For health's sake, get a standing desk [Setups]

By David Snow • 8:30 am, August 28, 2023

Maybe you’ve got back pain, or maybe your rear end falls asleep too much when you sit for long periods. Whatever the case, you, like many Apple fans, can benefit from a standing desk in your computer setup.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup features an affordable sit-stand desk, but there are many options. We’ll go over some of them below.

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Redditor NiMa showcased the simple standing-desk setup in a post entitled, “Finally got a standing desk!”

He runs a MacBook Pro on a stand along with a 27-inch LG 4K monitor with a Logitech Stream Cam on top, plus popular Logitech input devices — and MX mini keyboard and an MX Anywhere 3 wireless mouse.

People loved the lack of cable clutter and said so. “How is there only one cable in sight?” one asked.

“Everything through one cable!” NiMa replied. “Webcam connect to my monitor USB port and monitor connect to MacBook Pro through Thunderbolt USB-C. So It charges the laptop and I also can still use my webcam.”

Naturally, folks wanted to know which standing desk NiMa uses. You can’t see the brand or model in the photograph. Turns out it’s a Flexispot EB5, a brand with many models featured on Amazon. His desk features dual motors and three stages of standing.

“I’d say the best bang for the buck,” NiMa said. “I got the ED5 for 260€ [$281] (without a table top) and I’m very happy with it. Not the sturdiest of desks but enough for normal use. For super sturdy desks you gotta spend ~500€ [$540] upwards.”

Find it and other options at the links below.

By now most people know sitting for long periods most days is unhealthy. Some research even implies it poses a risk of dying similar to obesity and smoking. But working exercise into your life and even just standing up frequently can counteract the doom.

That’s why Apple Watch and the Fitness app are big on standing, one of the three activity rings central to the system (Move, Exercise, Stand).

And a standing desk can help, of course. You can set it up high for a period of the day to ensure you’re not always sitting. People who suffer bad back pain, as I have at times, stand most of the time when they work.

There’s plenty of advice out there on standing desks. As NiMa noted, his is good, but not the most sturdy. You may want to shop around for a standing desk that doesn’t wiggle too much when you type or move items around.

Gaming gear specialist Corsair just rolled its first standing desk for gaming and streaming — not on sale yet, though — and it looks like a monster, hugely customizable with tons of accessories.

For more help, you can always turn to rating site Wirecutter. Here are its top recommendations (we see them pretty often in our Setups coverage):

If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected]. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.

An electric stand-up desk with 40 x 24 inches of space, a whole-piece desktop with memory controller. Height-adjustable.