I changed my desk out for a workbench and am very pleased with the results. I made the switch for two reasons:
- I spend a lot of time at my desk and wanted to mix in sitting and standing throughout the day.
- I started to work more frequently on small hardware projects and found that being able to stand and move about the bench was more comfortable.
A few additional changes I made:
- I found that I needed more tools at hand when I was working on hardware projects, so I brought in a small tool cabinet from the garage.
- I wanted to have access to a large number of "Maker" materials in my office vs. the garage, so I also added an IKEA Alex cabinet. These can often be found in their discount section for around $60 if you don't mind a few minor marks. This cabinet holds larger hardware components (like Arduino boards) as well as design/art supplies like paper, ink, paint, cutting/carving tools, etc.
- I wanted to have some smaller supplies at hand on top of the desk so I added a few Art Supply Drawers for the top of the bench. The one to the left of the monitor holds small electronic components. The one to the right holds drawing pencils, pens, markers, etc that I use frequently.
- I added a digital soldering station and exhaust fan. I still have a soldering station in the garage, but having one at hand is very convenient.
- Another handy addition is the USB Microscope, as some solder joints just require very careful inspection. This is especially true with soldering of small components and SMD components.
- I also had to add a bench height chair.
- The workbench is a Gladiator 8 ft. maple workbench I had in the garage for a long time. The new ones allow height adjustment, and there are also less expensive bamboo top options.
I am very pleased with the setup. One nice feature is the workbench depth is less than a traditional desk, so I gained some space back in the office. The main benefit is just better productivity, I find certain tasks are just easier to accomplish when standing. The final benefit? With two greyhounds in the house, having a tall desk means fewer expensive pens and markers go missing.