I have always disliked sitting. Sitting at a desk day in, day out for a set number of hours, regardless of the workload or how productive I felt. For a long time I thought I was just anti-corporate. After more than a decade working in front of a computer, I worked out that one thing hurt my wellbeing more than the rest: sitting for eight or more hours every day.
Switching between sitting and standing changed that. The stress of being hunched over all day has mostly gone. Back, shoulder, neck and arm pain are almost a thing of the past, and I can work for longer without getting up to do something pointless just to break the monotony.
That’s one person’s experience. We’ve been helping people with standing desks in Ireland since 2014, and the honest answer for most people is yes, a standing desk is worth it, as long as you use it to change position during the day. If you raise it once and leave it there, or never raise it at all, you’ve bought an expensive desk.
The short answer
| Probably worth it | Maybe | Probably not |
|---|---|---|
| You sit at a desk for most of your working day | You’re at a desk for an hour or two a day | You want it to replace exercise |
| You work from home and can set the desk up the way you like | You share the desk and can’t set your own heights | You’re buying it to lose weight |
| Sitting for long stretches leaves you stiff or sore | You’re not sure you’ll use it, so a converter might be enough | You plan to stand all day, every day |
What the evidence actually says
You’ve probably read that sitting is “the new smoking”. The research is less dramatic than the headlines.
In 2018, Cochrane reviewed the studies on workplace changes that reduce sitting. People given sit-stand desks sat about 100 minutes less per working day over the first three months. Cochrane rated that evidence as low certainty, mostly because the studies were small. Over longer periods the effect shrank to about an hour a day, and that figure came from only two small studies.
On health, the findings are thin. A single small study found a small drop in aches and discomfort. There was no clear effect on how well people worked, and no real difference in sick days.
So a standing desk won’t fix your health on its own. What it does is make it easy to change position, and moving more and sitting in shorter stretches is the bit that matters. The desk removes the excuse.
Will it help you lose weight?
No, not in any way you’ll notice. A 2018 review of the research found standing burns about 0.15 calories a minute more than sitting. That works out at roughly 9 calories an hour, less than a single square of chocolate.
Swap six hours of sitting for standing every day and the same researchers estimated you’d burn an extra 54 calories a day. Nobody stands for six hours a day for long, and nobody should. Buy a standing desk because sitting all day makes you stiff, not to lose weight.
What a standing desk costs in Ireland
Prices from our standing desk guide, checked in October 2026:
| Price | Desks | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Around €125 | HOMCOM electric desk from Aosom | The cheapest we found. One motor, a 140 x 60cm top and a narrower height range. |
| €390 to €445 | Viking Realspace, IKEA MITTZON, HuntOffice | Where most people should buy. IKEA gives you a 10-year warranty. |
| €1,099 and up | Oakywood solid wood desks | Made in Poland. You’re paying for the oak or walnut top. |
If you’re not sure you’ll use one, a desk converter sits on top of your existing desk and costs far less. It’s a cheaper way to find out.
Why do standing desks cost so much?
A standing desk is a desk with an electric motor, a control box and a steel frame strong enough to lift itself, your monitors and your elbows a few thousand times a year without wobbling. A fixed desk is four legs and a top.
Most of the price difference comes from the frame. One motor is fine for most home setups, while two motors lift more weight and usually cover a wider height range. If you’re very tall or short, cheap frames won’t go high or low enough, so check the range against your own height before you buy. Heavy monitors, monitor arms and a solid wood top all add to the weight the frame has to lift.
Warranty is the other big difference. Budget desks often state no warranty at all, and good frames come with 5 to 10 years.
Then there’s getting it here. A desk weighs 30kg or more boxed. Some UK sellers add a big delivery charge for Ireland, and desks shipped from outside the EU can bring customs charges. Our guide has more on buying from outside the EU.
Standing desks for retirees and older buyers
A standing desk isn’t only for office workers. If you spend a few hours a day at a computer, doing family history, paying bills, painting or building models, being able to change the height helps just as much.
Pick a desk with memory presets, buttons that remember your sitting and standing heights, so you press once instead of holding a button down. A tall standing desk chair lets you lean or half-sit at standing height when your legs have had enough. On a hard floor, an anti-fatigue mat makes standing a lot more comfortable.
Keep a chair close. Stand for as long as it feels comfortable, then sit. If you have concerns about your balance or circulation, ask your GP how long you should be standing.
Where it goes wrong
People look for shortcuts in everything. Some people who start standing at work decide they no longer need to exercise, as if standing solves everything. It doesn’t. You still need to exercise as much as before.
The other mistake is standing too much, too soon. Standing all day brings its own problems: sore feet, tired legs and an aching lower back. Start with short spells and build up. My own habit is roughly 30 minutes sitting and 30 minutes standing, through the day.
Tips for standing at work
- Keep your ears, shoulders, hips and knees roughly in line. Slouching hurts just as much standing up.
- Don’t lock your knees. A slight bend takes the strain off.
- Rest one foot on a low block or footrest, and swap feet now and then.
- Stand on an anti-fatigue mat if your floor is hard.
- Put the top of the monitor at eye level so you’re not looking down all day.
- Stand or pace when you’re on the phone.
This short TED-Ed video explains what long periods of sitting do to the body:
Famous standers
Standing at work isn’t new. Ernest Hemingway wrote standing up, and Winston Churchill had a standing desk. Charles Dickens and Virginia Woolf are often named on the same list. None of them had a desk with a motor and memory presets.
Questions people ask
Is standing all day bad for you?
Yes. There’s no good reason to stand all day. Mix standing with sitting, perching on a high stool, walking and moving around.
How long should I stand at a standing desk?
There’s no agreed number. Start with 20 to 30 minutes at a time, a few times a day, and add more if it feels fine. Switching often matters more than the total.
Is a desk converter as good as a standing desk?
For trying it out, yes. A converter is cheaper and works on the desk you have. The downsides are less space for your keyboard and mouse, and a bit more effort each time you raise it. If you end up using it every day, a full desk is nicer to live with.
Will my employer pay for one?
Maybe. Irish employers have to assess the workstations of staff who work at a screen, and that includes people working from home. The assessment doesn’t entitle you to a standing desk, but it’s the right place to ask for one. If you’re buying for a whole team, tell us how many desks you need and we’ll pass it to an Irish supplier who can quote.
So, should you buy one?
If you sit at a desk for most of the day and you’ll actually switch between sitting and standing, yes. Our standing desk guide compares the desks you can get delivered to Ireland, with prices, height ranges and warranties side by side. If you’re not ready to spend €400, try a converter first.