Ideal Desk for Software Development

Question

I am about to start designing a new home office, since I work from home this is something I will spend a lot of time using.

I am currently thinking about the ideal height for a desk or possibly even a height adjustable one, maybe even stretching to a standing/sitting desk. But the I would also need to consider how I mount my twin 24" widescreen monitors.

Has anyone had any experience of the standing/sitting desks? Are they worth serious consideration?

Edit

The room I'll be using as my office will also double as a spare bedroom. Which will be used on a fairly regular basis as we've just (well 10½ months ago!) had our first child, so the grandparents visit much more often now. So, it'll also have a sofabed in there which means I can really use anything like fseto suggested.

Despite some folk saying this isn't programming related, it is probably the most important part of my set up. More so because I suffer with back pain due to a sport injury some years back.

I've only asked this question because of recently watching a pilates video targeted specifically at back pain sufferers. It went into detail on posture, which has made become aware of the fact that I actually hunch my shoulders while working at my current desk. Which I think is down to the height of it in relation to my chair seat height. All of which puts strain on my lower back, so I'm looking at the new office build as an opportunity to get things right.

Answer 1

They are worth serious consideration. Seek desks and chairs that meet ergonomic standards. I suggest this desk/chair.

Answer 2

Just use two filing cabinets at the ends and slap a door frame on top. You can pick a metal or wood finish, and already come with a hole for the cables/power cords!

Answer 3

Whatever you go for, you need a good chair. I too had a bad back. The backcentre in birmingham recommends this:

1. Sit at your desk and put your palms on the table. Your wrist and elbows should be of equal height and your forearm parallel to the floor.
2. Your shoulders should be in the relaxed position, not up round your ears if your desk is too high.
3. Adjust the arms of the chair to come up to the forearm to support it.
4. You should be able to place both feet flat on the floor.

To make best use of the room, you could put a hinge on the desk against the wall, and using two legs, also on hinges, this would allow you to fold the desk flat against the wall when not needed. Also wall mount the monitors. You'd only have to remove the chair when the room is in use by visitors.

My desk is 72.5cm (28.5") high, which is slightly different than the european standard, but I find it more comfortable at this hight.

Answer 4

Having the ability to sit or stand is a nice feature...

http://www.geekdesk.com/

Answer 5

If you have back problems I highly recommend an electric height adjustable desk. This is pretty much standard in offices where I live, and it enables you to both sit and stand and also change the height of the table during the day.

However, if you also want to sit the chair is the most important part of your setup. Choosing a good chair is probably a highly individual thing to do, but for me the HÅG Capisco 8106 works really great. It has a unique design that makes it very comfortable to sit on, also when you have back problems. You can turn the chair around and sit in reverse enabling you to vary your sitting pose.