When it comes to desks for tall people, beds for tall people, office chairs for tall people, and more generally, furniture for tall people, a primary complaint is that they aren’t tall enough. Low desks force you to slouch and often don’t have enough space for your knees to fit under. Low beds aren’t a problem when you are young, but as you get older a higher bed is easier on the joints, especially for tall people. Office chairs that don’t go high enough leave your hips below your knees, which can cause flexion in the spine (particularly the lumbar spine (low back)) resulting in back pain. And in general, common furniture is inconveniently small for tall people and presents ergonomic hazards.
If you are like me, you might have raised your furniture with a bunch of 2×4 blocks or cinder blocks and made due. However, if you are even more like me, your significant other may have protested.
Luckily, there are some more aesthetic solutions out there. One particularly versatile solution is the Raise It which can be stacked to achieve a variety of heights. It is useful for both raising desks for tall people and raising beds for tall people, and comes in both black and transparent. Some other option are also below.
Raising your office chair is a bit more challenging as the chair must still be able to roll around. I’ve tried some pretty wild solutions like adding to the length of the main chair shaft or building extensions onto existing casters. Though these work, there is a far simpler solution, and that is the 4″ caster (standard casters are only about 2″). The company that sells them intended them to be used for better rolling on rough surfaces such as carpets. We tall people will put them to far better use.
Finally, there is the problem of monitors being too low (common ergonomic recommendations say you should be looking down at your monitor at an angle of around 15 degrees while tall people often have a far steeper angle). You could put those old college text books to use at last by stack them under your monitor. Or, there are some more aesthetically pleasing solutions out there. One good solution is the3M Monitor Stand which is adjustable with a max height of nearly 6″. But the design is modular, so you could keep stacking higher.
I am 6’5’’ and ended up with a back operation about 10 years ago. After 3 months off work my employer got the message and investing in a high adjustable desk.
After seeing the hassle that it took install; 2 guys took over an hour, I thought there must be a better way. I had come across the raise it products mentioned in your article but was a little concerned as reports of furniture falling of them. As a result I invented my own solution; they grip the leg of the desk so it in effect becomes part of the desk. They don’t work on all desk but they do work on the majority of office desks.
Please feel free to check them out at http://www.height–matters.com.
I have done a fair bit of research on offices desks in relation to tall people, body proportions and the costs of back and related problems to business; so if anyone is interested in getting information on these exciting subjects, please feel free to contact me on info@height-matters.com. Just as a little titbit to get your juices flowing; the average office desk is designed for someone of 5’7’’, so for people much above this they can cause serious problems.
Thanks Hadrian, your story is becoming a really familiar one, so many tall people with back pain. But the surgery, I am so thankful I've never had to go that route, must have been so hard!
Your product looks awesome, better than any from the post.
Very creative solutions for sure. Height adjustable desks/workstations if done properly can help those who are not only tall but also those who are "height challenged". The desk itself is not the answer, but part of the solution. Combined with proper seating, height adjustable sit stand monitor arms and other work tools, the height adjustable desk can work. Here is one solution we have seen in the market place. http://vimeo.com/95898990
Raise-able desks are on the rise! Nice video.
6’5″ gent here. For a reasonably cheap solution for a variable height desk, try a Varidesk. I have been using one for over a year and love it. Its a relatively cheap way to improve your situation.
Thank you, gentlemen….my son-in-law is 6’7”.