We’ve been told for a few years now that sitting down at a desk all day could lead to an early grave, with plenty of body pain before that, too.
While standing desks are growing in popularity, even they can be hard on the joints after a while, suggesting the ideal solution is to mix things up throughout the day to keep all your parts moving and active.
The company behind the latest and possibly most intriguing addition ever to the workstation market believes it has all bases covered, though its creation doesn’t come cheap. Starting at $3,900, the Altwork Station is an all-in-one standing/sitting/reclining contraption that wouldn’t look out of place in a modern-day dental surgery.
Imaginatively designed, the station offers a variety of working positions, each obtainable with a simple press of a button on a keypad built into the station’s small desk-like surface. Additional adjustments can be made via a series of levers, or simply by handling the station’s various movable components.
Altwork Station’s four positions are Sit, Stand, Collaborate, which closely resembles the still-common working position, and Focus, which allows you to recline.
Focus is the most interesting of the four positions, as the entire system tilts backwards, taking your laptop, monitor, keyboard and mouse with it. The first time you do this, you may catch yourself screaming in terror thinking all your gear’s about to come crashing onto your head.
Altwork has of course thought of that, though you might want to leave your coffee on a side table when you hit that recline button. While sturdy clamps take care of your laptop and monitor, your mouse and keyboard are kept in place with the help of attachable magnets, though of course they’re not so strong as to hinder the smooth and easy movement of the mouse.
As you recline comfortably into Focus mode, you’ll probably quietly admit to yourself that this particular position is far more conducive to a quick, or satisfyingly long, snooze. Or, as you might want to describe it to your boss when they catch you enjoying a bit of shuteye, a power nap.
Altwork’s kit is available for pre-order now, with shipments scheduled to start around the middle of next year.
When asked why someone hasn’t already build a workstation like this, Altwork CEO Che Voigt says simply, “Because it’s really, really hard.” But after five years of research and development, this small team, working out of a workshop in Sonoma County in California, may have actually cracked it.
