Perhaps the fastest table in the world and other sporty office gadgets
27/11/2021
Translation: Megan Cornish
Anne walks at her standing desk using a WalkingPad. And she’s kitted it out so that she can work efficiently. These are the things that make the difference for her.
Multitasking is tough. For example, I’d get hopelessly tangled up with the keyboard if I walked while I typed like Anne does. But she does it so masterfully that she racks up 25 kilometres every day without it affecting her work. She uses a combination of the KingSmith WalkingPad R1 Pro, motivation and a skilfully arranged working environment.
Using a treadmill sees her asked a lot of questions: «Doesn’t the desk wobble? How can you write on it? Isn't the background noise distracting on calls?» Anne's solution is as follows.
Taking things to new heights: the Contini desk frame
Anne has a white Contini lifting desk frame, which she has combined with a bamboo tabletop from a Swedish furniture company that would like to remain anonymous. Let’s call it AIKE.
Anyway, the tabletop isn’t important; it’s the stability of the feet that makes the difference. The Contini frame weighs 30 kilogrammes and it takes a lot to put it off its stride. Anne has no problems walking at «normal» speed, which for her means around 4 or 4.5 kilometres an hour.
Our Community has also answered the question «Does the desk wobble at maximum speed?» with a resounding no. According to the manufacturer’s data sheet (in German), the desk has two motors, generating a maximum speed of 38 metres per second. That would make it the fastest table in the world, claiming nearly 137 km/h. In reality, of course, the Contini stays put. Anne’s keyboard, however, is flexible.
A keyboard shared is a problem halved
Anne got herself a split keyboard, which gives her arms more freedom. «It’s definitely really helpful to maintain good posture,» she says. Keyboards don’t have to be made as one piece. A two-piece option seems to make sense, but they’re hard to find. Anne didn’t find her white one at digitec, Galaxus or AIKE. We have a similar one in our shop by R-Go Tools, a brand that makes ergonomic items. This keyboard can be split too, so you can write on the go.
The perfect headphones
If you don’t want to annoy the person you’re talking to with background noise, noise-cancelling ability is crucial. Anne uses a gaming headset, the HyperX Cloud II, for calls. It does its job so well that the noise from the treadmill isn’t obvious and it hasn’t bothered anyone yet.
If she’s not talking to anyone, she swaps to Creative sports buds. She never breaks into a sweat even after hours of wearing the in-ear model.
That’s Anne’s solution. We’re sure there are others that work well. As there’s so much on the market, my colleague Martin Jungfer did a through comparison of office-compatible headphones and even found models that can completely filter out his wife.
A fresh headwind
People in offices don’t think about noise in video calls. They’re more interested in the fact that Anne’s moving. To add to the confusion, her hair can look like it’s blowing in the wind. Her bonus gadget keeps her cool. «I have a small USB fan that I’m really happy with,» she explains. If you run as much as Anne on a daily basis, you won't just use one during the summer; you’ll be glad of the fresh air even in winter. As long as the fan is in just the right position, that is: «If it’s too high up, the air hurts my eyes.»
Alternatively, a discarded leaf blower would also work, as my colleague Ramon Schneider proved. But it would make noise cancelling a bit tricky. And it would definitely hurt your eyes.
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer, dad of two. Likes to be on the move, shimmies through everyday family life, juggles with several balls and occasionally drops something. A ball. Or a remark. Or both.
