Should You Buy A Drafting Chair For Your Standing Desk?
I've been working at a standing desk for the past five years. When I first purchased my standing desk, they were still somewhat novel. Nowadays, they are everywhere and offered as an option by most companies.
Corporations are starting to value the health of their employees more and more, allowing them to purchase top-quality ergonomic gear for their workstations. As a result, wireless keyboards, dual-screen monitors, and ergonomic chairs are commonplace in the modern workspace. Some employers even offer to help outfit home offices for their remote employees. Although, not everyone is so lucky.
In addition, standing desks are becoming more of a right than a request. If you have a note from a doctor that you have back pain, a standing desk would help. Your HR department is going to get you one. It isn't worth the headache and potential backlash if they do not, and most employers would prefer a healthy worker to a disgruntled one.
Alternatively, if you are like me and have to purchase your own standing desk, you may be wondering if a standing desk is really worth it? Luckily, I have already written an entire article on that subject.
But regardless of how you come into possession of your standing desk, you might be thinking about what type of chair your should get to go along with it?
Most people keep their current office chair and adjust the desk from standing to sitting. However, some people choose to go with a drafting chair or high stool for their standing desk. Let's explore if it is worth it:
Should I buy a drafting chair for my standing desk?
Personally, I have a drafting chair for my standing desk. For me, it is about a lack of patience. The drafting chair lets me go from sitting to standing without having to adjust the desk. Moving your standing desk is not a big hassle, but still, I'd rather not do it.
I don't want to think about the proper position when adjusting my desk or wait for ten seconds to lower it down. I start my day sitting, slide the chair away and go straight to standing; no adjustment needed.
Buying a drafting chair for a standing desk is mainly a personal preference. Drafting chairs aren't any better for your back than a regular chair or any more ergonomically correct. Sitting is sitting whether you are one foot or three feet off the ground. Assuming you have a footrest or bar on the drafting chair. Should you buy a drafting chair?
Do you like to stand often? Then yes, drafting chairs have a high convenience factor.
Do you sit the majority of the day only to stand for an hour or so? Then, skip the drafting chair and go with a regular one.
Are drafting chairs comfortable?
Drafting chairs come in all shapes and sizes and a wide variety of price ranges. My first drafting chair was a cheap one I purchased on Amazon, and it served me well for quite some time. It wasn't as comfortable as a reclining office chair or gaming chair, but it did the job and encouraged me to stand.
Recently drafting chairs have risen in popularity everywhere, from home offices to art studios. As a result, some major improvements to drafting chairs have made them just as comfortable as regular office chairs
They recline, the arms go up, and have many other adjustable features. They come in any color, material, or design you could imagine. There are hundreds of different models, and I cannot speak for all of them, but overall, drafting chairs are comfortable for a full day's work.
Should I get a drafting chair or a stool for my standing desk?
Lately, standing desk stools and wobbly stools have gained some popularity. The wobbly stool is like sitting on an exercise ball instead of a drafting chair. I have a previous article comparing standing desks and exercise balls, but for now, let's talk about the pros of stools and wobbly stools.
For a standing desk, a stool allows you to rest your legs while still having to maintain a solid posture. A wobbly stool adds a core challenge and a fun factor to the regular old stool. These are great for people who stand the majority of the day and only sit for an hour at a time.
However, stools fall short for those of us who have to sit for multiple hours. Maintaining good posture on a stool for an extended period of time is extremely difficult. Think back to the last time you sat on anything without a back; how long did it take you to start slouching?
Drafting chairs are better than stools because you can use them as regular desk chairs. In addition, they have a back so you can sit in them comfortably indefinitely, and while they don't offer the same core benefits as a wobbly stool, they are far more functional.
A wobbly stool is an excellent addition to your office but cannot replace a drafting chair for your standing desk.
Are there any downsides to a drafting chair?
Of course, there is no good without the bad. Drafting chairs fall short in two departments.
First, drafting chairs don't recline very far. Suppose you like to lean back far while at work. Then, a drafting chair is probably not a great choice. Since they raise up pretty high, most drafting chairs don't recline, and the ones that do, don't recline far.
Second, you need somewhere to put your feet. Most drafting chairs have a bar to rest your feet on that adjusts as you move the chair's height. This is an excellent feature as having your feet dangle for hours on end would get pretty uncomfortable. However, you don't have as many options for your legs as you do with a chair closer to the ground. You may find the bar position is bad for your body type and might want something else to put your feet on.
For instance, my significant other is five feet tall, and when she sits on the drafting chair, she puts her feet on the office organizer below the desk. She could adjust the foot bar for her height, but she prefers having her feet out in front.
Again, when it comes to buying a drafting chair for your standing desk, it is largely personal preference. I hope this article helped make the decision a little easier.
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