Cheap and Effective Alternative to a VeriDesk Standing Desk

August 2, 2017 Buddy Rigotti0 Comments

I may be sub 40 years old, but I have the back of a 90-year-old. You've probably heard that sitting at a desk all day can literally kill you. Well, I don't believe I'm dying from it, but my back is definitely deteriorating as a result of sitting all day at my desk.

Exercise and monthly visits to my chiropractor have helped some, but I knew I needed a standing desk at my office so I could stand for part of the work day.

Why Not a Veridesk?

My mom recommended Veridesk, which appears to be the standard in standing desks, so I looked them up online and thought their products were intuitive but also a bit out of my price range.

So I scoured Amazon.com and found several Veridesk alternatives that are essentially the same thing, but a lot cheaper. But there was still one problem...

I didn't like the fact that I had to cover my entire desk with a new standing desk platform thingy. I am a bit OCD about my desk being clear of everything except what is absolutely essential.

So I came up with my own (much cheaper) solution.

The Best Veridesk Alternative

The first product I purchased is a monitor mount that has an extended arm called the WALI Single LCD Monitor Arm (click to see current price on Amazon). It was the Extra Tall version.

I mounted the pole in the corner of my desk and now I can easily "slide" my monitor up to a standing height and down to a sitting height in a matter of a few seconds. It is a high-quality mount that has an articulating arm that allows me to adjust the tilt both vertically and horizontally. It's perfect!

Half Way There

Now that I had the monitor part of this problem solved, I knew I would need a keyboard and mouse stand to easily bring those devices up to standing height. Amazon proved to be my friend once again.

I found this Modular Large Open Cube Storage System (click to see current price on Amazon) which was the exact height, width, and depth I needed to put my keyboard and mouse on. It has enough space for my keyboard, enough room for my mouse to move around a bit and since it's actually a storage system, there's ample space inside for my phone and any other devices.

All in all, it's a great alternative to a Veridesk standing desk. Changing from sitting to standing takes less than a minute. It's not as user-friendly as a Veridesk, but it does keep my monitor off my desk (when both sitting and standing), so I really like it a lot.

As a bonus feature, I can actually swing the monitor to the side for when a client comes to visit. Then, we can both see each other and the monitor. It takes no effort at all to swing the monitor side to side if a client comes in for a consultation.

So for less than $65, I have a great alternative to a standing desk, and if you ask me, it's even better.