Over the past several years I have seen countless articles in regards to the health hazards of sitting at a desk all day long. A quick search of the web shows that many health professionals advise against sitting all day long. For many of us though that is where our jobs require us to be. So what is to be done? Readydesk has come up with an affordable solution that may be what the doctor ordered. Read on for the full review of the Readydesk 2 desk converter.
Specifications
- Hold two monitors, or one monitor and one laptop, or one all in one computer
- Assembles and disassembles without tools
- Fits people 5′ 0″ to 6′ 3″
- Supported by shake-free cross-bracing
- Has built-in slots for cable management
- Constructed of responsibly-forested birch
- Weighs 14.9 lbs, supports up to 75 lbs
- Overall dimensions 31″ wide x 22″ tall x 24″ deep
- Shelf dimensions 31″ w x 11.5 d (available accessory Space Shelf dimensions 31″w x 17.5″ d)
What’s In The Box
- Readydesk 2
- Laptop stand
Design
The Readydesk 2 has a very simple design. There are only six parts in the entire desk. There are two legs, two shelves, and two cross-braces. The desk is made of engineered wood and is capable of holding a total of 75 lbs. Don’t let the fact that the Readydesk is made of engineered wood fool you into thinking that this desk is made with inferior materials. Engineered wood is stronger than solid wood thanks to variations in grain due to the many thin layers of wood used to build a piece up. The glue used to hold the pieces together also adds to the strength of engineered wood. Not only is the Readydesk very strong, the pale birch wood with its tight grain also makes it very beautiful.
The shelves, legs, and cross-braces are all finished very nicely and have a satin sheen to them. Everything is smooth, and I did not encounter any splinters on the wood. There are cable slots on the shelves to keep your cables under control. The legs have slots that allow you to adjust the shelves up or down depending on how you want your peripherals positioned. The only problem with adjusting would be having to remove your equipment every time you need to do so. For an extra $10USD there is also have the option to get a matching laptop stand. And that’s it, nothing more to talk about as far as design. The design is simple and minimalistic.
Assembly/Installation
As I just mentioned, the Readydesk 2 has a very simple design. Assembly only required putting the cross-brace together, attaching the cross-brace to both legs, then sliding on the shelves. I think it took me about 3 minutes to put the Readydesk together when I first got it. Readydesk does state that no tools are required, and although this is true, I would recommend having a rubber mallet on hand to pop the cross-brace onto the legs. It can be done with just your hands, but a rubber mallet will make things easier. The simple design makes it easy to put together, easy to take apart, easy to reposition shelves and even easy to move the entire Readydesk should you need to.
Ease of Use
Although repositioning shelves and moving the Readydesk 2 themselves may be easy, I’m afraid it becomes a bit more difficult when you have your equipment sitting on said shelves. The keyboard shelf shouldn’t be a problem; keyboards are small enough. The problem arises when you want to move the monitor shelf. It requires taking the peripherals off the Readydesk, removing the cables from the slots on the shelves and then setting everything back up after moving the shelves. This becomes even more difficult should you have an all in one computer on the monitor shelf. Now, this problem is not insurmountable; it’s just an inconvenience that I noticed while moving shelves around.
Performance
For me, the question of performance boils down to how versatile the Readydesk 2 is when it comes to the number positions that it can accommodate, how easy it is to reconfigure the desk into those positions, and how much weight it can securely hold. It only took me two tries to get the perfect standing position for myself. The keyboard shelf in the fourth position and the monitor shelf in the eighth position worked best for me. I had my daughter try it, and she liked having the keyboard and monitor shelves one position lower than what I had. Readydesk says that the Readydesk 2 can accommodate persons from 5′ to 6′ 3″. I’m 5′ 10″ and my daughter is 5′ 5″, and we both had no problems finding a sweet spot on the Readydesk 2
Ok, the Readydesk 2 was made as a standing desk converter so its no surprise it works well in that capacity. But I also found that it works well if you are sitting. I placed the keyboard shelf in the first position and the monitor in the third position and found this was more comfortable than my standard desk setup. My posture was better because I was looking straight into the screen as opposed to slightly down as in my normal position. So the Readydesk not only allows you to stand up and work, but it also serves to improve the working experience while you are sitting.
As far as the weight that the Readydesk 2 will securely hold, their website claims it will hold up to 75 lbs. While I did not test it out to its max capacity, I did place a 27″ iMac that weighs almost 21 pounds on the top shelf. There was a minuscule amount of sagging right in the middle of the shelf, but not enough to make me doubt that my iMac was safe in that position. In the end I would have to say that the Readydesk 2 is very sturdy and more than capable of holding what I had to throw at it.
Price/Value
The Readydesk 2 we received was the Value combo with the Readydesk 2 and a laptop stand. It is available for $169.99USD from Readydesk. You can also buy just the Readydesk 2 for $159.99USD or a Super combo with the Readydesk 2, laptop stand and a floor mat for $209.99USD. I think this is a fair price considering the Readydesk 2 not only functions as a standing desk but also can be used sitting down.
Wrap Up
If you’re concerned about what sitting all day long can do to your health, check out the Readydesk 2. It’s an attractive desk converter that is highly configurable and easy to use. I think both of those factors will make it an attractive option for anyone looking for a desk converter. Having to remove all your equipment to adjust the shelves may be only a small flaw, but only you can decide if you’re willing to overlook that for the other benefits the Readydesk 2 has to offer.
