequent enough to give birth to a precise desk form, the ‘table à la tronchin.’
The modern solution is presently found in the ergonomic standing desk, which can be adjusted to the height of most standing persons, and offers other possible adjustments, as is the case for a typical ergonomic desk. Manufacturers of standing desks point to several studies showing reduced back injuries or less back pain for the users of standing desks. A number of studies show a relationship between ill health and a sedentary lifestyle. A study by the American Cancer Society in 2010 found that time spent sitting was independently associated with total mortality, regardless of physical activity level.
Most antique standing desks have an open frame with few or little drawers, and a footrail (similar to those seen at a bar) to reduce back pain. It is more practical to make a hinged desktop which can be lifted to give access to a small cabinet placed underneath it. This way the user can store or retrieve papers and writing implements without bending or standing back from the desk.
There are many specialized standing desks such as certain variations of the telephone desk and certain types of wall mounted desks. Some drafting desks and architectural drafting tables are also made for standing. Most stand up desks are fixed height and can only be used while standing up. Some of the more expensive standing desks are adjustable-height, with an electric motor that raises or lowers the desk height on demand.
The Daily Omnivore 