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In less than a year I will be moving to a place where I'll have more space and finally enough room for a nice computer desk. A quick google has shown me that I really don't want a "desk", but a work table. I don't want a keyboard tray, drawers, or a computer cabinet. I do not want all my space taken up by crap I won't use as is the case with most "desks" these days. I just want a good flat surface capable of accomodating a couple of large monitors, a couple speakers, a keyboard and mouse, and maybe even a printer off to the side. I can always get a file cabinet or something later on. I might even want to mount my monitors on some adjustable arms. I'm not sure if I'd rather have my PC on my desk or underneath. One shelf high up or underneath in the back could be helpful. I might be interested in an overhead light or a power strip and I would like to be able to adjust the height. I'm not sure if I want a corner desk or not. These are things I will consider once I get there.

After much searching I found this site which seems to be able to give me exacltly what I need, and I can customize pretty much everything about it including how to adjust the height (although the electric ones are way too expensive for me): http://www.workriteergo.com/ However, there doesn't seem to be a simple way to buy it. Is there any other place I should be looking? Does anyone have any suggestions for someone like me? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

I love my Ikea Galant: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S79903869/

It's simple, elegant, and customizable. The table top can extend in either direction with the same pieces. The leg height can be adjusted. Plenty of surface area and I have an Ikea attachment on the bottom that cleanly holds all my cables. It's a corner desk but it looks good even if it's not in a corner.

For those on a budget, the design-it-yourself Ikea tables work wonders.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categ ... ces/10712/

jossie wrote:

For those on a budget, the design-it-yourself Ikea tables work wonders.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categ ... ces/10712/

I dunno. I don't really like those. The only thing they say to me is "you can build this yourself and save your money".

Also, I found a site where you can buy the Workrite desks: http://www.ergodirect.com/product_info. ... s_id=16587

On a side note, what kind of office chair would you all recommend for use with something like this?

If money is not an object, which based on your links it is not, I would wholeheartedly recommend an Aeron or possibly a Steelcase Leap. I didn't think a $900 chair would be worth it until I used an Aeron at my old job, they really do live up to the hype. If that's too much check with your local office furniture dealers, they often have used Aerons in good condition for around $500.

NovusBogus wrote:

If money is not an object, which based on your links it is not, I would wholeheartedly recommend an Aeron or possibly a Steelcase Leap. I didn't think a $900 chair would be worth it until I used an Aeron at my old job, they really do live up to the hype. If that's too much check with your local office furniture dealers, they often have used Aerons in good condition for around $500.

Wow, the Aeron does look nice. It doesn't look super "I could fall asleep in it" comfy, but that's probably a good thing for extended periods of use.

I wouldn't say money is no object, but given the fact that a good deal of my time is spent in front of a computer, I think it's worth the extra money.

It's not uncommon for people to drop a couple thousand dollars a year on their hobbies, and for me many of my hobbies are on the computer, so yeah.

Hi. The problem with most of these suggestions in height. 29 inches plus desktop height is too high for a keyboard.

I'd say 25 or 26 inches for desktop height. I'm 5'10" and have an Aeron chair; I;d need a footrest/riser for 29".

DeadOfKnight wrote:

Wow, the Aeron does look nice. It doesn't look super "I could fall asleep in it" comfy, but that's probably a good thing for extended periods of use.

I wouldn't say money is no object, but given the fact that a good deal of my time is spent in front of a computer, I think it's worth the extra money.

I have an Aeron at home and it is great to sit on for extended periods. If you want a more affordable (relatively speaking) alternative with a similar aesthetic, the Mirra isn't a bad alternative. We have the Mirra as our standard work chair at the office and sitting in them for 8 hours is still pretty comfortable though I think I prefer my Aeron.

ordskiweicz wrote:

Hi. The problem with most of these suggestions in height. 29 inches plus desktop height is too high for a keyboard.

I'd say 25 or 26 inches for desktop height. I'm 5'10" and have an Aeron chair; I;d need a footrest/riser for 29".

What are you referring to?

