Age 26 Why I Tried It To help alleviate “tech neck” and back pain after working at home for months without a desk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many people who stare at a computer screen for a living, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States I’ve been tuning into work every day via a laptop computer. Before our “new normal” of masks and social distancing began in the United States in March 2020, I used to commute to my job as an editor and spend my days in an office, sipping my morning coffee and typing away in a cubicle with a desk and chair. Months of working from an assortment of random spots in the confines of my home — the couch, the kitchen table, and even my bed — added up. The result for me has been neck pain and problematic posture. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital describes “tech neck” as muscle strain, stiffness, pain, and soreness in your neck and shoulders caused by frequently using phones, computers, or tablets. Working in front of a computer screen for at least eight hours a day for me resulted in seemingly constant headaches, neck pain, and upper back pain for a straight month or two before I finally threw in the towel and got a referral to see a neurologist about my pain. The neurologist confirmed that my daily headaches and back pain were likely being caused by eye strain and very tight muscles in my neck and upper back that had worsened over time while working from home. Along with sporting new glasses that filter the blue light emanating from my computer screen and doing frequent neck stretches throughout the workday, I decided it was high time I invested in a desk and chair to use while working from home. RELATED: How to Cope With Work-From-Home Burnout Fast-forward to March 2021 — my headaches had largely dissipated, and I’d finally bought a desk and chair to help with my back pain. Even though they definitely helped, I still noticed myself subconsciously finding creative ways to slouch in my chair, which would essentially re-tweak the sensitive muscles in my upper body if I stayed slouched long enough. So when I heard about the Edge Desk System, I decided to give it a shot to see if this kneeling desk could be the golden ticket to improving my working-from-home posture — and neck and back pain. (In full disclosure, Edge Desk provided a trial desk to me for a month for the purpose of writing this article.)
What Is the Edge Desk System?
The Edge Desk System ($399.99) is an ergonomic desk that puts your knees and shins to work; you kneel while using it. Per the Edge Desk product description, working in this position is intended to let you view your work at eye level (rather than tipping your neck and tilting your head down to look at your work) and help improve your posture while you work by distributing weight evenly throughout your back and your knees. When you order the Edge Desk, it arrives in a box all in one piece, and you can expand or collapse the desk whenever you want to use or store it. The desk system comes in two colors — black or white — and you can purchase wheels ($29.99) to attach to the bottom of the desk so that you can move it from place to place throughout your home. The desk features an easel, a cushioned seat, and cushions for your knees and shins. The easel, chair, and height of the desk are all adjustable. The easel supports a maximum weight of 15 pounds (lb), and the seat supports up to 250 lb. Measuring approximately 30.5 by 20 inches, the easel can be used to hold a computer, prop up a book, or as a surface for sketching, painting, or other activities. You can also purchase a clip-on water bottle holder ($24.99) and phone holder ($24.99), which are adjustable. You also have the option to buy all of the accessories in a bundle for $64.99. RELATED: Top Self-Care Tips for Taking Care of You During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Here’s What Happened When I Tried It
Setting up the Edge Desk System was a breeze. Unlike the previous desk I’d bought, which took an hour or two to build, the Edge Desk came almost fully assembled in the box, and after unpacking the desk, it was ready to use in no more than 10 to 15 minutes. On the first day I tried it, working in a kneeling position took some getting used to, but it was generally more comfortable than I thought it would be. My laptop fit easily on top of the easel, and both the phone holder and water bottle holder were convenient to use (the latter was the right size for a water bottle or a tumbler of iced coffee). By the time lunch rolled around, though, my knees and shins definitely needed a break from the desk. By day seven, I found myself starting my day using the Edge Desk and then switching back to my traditional desk after lunch. I personally found that alternating between the two was most helpful for lessening any pain in my neck, back, knees, and shins because I wasn’t working in the same position all day long. RELATED: Quick Stretches for Stress Relief You Can Do Right Now
3 Things I Liked About the Edge Desk System
Here are three reasons I would recommend the desk to friends:
The desk is overall pretty comfortable. The padding on the seat and for your knees and shins is of good quality, and it supported my body relatively well.When using the Edge Desk, it’s not as easy for me to slouch. I was able to adjust the desk so that my work was at eye level, which helped me avoid sagging my shoulders or bending my neck to look down at my laptop.The Edge Desk is small and portable. It takes up very little space, which is great if you live in an apartment or small space (I do), and you can collapse it and put it away when you need to. Plus, I can set it up anywhere in my home and move it relatively easily with the attachable wheels.
3 Things I Disliked About the Edge Desk System
Here are my biggest dislikes for the desk:
The Edge Desk is too small for a combined laptop and monitor setup. The downside of the desk being small and portable is that at times it felt too small. I like to connect my laptop to a monitor so I can use two screens simultaneously, but with the Edge Desk, I could fit only my laptop on the easel. And unlike a traditional desk, it doesn’t have drawers or any other form of storage for pens, notebooks, etc.Working in a kneeling position did put added pressure on my knees and shins. I found that after a couple of hours of use, my feet would fall asleep, and both my shins and tailbone would begin to feel sore, which is why I liked to switch back to the traditional desk after lunchtime.The Edge Desk is not the most affordable desk out there. The Edge Desk is $399.99, not including the add-on accessories. You can save money by buying the accessories in a bundle, but nonetheless the Edge Desk is a costly investment. The Edge Desk costs more than what I paid for my traditional desk and chair, and I am not able to store as much office equipment in or on it compared with my traditional desk.
The Bottom Line
I found that the Edge Desk definitely offered me a unique way to work, and as someone with tech neck and upper back pain, I definitely found it helpful for lessening pain in those areas and improving my posture while working. But I also found that using the Edge Desk resulted in some pressure on my tailbone, knees, and shins instead, and what ended up being most helpful for me was to switch between the Edge Desk and my traditional desk and chair. RELATED: The Best At-Home Exercises for a Stronger Back
