What do you get when you cross cardboard with solid ergonomics?
Spark.
As in the $20(!) standing desk Ergodriven just released.
As in sparking a movement where standing is the new normal.
As in sparking the flame that burns down IKEA DIY Standing Desks forever.
We’ve always been huge fans of making your own standing desk. It’s a great way to get started (the most important thing is to just get started!) without having to worry about the money or a doctor’s note to get your boss to sign off.
But you can’t even really make your own standing desk for $20, and it sure as heck won’t be as nice as Ergodriven’s Spark.
So there goes any reason to build your own IKEA DIY Standing Desk Hack.
And with it – there goes any excuse to not start standing RIGHT NOW.
Click over to Spark. Here’s a picture. It’s almost criminally gorgeous for $20.
Look at the ergonomics! You know we love us some two-level setups with slight negative tilt. This thing rocks!
And here’s more on Spark from Ergodriven’s Prologue Series:
Big Levers Deserve Low Barriers
Standing at work can make a huge difference in someone’s life. And if more and more people switch to standing, it will make a huge difference in the health of our communities and our planet as well.
Since our family here has realized that standing is such a big lever, we have a responsibility to lower the barrier to entry as much as possible.
We know standing improves lives – so we NEED to make it super simple to try standing.
If it gets simple enough, you hit a tipping point, and standing adoption skyrockets. Taking along with it our collective health and happiness. That’s sparking a movement!
The Perfect “Start Standing Now” Desk
Here are our requirements again:
- Inexpensive (say $20)
- Visually appealing
- Stable (no typing wobble)
- Solid Ergonomics
I mentioned yesterday that my first standing desk was a pile of cardboard boxes. It was free, so it certainly hit #1, but it failed on #2 and #3. It was ok on #4, but took a lot of experimenting to get there.
We’ve also found that most people don’t want to spend the time or energy cutting up boxes to make them the right size and shape before wrapping them in an absurd amount of tape searching for stability. Plus, a hodgepodge of shipping boxes and packing tape will always fail #2.
But I think I was on to something with cardboard.
It’s certainly inexpensive. It can be visually appealing (I’ve seen some very attractive retail displays). And with some serious thought put into the design (+ origami skills), you can make shapes that fit the human body well and provide a stable typing surface.
Plus – once you’ve seen how awesome standing at work makes you feel, you’re probably going to graduate to a full standing desk over the next few years. You definitely wouldn’t feel guilty about recycling your old desk if it were cardboard.
Cardboard is the perfect material for a “start standing now” desk.
The only trick now is “thinking outside the box” – so to speak – to nail a design that hits all four requirements.
It took us pallets of cardboard, dozens of designs, and hundreds of beta testing hours, but we nailed it. And we even threw in cord management!
We call it Spark (because the goal here is to spark a movement), and it only costs $20.
I pre-ordered one of these during their crowdfunding campaign after having used and becoming a huge fan of their TOPO mat at work at my sit/stand workstation. I bought the Spark to see if I’d want to get a sit/stand desk at home, because I do very different things at my desk and computer at home than at work. This is a great entry way into the standing desk, and a perfect way to try it before you commit hundreds of dollars on a new desk. I have a full metal construction keyboard, my mouse, and a 25lbs monitor on mine and there is no issue; no signs of sagging or weakness. I’m very impressed by this unit and highly recommend it.
Ditto, Eric Nupp. I love it and just got a Topo Mini mat. I’m in my mid-70’s with lots of back problems and am hoping to reap considerable benefits from standing at least 1/2 time.