Whether you work from home or go into an office, sitting at a desk all day is really not good for your health. Sitting down for excessive amounts of time has been linked to being overweight and obese, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, bad backs and shoulders and more. So if it is so bad for us, why do we want to sit at a desk for 8 hours of the working day? If you do, make sure that you take regular breaks and get up and stretch your legs every so often (maybe walk to the shops for your lunch).
This is why employers around the country are always looking for better ways to work. Not just to improve productivity but to decrease any health issues for their employees. One way of doing this is the use of standing desks. You may have seen them in offices all over the place, generally they are unsightly big and bulky metal contractions that take up lots of space and are quite expensive. That said, being on your feet all day is also bad for your health in different ways, putting pressure on your legs and feet and causing prolonged lower-limb muscle fatigue, joint compression, varicose veins etc. So that would mean that the ideal workplace would have a mixture of sitting and standing desks to minimise these risks. But as I said, the metal standing desks are expensive and bulky and not easy to store when not in use. This is where Deskmate come in as they have come up with the perfect solution – a cheap, foldable, portable and eco-friendly desk convertor to convert your own desk to a standing desk in seconds and flatpack again when not in use.
I was asked to try out the Deskmate Minimate. This is their standing desk convertor for laptops and tablets only (the original Deskmate is for desktop computers, laptops, monitors, keyboard etc.). Initially I was sceptical, firstly about standing up to work and secondly about the construction and would it be of good enough quality and strength. I’m glad I tried it; I’m now converted.
The Deskmate and Minimate are made from EE corrugated flute (a strong, industrial strength double-walled cardboard), flatpacked, lightweight, 100% recyclable and cost a tenth of their metal counterparts that you may be used to seeing in offices.
As mentioned, the Minimate is made from 100% recyclable materials. It is available in two sizes and is important that you get the size; for users between 5’5 and 6.0ft you need the standard Deskmate or Minimate and users over 6ft need the Large version. When folded, it measures 30x3x30cm, unfolded it measures 51x31x30cm and pops up and down in literally seconds. The Minimate can hold a maximum weight of 15kg (which should be more than enough for any laptop). They come in a range of colours (I got mine in yellow, which surprised my girlfriend as I don’t usually do bright colours) and it can even be personalised for your business (adding your logo etc.).
My job entails me sitting a laptop or desk for most of the day (and sometimes into the evening) and I’m not the best at taking regular breaks. So having the Minimate by the side of my desk is great. Its small footprint means that when folded it takes up no space at all and sits neatly by desk. It can be unfolded in seconds and ready for use on the desk, converting a sitting working position into a standing one.
Now you may be asking why when I have a comfortable chair and sat at a good working height why would I want to stand to work? Good question. I found that after an hour or two of sitting, changing to a standing position relieved a lot of pressure on my lower back and made it more comfortable to work. I can see why standing desks are on the increase in offices.
As it is a cardboard stand, I was worried about the strength. It says in can hold up to 15kg for a laptop. My laptop is a standard laptop with a 15.6” screen that probably weighs around 2.5/3kg, so no issues there. The Minimate held it securely without any noticeable strain or pressure.
When finished using it and wanting to sit down again, it folds flat again in seconds and is back beside my desk before you know it.
Overall, I love the Deskmate Minimate. It’s a great office tool that is very easy to use, storage isn’t a problem (Deskmate even sell a carry case for it should you want to take it from home to the office etc.), for the environmentally conscious, it is 100% recyclable and for every purchase Deskmate plant a tree.
The speed of use and price makes it a very viable option for users to switch between sitting and standing, which in turn should make you more productive and lessen any health issues that could be caused by sitting or standing all day. This is definitely something that every office should try.
I have been, and will be, using it a lot. It is a simple concept, but one that is ingenious. And if it ever needs replacing, it can easily be recycled making it better for the environment.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £29.90
NOTE: Unfortunately, Deskmate have now ceased trading
Disclosure: I received this item for free for the purposes of writing an honest and impartial review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