WorkRite Sierra HX Height range: 22"-34" at 1" per 6.6 turns.
Ikea GALANT: Min. height: 23 5/8 ", Max. height: 32 1/4 "

This is why a height adjustable desk/table is somewhat ideal. I'll get a normal desk if the height & surface area are sufficient for a keyboard and 2-3 monitors. I will even tolerate drawers as long as there is ample legroom and space for my PC. I just don't want a pull-out keyboard tray, PC cradle, or too much crap on top of the desk that will get in the way. Maybe a raised surface desk would be ok, but I haven't seen one that will accomodate more than one monitor. I dunno why it's so difficult to find a good minimalist desk that doesn't cost a fortune. I figured minimalist would be cheaper.

I have an IKEA Galant desk, though the rectangular version, not the "L" version in the above link. It's actually a pretty good minimalistic desk. Unlike IKEA's cheaper work tables where you screw the legs into the bottom of the actual work surface, the Galants have a steel frame, which makes them pretty bomb proof (you can easily stand on them - which I wouldn't recommend for the work tables, which are crap quality in comparison). And in a few years when you get tired of the color, or the surface gets scratched up, you can (hopefully if they still make them) switch out the surface for another one and use the old legs.

I also have an Aeron chair, and it's great. The one thing with the Aeron to watch for is, depending on how it fits you and how you set it up, etc, sometimes the rim around the front of the seat can dig into the bottom of your thigh above the knee if you sit in it for long periods. After a couple of particularly long gaming episodes a while back, I developed a pain in my calf due to this (perhaps from blocking blood circulation?), but long story short, it was a simple matter of adjusting my position/setup of the chair. If you look around, you can sometimes find the Herman Miller chairs priced closer to corporate rates (which is closer to $500 than $900 regular price the public pays)

If you can't afford the HM Aeron chairs (I'm sitting in one right now), I've found that several other-brand full-mesh chairs are just as good so long as they recline with ajustable tension.

Don't know what you guys have access to in the US but something like this or this is going to be around £250, which is around a quarter the price of an HM Aeron.

As someone that sits in an Aeron for 45 hours a week, I can honestly say that the difference in comfort and build quality between a £900 Aeron and this £300 chair I have at home is nonexistant. If anything my home chair is more comfortable because it has more adjustment, a headrest and better armrests - but I will say that the gas-cylinder for height ajust in my Aeron is (over-engineered) higher quality.

Aeron chairs are an example of good marketing and brand-recognition. Whilst high-quality, they are massively overpriced against the competition, IMO.

jossie wrote:

For those on a budget, the design-it-yourself Ikea tables work wonders.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categ ... ces/10712/

The one problem I have with IKEA desks - based on my experiences with two of them - is that if you ever need to move, they're damn near impossible to take apart; but they're also not quite sturdy enough to move while put together, without stuff breaking or becoming misaligned.

cphite wrote:

jossie wrote:

For those on a budget, the design-it-yourself Ikea tables work wonders.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categ ... ces/10712/

The one problem I have with IKEA desks - based on my experiences with two of them - is that if you ever need to move, they're damn near impossible to take apart; but they're also not quite sturdy enough to move while put together, without stuff breaking or becoming misaligned.

Well, yeah, but you just described nearly every type of self-assemble furniture ever made

If you're mechanically-minded enough to strategically disassembled the problem sections, and then willing to drill-screw-glue at the destination, it can be done. Not usually a job for a casual mover though.

I am considering a "work table" for use as my next desk as well, but I would like to try a DIY desk/table. Take a big slab of wood and finish it, take a couple file cabinets or self-assemble bookshelves, drill a couple holes, and end up with something tailored to my workspace.

Will have to wait until I move out of this small apartment...and can get the tools I need...but it should still end up cheaper than some "workstation" desks, especially if it fits the necessary function.

Has anyone adjustable height legs that you can buy separately? I would love to build a desk with that functionality, but with a nice cherry wood top.

foddermonkey wrote:

Has anyone adjustable height legs that you can buy separately? I would love to build a desk with that functionality, but with a nice cherry wood top.

Here's a project using IKEA parts.

Here are some desk-specific and motorized legs.

The motorized ones are obviously more expensive...but as long as you don't need motorized and can find the series you want, IKEA should have what you need.

Yeah, on second thought one of those Galants and an imitation "Aeron" chair would be the best for me because I really don't want to spend that much if I don't have to and eventually I will have to move.

Not to hijack your thread, but what people who actually have the Galant think about it in terms of stability?

I have a desk right now that I hate because it wobbles. I have an ergotron arm with a 27in monitor that is sitting pretty high so I really notice the shaking.

