A desk with a treadmill?

History:

For years we have been hearing how we need to move more during the day. Sitting is bad for your health, prolonged sitting can contribute to poor circulation and other body issues. So what is a person to do? We have seen the trays that mount over a tread mill for a laptop, but what about your phone and other work tools? Details a subsidiary of office furniture giant Steelcase came out with a useful product to address the static work environment. Walkstation incorporates a treadmill with a full size desk. The table top is available in a few sizes and multiple finishes. They have also married the treadmill to a desk large enough to have a chair at the same surface and by using a height adjustable desk, you don't need to use a stool height chair. This will be a three days series about some Details and Steelcase products that I tried at the same time and can work together for your office.

My Thoughts:

A treadmill at my desk; could I make work any more grueling? Needless to say I was not looking forward to this product test. My immediate thoughts were, 'How can someone possibly be on a treadmill and work effectively at the same time'. When your legs are in motion your hands are moving, you can sound a little out of breath on the phone, what about the bouncing with your eye line of sight, or working up a sweat. Let me explain what I found out about the treadmill first; it is not a running treadmill, it is meant for walking with a speed range of .3 - 2mph. That speed range is adjustable in .1mph increments so you can go from a slow stroll to a fairly moderate pace. There is no incline adjustment, but it does have a safety cut off (as most treadmills do) in case you fall. There is a display that shows distance, speed, time, and calories burned. The treadmill is very quiet, and low to the ground (no dramatic step-up).

Originally I set to work on one with a kidney shaped work surface. The treadmill was easy to turn on and adjust in speed. I must say it was a bit awkward at first trying to walk and web browse. As time went on it seemed that my body naturally adjusted itself to the slight up and down movement while I walked. Now that's not to say that the belt was too loose, it was just from walking at .5mph. So after about 30 minutes of web browsing I decided to start answering emails. Typing on the laptop keyboard was a little hard so I switched to an external keyboard, that made it a lot easier. After a hour of email, I was feeling like a Walkstation pro! But... what about the phone? So I called my wife, who would be better to notice a difference in my speech pattern? I tried varying the speed to see if she could hear a difference. If I was walking in the 1-2mph zone she could hear a slight difference. So no big deal, just lower the speed down while on the phone. I just could not envision myself working in a standing position all day. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the answer... a Walkstation with a desk surface large enough to have the treadmill and an office chair.

The Sit-to-Walkstation was sweet, the motion benefit of the treadmill with enough space to have a chair for longer conference calls, or when your legs need a rest. The desk height was very easy to adjust and moved very smoothly, no jerking what so ever. The desk surface wasn't so big that I felt as if I had invested to two desks and there was enough space to spread out and work. The eye line of sight concern was easily fixed two ways; 1. raise or lower the work surface. 2. Use a monitor arm or adjustable laptop holder.

Pros to owning one:

• Movement while you work
• No excuses for not hitting the gym.
• Nice warranty
• Nice finishes

Cons to owning one:

• Large foot print
• Additional tools needed for easier work.
• Assembly (hire someone)

Overall assessment:

The Walkstation is a nice product, but I don't see everyone needing or wanting one. If you are looking for a way to add more exercise into your daily routine, I don't see a better option. Assembly was about what I expected, not for the faint of heart. If you have the room I definitely would recommend going the Sit-to-Walkstation route, the added flexibility won't cause you to be looking for additional desk space later on. The treadmill was quiet, the desktop seemed sturdy and durable.

Looks: B

Durability: A

Service: A

Manufacturer: A

Value: B-

Element; All desk lights should be this good.

History:

Desk lamps have been a dime a dozen for years. It started with a single candle stick barely putting out enough light to write or read by, then good old Thomas Edison (he had a good first name) invented the light bulb. Incandescent lights have been around since the light bulb was invented, they are power hogs and don't offer pure clean light. In came halogen bulbs; brighter more intense light, but they give off a lot of heat and can be expensive to replace. Compact fluorescent bulbs came next offering considerable savings in energy at about the same price as a halogen bulb, but the light flickered and could cause eye strain. Then came LEDs (light emitting diodes); as bright as a halogen with considerable energy savings, light is more consistent and can be varied by warmth.

Humanscale has been on the cutting edge of ergonomic office accessories for years, starting off with glare screens back in 1982. They have had many successful computer products and chairs in the past 28 years. Roll forward to 2009 and meet the Element light. From the in house design staff at Humanscale the Element light was designed to be lighter, easier to adjust, sustainable, and recyclable.

My thoughts:

At first I was scared of how compact this light is. Very thin arms leading up to a head slightly smaller than a hockey puck. The whole light including the base barely weighs 8 pounds. Set up was a breeze the power cord is about 6 feet long, plenty for reaching most outlets or power strips. I really like the detachable power cord, very easy to snake through a desk and up to the writing surface. The model I tried was with a desktop base, from what I can understand is that there are 19 different mounting options available. The desktop base was heavy, but from how Humanscale claimed this light could move I kind of expected it.

The switch to turn it on could not be easier. A small black button on the top of the lamp about the size of your pinkie tip that takes a slight amount of pressure. The light is brilliant, very bright, and targeted. I was trying this light out in a room with sun shining in the window and you could still notice the impact. The height of the lamp moves effortlessly from about 1/2 inch above the desk to almost 90 degrees straight up. ** The fact that the lamp would move within 1/2 inch of the desk is cool, cooler yet is that the counter balance on this light is so perfect that it didn't raise up at all when I let go. The head of the lamp also pivots close to 360 degrees. This lamp can give you direct task light as well as ambient light with minimal effort. I had to see just how bright this lamp was. I waited until it was dark in the house turned off the lights in my office and turned on the Element light. Directed towards the desktop you could easily read or write by the light. There was very little light spillage in the room, in fact I couldn't even see a couch that was a few feet away. Raising the lamp slightly to about 15 inches off the desk it nicely illuminated both the papers on the desk and my computer, plenty of light to work by. Now the big test, how well could it light up the room in an ambient direction? I extended the arms all the way up and spun the lamp head around to hit the ceiling, it washed light over the entire 150 square foot room bright enough to read by.

The overall design of the light is nothing short of beautiful. So simple yet you can tell that someone spent many a hours getting the details just right. The one I tried was in the white finish, it was almost breath taking. The fins on the head are for more than just aesthetic, they also dissipate the small amount of heat the LED creates.

Pros to owning this light:

• Adjustable
• Light weight
• LED should last for 30 years of 9-5 work
• Recyclable
• Energy efficient

Cons to owning this light:

• Limited color pallet

Overall Evaluation:

This light is by far the best I have ever seen or used. Humanscale did a great job, not only on the look but also the functionality. The price of the lamp is also not out of reason, unlike many LEDs on the market. I would highly recommend this light to anyone looking for a new desk lamp. The flexibility to use this lamp for both task or ambient light is a huge plus. The light also has a 10 year warranty. My only regret is that I had to give it back.

Looks: A+

Durability: A

Service: B

Manufacturer: A

Value: A+