Since the lockdown, all of us at thoughtbot have been working from home. I took the opportunity to upgrade my home setup. The biggest change was a new desk.
I’ve wanted a sit-stand desk for a long time, this gave the perfect oppurtunity to try one. I settled on the IKEA Bekant, it’s a good price, has the features I want and is nice looking.
Posture
I can micro-adjust it a tad higher than comfortable for slouching, meaning I have to stand or sit straight. At first this gave me backache, presumably because I was using different muscles for a proper posture, That went away after around a week.
Fatigue & Focus
I don’t feel as fatigued at the end of my day, compared with solely sitting. I now always stand for calls, I find that I concentrate and engage more when I do. I try to do 50:50 sitting/standing throughout the day.
Size & Shape
I bought the smaller version of the Bekant (120x80cm), the desktop is deeper than my old one but a shorter length. The depth is good for me as my forearms are long, keeping my elbows at my side and rested on a keyboard leaves plenty of space for the screen behind, plus an open notebook – which was a struggle with my old desk. The area is good for me, but I have very little on my desk – a Screen, my MacBook, Keyboard, Plants. There is a longer version available.
Cable Management
The cable management is easy the desk has a elasticated netting to hold cables. I bought a long extension cable (6 gang) and tucked it underneath. Then plugged the desk itself and everything else into that, meaning there’s a single cable coming from the desk – which is great, both aesthetically and with a toddler nearby. The storage is cramped holding the extension lead, MacBook power block, desk power block, screen plug, lamp plug and the extra cable slack in it, it’s full, if you’ve got a lot to plug in, You’ll need something else to manage extra cables.
Other observations
- The key is useful with a toddler around!
- The desk edge is rounded, it doesn’t dig in to your arms.
- The legs are minimal adding to the space underneath the desk.
- The 10-year guarantee seems generous to me.
Overall, I’m happy with it. I would struggle to go back to a normal desk now.