The general consensus on this thread seems to be that they're a pretty good value, but I've read some other reviews (on message boards of unknown credibility) that complain that it's wobbly. Is this actually true or are my search results a product of reviewer bias (i.e. only people who have a complaint bother to share their views online)?

I'll put in another vote for the Galant. I bought all new furniture for my office about six months ago... Ikea wound up getting a lot of money. I was willing to spend a lot of money on a desk or build my own, but honestly I couldn't find or build anything better than the Galant (for my desires, which sound very close to the OP's). I use the rectangular version with the extension, so I have about 7' of desk space. The Galant cable management is well worth the money. I have one of the rolling file cabinets that I have under the desk on the right side which I would also say is well worth the money. I also have the printer cabinet, which I'm not as crazy about because I didn't measure the depth of my printer... so my printer sits on top and I store lots of stuff inside. It's still a nice piece though.

I have three of the 27" Korean monitors mounted to the wall in front of the desk, so I can't speak to the stability of mounting a monitor on the desk. I got fed up with my old corner desk and just threw it out one day and before I got the Galant I was using a crappy fold-up party and it shook as I was typing; the Galant certainly doesn't do that. It feels solid in day-to-day use, and I frequently switch to using my convertible tablet laptop on top of the desk, and I haven't noticed any problems there. Despite my protests, my girlfriend comes in frequently and leans on the desk, which I don't like, but the desk doesn't much seem to mind. I think it's a lot more solid than I give it credit for, but it is a minimalist design and I have a workbench in the garage, so I try and treat it lightly.

The only downside I have noticed thus far? I have the black brown model, and it does scratch fairly easily. I have a bunch of light scratches that I can't normally see until I hit them with the desk lamp and the light is just right. I'm not really sure where the scratches came from... I have a lot of electronics that I move around on the desk, my keyboard, laptop, and a few potted plants.

Now, for chairs: if you have any kind of discomfort after sitting in a normal chair and you can afford it, get an Aeron. If you can't afford a new Aeron, get an Aeron off eBay or craigslist. I am in front of the computer way more than any human should be and the Aeron is worth every penny. I have pretty severe pain when getting up after sitting in regular chairs for more than a few minutes and if I'm in a regular chair for more than about fifteen minutes, I have to shift around to try and limit my discomfort. I haven't experienced any pain when sitting in my Aeron and only a hint of the former pain when leaving the chair and only if I've been slouching and not letting the chair do its job. I went to the doctor and chiropractors and the chair made all the difference. For those who can't afford a new or used Aeron, then I would say the Staples Kronos is probably the next best thing. Those are the only two chairs I've sat in for extended periods of time that have really made a difference to me.

Any advice as to the configuration of the Aeron chair? I see there are a few options and sizes to choose from.

I struggled for a couple years trying to find a good desk for my combined home office and music studio. Music furniture couldn't accomodate my office needs and office furniture (by that I mean "official office desk furntiture") couldn't accomodate my music needs and the dimensions of some of my equipment.

So I decided to build it myself from parts. I have two Galant desks and two tables. I bought the white, though you don't see much of the white surface because it's covered up by my music equipment as well as no small amount of "office clutter" stuff; cables, controllers, connectors, screwdrivers, and just plain junk I need to clear off.

Anyway, the two Galant "L-shaped" desks I got are arranged so that they wrap around three sides of my home office/studio.

My main desk is made with two Galant tables bolted together at the "thick ends" so that my cockpit's forward view looks over the "deep" side to my monitors. The added depth of the center easily supports my Mackie mixer controllers (which are themselves 17-18" deep), three video monitors, and two speaker monitors off to the sides. The "shallow" sides of these L-tables wing out to either side of my seated position. My personal wingspan is about 5' 6", and I cannot touch the two side wings at the same time (meaning that I am not feeling too squished in my home office).

I made a couple of riser-tables for my speakers and other junk, and these are positioned at 45 degrees to my seat.

Rock Solid stable, no wobbling, and this is due to the architecture of the T-legs and the tabletop "frame". I have three slide-out Ikea computer keyboard trays mounted into the main desk. The bottom of these trays just barely touch the tops of my thighs when I'm in my seated position (if I empty my pockets). The keyboard trays are positioned as follows: One at center with an ergo computer keyboard where I spend 95% of my time, and two at something less than a 45 degree angle to either corner. These hold my drawing tablet, iPad docking station, a second mouse/trackball, etc.

