It easy to think that by adding a height adjustable desk to your workspace that it will be the complete answer for your office working set up. Of course it’s a huge improvement on sitting all day and the variation in working posture it brings will be a major improvement for your overall comfort.
With that said there are a number of useful accessories you should consider including in your office that will make the benefit of sit stand working an even better experience.
In this article we’re going to look at 3 accessories which will help to make your working day more productive and pleasurable:
- Anti fatigue mats
- Monitor arms
- Keyboard trays
So let’s begin with the first one, anti fatigue mats
Anti fatigue mats
So what exactly is an anti fatigue mat and why is it a good idea? An anti fatigue mat is simply a padded support surface for use when standing for long periods. They have been in use in industrial environments for many years and are now beginning to find favor with users of adjustable height desks. They form a supple gasket between your feet and the floor helping to ease the strain placed on tired muscles.
New converts to sit stand working often find them very helpful as muscles that been underused for years suddenly have to face supporting heavy loads. The spongy surface they provide helps to cushion hard floors.
Many mats intended for factory use tend to be a bit industrial looking. Fortunately it’s becoming easier to find more office friendly looking mats.
With the feet taken care of let’s move onto the top of our body.
Monitor arms
A monitor arm allows you to set your computer screen at an infinitely variable angle via its articulated arm. It’s easy to think that as your desk surface is now adjustable it automatically means your monitor is too. In reality all that happens when you move your desk surface up and down is that your monitor moves up and down with it.
Often though the monitor isn’t ideally placed for viewing so you ended up craning your neck or straining your eyes to view it. This is where a flat monitor arm can be so useful. A good arm allows you to literally move and position your screen precisely where your need. Not only that when it gets in the way maybe when studying plans or reading printed reports you can simply push it to the back of your desk. It requires no skill to use one you just pull or push your screen to where you need it.
Lastly lets not forget about our hands and arms.
Keyboard trays
The idea behind a keyboard tray is to provide an adjustable holding area for your keyboard and mouse. They usually attach to the underside of your desk. More basic ones just slide in and out and so act more as a keyboard tidy.
However sophisticated ones not only slide outwards but also above and below the desk work surface providing a great range of adjustment. Just as a monitor gives precise positioning for your screen, so too does a keyboard tray. Although the overall movement isn’t so wide ranging it doesn’t really have to be to give you the added flexibility you need.
It is perfectly possible to get along with either a monitor arm or a keyboard tray and of the two the arm is more flexible and cost effective.
What next?
Here’s where you can find a review of a great range of anti fatigue mats that work well with a height adjustable desk. This article on monitor arms looks at them in more detail. And here’s an article about keyboard trays you should find useful.