Back in the old days I worked awful desk jobs and my body payed the price for it: a terrible back and worse posture. Like a lot of people, I got on the CrossFit bandwagon and really started looking at my overall fitness, and not just what I was doing in the gym. Once SuperClearyPhoto took off and I could make a full time gig out of it, I found myself sitting for hours on end editing. After a quick googling I saw the "rise" of stand up desks in the workplace and figured to give it a go considering my "office" was the corner of my apartment.
So I built stand-up desk version one. All my pelican cases on top of a crappy Ikea desk. This setup, honestly, worked great. I very quickly got used to standing while I worked and found myself working more, and goofing around less. But, everytime I was off for a shoot, I had to deliecatley dismantle my setup and put it back together when I was back.
Enter the Erector Desk (http://erectordesk.com/). I searched for a few months to really find a cool stand up desk that was large enough to handle all my crap, but something that didn't have a bunch of costly extras. It blew my mind that these desks were often over $1000. There are a number of "hacks" and websites with plans on how to build your own (i.e. table from here, legs from there, etc) but even pricing those out were no bargain, and I'd have to actually figure out how to put it together.
I came across the Erector Desk and was really psyched with what I saw: slim industrial design, large surface area, and height adjustable without a motor. The only thing that was lacking, for me, was storage. I emailed back and forth with their sales staff and was able to upgrade and include an extra crossbar along the bottom. That was the perfect solution for me, because now I could use that as a shelf for my cases, and various other large bulky camera gear.
I got the desk about two months ago now and have really dug it. Buying something that is already pre-drilled and preset made assembly a breeze - probably 5 minutes in total with some hex wrenches. Finding that perfect height is so important in a standing desk. If the desk is set too low, you now will be looking down all day, creating a whole other set of problems. The adjustability is easy here with a "pipe in a pipe" that connects to the table top. Adjusting the collar around that pipe determines the height of the surface. Leveling it wasn't overly complicated. After of few days of moving it up and down I figured out something that worked just right for my height and have stuck with it there since.
I'm a huge fan of working at a stand-up desk. I find myself more productive and focused on my tasks, while not wrecking my body slouching and contorting. For the money and my particular needs, I think the Erector Desk is the best one on the market. From build quality, assembly, work surface, and adjustability I really don't think it can be beat. I've included a number of detail shots below so you can take a look at how it comes together. Feel free to comment with any questions about working at a stand-up desk or this particular desk.
****Please note, I was not paid for this review, and bought this desk for its listed retail cost You can find out more about this desk @ http://erectordesk.com/ ****
If you like what you've read, please share. Feel free to post some content suggestions below so I know what you're looking for in my next post. For bookings email shaun@superclearyphoto.com. And as always, follow @supercleary on instagram and SuperClearyPhoto on Facebook.
All Photo below taken with the Nikon D750, Nikon 60mm Macro
Each connection is locked in with these pipe clamps and a hex wrench. All heights can be adjusted however you like.
The table top comes with the mounts already attached. The desk's heigh is adjusted using these pipes and a hex wrench. It can be adjusted with one person, but two is much easier.
The custom job they put together for me, including an extra crossbar so I could use that area as a shelf for heavy pelican cases.
I've never had a work surface with this much real estate before. Plenty of space to leave out a Wacom tablet and some old cameras.
A little present from @mrssupercleary for the office
The work surface material is a hearty wood with a nice sand on it.