The side tables are also Galant. I wanted them for use as either added workstation seating areas or music keyboard seating areas, so I set about 4 inches lower than the main desk. This is comfortable for me for piano keyboard playing height. Unfortunately, the lower height of the side tables does not allow additional slide-out keyboard trays, which I really would have liked to add.

The desks are huge. And I need it to hide the miles and miles of wires underneath.

The Galant furniture was the only solution that I was able to find that could support both my IT home office needs as well as my music and art desires. I think I spent something between $500-$600 to build all this in 2009, and I have not had any desire to change it, not even if somebody wanted to give me the most expensive Argosy desk. So I guess that means "I done good!"

I'm using an old pseudo-butcher block kitchen table. It was the kitchen table in the apartment when I first met the wife-to-be back in 1988. All real wood and the top is 1.5" thick. Don't really care how it looks as long as it stands.

Captain Ned wrote:

I'm using an old pseudo-butcher block kitchen table. It was the kitchen table in the apartment when I first met the wife-to-be back in 1988. All real wood and the top is 1.5" thick. Don't really care how it looks as long as it stands.

Indeed, simpler is usually better, and if I had the time, I could have made four tables for this purpose. My desk neither has nor needs drawers or complications.

DeadOfKnight wrote:

Any advice as to the configuration of the Aeron chair? I see there are a few options and sizes to choose from.

Aerons come in three sizes, you want the one that fits you based on size/weight. As far as options, avoid the cheap "basic" model as it lacks lumbar support and most of the adjustability features that make the Aeron what it is. As far as material, get whatever color you like but be sure it's the mesh stuff...it's not cheap nylon like what you see in crappy wannabe chairs but is actually elastic.

If you're going for a new chair I suggest finding a local Herman Miller dealer, they can help you select the right fit. If you're taking the used office furniture route, you can tell what size it is by feeling the frame underneath where your neck would rest for a number of bumps...I believe 1 bump is size A, 2 bumps is B, and 3 bumps is C.

DeadOfKnight wrote:

Any advice as to the configuration of the Aeron chair? I see there are a few options and sizes to choose from.

Get the adjustable arms, tilt limiter and seat angle. I prefer the posture fit to the lumbar support, ymmv. Most everything else is taste. Size it based on your, well, size. I have the black with the graphite base, leather, standard casters. The bumps are on the inside of the "lip" on the top of the chair frame like Novus said, but on my chair this is around where my heart is, nowhere near my neck.

Check this one out: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/155 ... e?ref=live

Kulith wrote:

I love my Ikea Galant: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S79903869/

It's simple, elegant, and customizable. The table top can extend in either direction with the same pieces. The leg height can be adjusted. Plenty of surface area and I have an Ikea attachment on the bottom that cleanly holds all my cables. It's a corner desk but it looks good even if it's not in a corner.

can the elbow be on the left ?

no drawers

then i'll just go for a foldup picnick table, way cheaper aswell.

DeadOfKnight wrote:

Check this one out: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/155 ... e?ref=live

Frankly? In a word: meh. The built in power bar and USB/audio ports are nice and all, but it's an MDF desk. Plus, I've got audio and USB extension ports already in my monitor and keyboard. I think I'd rather the IKEA Galant which though has none of these extras, starts at a lot less, and should be more durable with the steel frame (not just legs).

And underhung LED lights? Are you serious? Maybe for a kids room...

Looks like people will support anything on kickstarter.

I know this is a little late but in case anyone else stumbles upon this subject, as I did, I would throw in another vote for the HM Aeron, it's an exceptional chair and if I could choose my office chair, that's the one I'd have! You can pick it up at a fairly reasonable price, most places will give you roughly the same price as HM control discounting etc. We get our furniture from here: officefurniturescene.co.uk They also stock the Aeron Chair from just under £750 which is more than my employer would cough up!!

At work I use a Bestuhl J1 Task Chair. It's much more reasonably priced than the Aeron and there are some justified reasons. Saying that, I sit in it for 8 hours a day and it works for me. The curved back gives great lumbar support without having all the gizmos for lumbar.

Desk wise, we have planks of wood on metal brackets so I can't offer any advice with regards to a desk!!!