Teaching college kids full time means I spend plenty of time doing office work. The researcher in me can’t help but remind you that prolonged sitting has been associated with back problems and leg discomfort. Sitting is now referred to as the new smoking.
Eek.
I am lucky to work for an institution who values employee wellness. Last year, the university provided us with sit-to-stand desks. I gave you a sneak peak of mine last year. Having the option to stand at work has been a game changer for me in terms of productivity. Back aches and stress headaches have significantly decreased. I love that I can adjust the desk with the push of a button. Yeah, did I mention it’s electronic?. The downside of my work desk is its large size and high cost (thou$sand$!). It’s no doubt a worthwhile investment for employees, but an impractical option for a budget-friendly home office.
Which is why I JUMPED at the chance to try out the FLEXISPOT 27” F3B adjustable riser in my home office.
This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure. I received a complimentary desk riser from Flexispot in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
In a rush?: Scroll to the bottom for a condensed list of PROS and CONS
My honest FLEXISPOT Review
I received the flexispot desk riser model F3B, about a month ago. I am primarily working from home this summer, teaching online classes and blogging. I purposely waited and tried the riser for a few weeks, so I could provide you with an honest review.
I quickly pulled it out of the box and set it on top my desk. It was pretty easy to set up. No assembly required, with the exception of attaching the keyboard tray. You simple slide it in place. No tools. Piece of cake, my friend. If you don’t use a separate keyboard you can simply remove this piece allowing you to stand closer to your computer. They even include some sticky pads to put under your monitor to make sure it remains in place during rising and lowering. Smart.
Placing the workstation on a 28” high desk like mine, will support heights up to 5’9”. If your desk is 31”, the riser supports people up to 6’1”. However, be sure and check out other desk models if you are taller!. My daughter, who agreed to stand in for the photo, is 5’5” and the riser wasn’t all the way up.
I placed the desk riser on my 28” tall hairpin desk I built last summer. After using it for a month, here are my honest-to-goodness opinions.
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PROS and CONS of the FLEXISPOT
Flexispot Review: PROS
- AFFORDABLE option for home use.
- Can be easily adjusted to multiple heights for anyone in the family.
- I love the option to stand up to work. I get a lot more use out of my desk now. I am standing as I type this flexispot review!
- I love how easy it is to set up and adjust- It glides up and down with ease.
- There is enough space for my laptop and also a side monitor.
- BIGGEST PRO: I feel ( hands down!) more productive when I work standing up, especially when doing repetitive tasks, like grading. I can’t explain why. I just day-dream less! I also find myself more relaxed with less shoulder and neck tension. Even my posture has improved!
Flexispot Review: CONS
- There is a smaller surface area to work when standing. I found myself putting some of my books/papers on the desk and grabbing them as I needed them.
- Aesthetically, it is a little bulky, especially when it is all the way down (as in the picture above). I wish it would sit flatter.
- BIGGEST CON: You have to have a separate keyboard when sitting. There’s no way around this. If you don’t have a keyboard, you will find yourself reaching up to your laptop to type. Annoying. I have an old keyboard I attached for this purpose. Even taking the keyboard tray off doesn’t solve this because the laptop’s keyboard is way too high and uncomfortable to reach.
To Sit or Not to Sit
I stand by the benefits of working on your feet. No pun intended 🙂 However, I’m not saying you should never sit.
Your first few days standing on the job will be an adjustment, especially if you are used to sitting most of the day. When I first got mine, I was so excited to better my overall health that I stood waaaay longer than I should have, right off the bat.
So, don’t do what I did.
Take it slow.
Stand for one hour a day, then gradually add more time. Eventually, you will find a balance that works for you. I currently stand about 75% of my work day. I tend to sit when I am working on tasks that require high levels of concentration. The rest of the time, I stand. I definitely sit during my lunch hour 🙂
All in all, I think this adjustable desk riser is a great option if you are limited on space and are on a budget, which pretty much includes all of us, right? It’s no wonder this desk riser is an Amazon best seller!
Happy standing!!
This looks awesome! I’d love to try one.
I was talking to my boss about one? Do you love it?
Yes! 🙂