BEST WORK AND HOME SUPPLIES

BEST STANDING DESK

Kangaroo Pro Junior

Pro: Sleek and functional; doesn’t need to clamp to the desk

Con: None to speak of

Best for: Those who want to alternate between standing and sitting at their desk

Retail price: $350

The standing desk fad that’s sweeping hip workplaces around the country is actually based on a substantial amount of health research. Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic has a scary statistic to share: Here in the United States, we spend more than half of our waking hours sitting down, split between watching television, driving a car and working at a desk. Other studies have linked excessive sitting to health problems, including an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and several types of cancers.

Spending the workday at an elevated standing desk is not the only solution to these potential problems, of course. Even taking a five-minute standing break every hour is better than sitting all day. But if you want to give a stand-up work day a try without replacing your current desk, consider the $350 Kangaroo Pro Junior, an adjustable platform that sits on any desktop and quickly converts it from standing to sitting and back again.

The Kangaroo Junior consists of an adjustable 24-by-18-inch platform that serves as the base for a keyboard and mouse (or laptop). A second, smaller platform mounted on an adjustable arm supports a monitor at eye level. Once the two platforms are adjusted to the proper height, a stabilization leg wedges in between them for added support. The Junior requires no clamps to anchor itself to the desk, making it easy to clear work space for a sit-down.

The Kangaroo comes in a few variations with different sizes of work space platforms, but we like the nicely priced Junior model, which should provide plenty of space for most users without adding too much bulk.

Please click here to download the page from Washington Post's "Holiday Gadget Guide" (329 kb PDF)