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I am going to pick up a foldable craft table that I stand at when I'm making cards. I often stand for some reason when I'm making cards anyway. I'm always leaning or hunching over to my regular craft desk so I figure since i have the space I'll add a small square standing table that I can easily pull out and tuck away as needed. What height would be this be? I'm quite a shorty - 5ft. What height would you recommend for a table to be to stand at? Thanks for your advice!
Standard height for kitchen counters is 36", if that helps. If you're comfortable working at that height in your kitchen, you'll likely be okay with that in your craft room. If that's a bit of a stretch for you, maybe take it down to 34"...?
I can't remember who told me this or when, but at the back of my mind is that if you stand beside a work surface with your arms hanging down, and your wrists are level with the top of the surface, that will be a comfortable working height. And in general I have found this to be true. Our kitchen table meets that criterion and is a much more comfortable height for me to work at than the counter tops which are slightly higher to fit standard size fridge, freezer, washing machine. But I think you'd need to conduct personal experiments...and allow for whatever normal shoe you wear! I'm usually barefoot, and notice that wearing anything with heels makes a significant difference.
I looked at a few at Staples the other day and the heights of stand-up desks and tables varied by about 5". Go to a store and try a few, also check stores that sell used office equipment. Mary Beth
Another idea is IKEA. They have tabletops and legs that can be bought separately. One of the leg types at least is adjustable- hard to describe clearly, it has two parts, one revolves inside the other, then you tighten to lock in place, so you can adjust it perfectly to suit what you want. It's not the sort with 'set' height points.
I got some for one of my tabletops in my craft room, as I needed one to be higher than normal to fit storage under it that I already had & didn't want to get rid of.
Link HERE To what I'm talking about.
I have always worked at a heavyweight folding banquest table. I have two - one is my main (30X70) and is at counter height and one is my secondary (much smaller) and holds my cutter, stamping platform, scrap bin, etc. Mine is 34 and 1/4 inches high. We just took a standard height table we already had and Mr Wonderful built it up using two by fours and scrap wood to make a thingey to put under the legs, adjusting it until I was comfortable, which ended up being somewhat less than standard height.
I have always liked working standing up, but I like to do my coloring (mostly painting) sitting down, so I have a counter height stool on wheels for those times.
The adjustable IKEA ones sound like they would be good. If I were in the market to buy new studio furniture I'd probably look into them. As it is, I used tables we already had and have been content.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
My trimmer station is an IKEA table top with the adjustable legs Shaz mentioned. To figure out height I stood and pretended to cut paper while my husband measured my hand height. The legs can be changed after the fact too.
People are built differently (long wasted/short wasted/long legs/stubby legs (me!), etc.) and two people of the same height might not be comfortable at the same height counters. My back aches after working for a long time at 36" kitchen counters.
Online places including Walmart sell these plastic thingies that raise height. I believe they are actually bed risers but they come with two pieces for adjustable height. They can be used together or separately. We use them at work. Regular table height when we're sitting. We add one or two of the risers when we're standing.
The rule of thumb for 'proper' ergonomics that I was taught way back when is:
with arms at your sides bend them forward to 90% and the surface should be between 1 - 2 inches below that. This way you neither have to extend your arm too much to reach downward or so high that your shoulders are pushed up into your neck.
I'm a shorty too (5' 1/2") and I have a counter area in my office that's a perfect height at 31". I have my paper trimmer and die cutting machine over there, and it works perfectly for me... I have a drafting chair in there too, so I can either sit or stand.
The rule of thumb for 'proper' ergonomics that I was taught way back when is:
with arms at your sides bend them forward to 90% and the surface should be between 1 - 2 inches below that. This way you neither have to extend your arm too much to reach downward or so high that your shoulders are pushed up into your neck.
I learned that too, and mine is a bit off from proper height. (I'm not very proper.) How far we generally reach and height of items ordinarily used can affect height too.
The IKEA legs can be adjusted later by turning the table upside down. The legs are spendy but the table tops so cheap I think it's a great deal: it's the only counter/table I've ever stood at for long periods without my back or neck hurting.
The legs could be attached to a different table top/slab as long as it could be screwed into.
Last edited by bjeans; 01-23-2018 at 05:53 AM..
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Get a table that fits your needs, and buy adjustable risers for a perfect fit. I just got through with a three day quilt session, and boy, did those risers come in handy! I'm only 5'1", but bending over is sooooo hard on my lower back. Risers!
Great ideas. I want to get a free-standing table for standing to work. I have two work counters---one for sewing that I also use for cutting and scoring that is quite low, as it was originally made to make my sewing machine the right height while sitting. Since I still sew, I have to make do there. The other work area is higher and for stamping, calligraphy and coloring, while sitting. I find myself stooped over my counters, because standing to stamp is better for me. I need a table designed or that. Thanks for the help. Normal kitchen counters seem just right, according to the formula.
Formuas and on-line tools are wonderful starting points - just fine-tune for your body and the work you're doing. (I didn't use a calculation but checked it out of curiosity - it was off a bit.)
The calculation may be perfect - or need tweaking. I'd hate for someone to buy something that isn't adjustable solely based on a calculation since it may not be optimal.
We have different length arms, and one person may be reaching forward two feet regularly while another may work more toward the front. So having someone watch you go through the motions can help tons.
It doesn't have to be complicated. You know what feels good or bad, and if you happen to use a table or chair that adjusts, it's easy to change. (I have two armed Container Store Bungee chairs and the one at my computer desk is at a different height than at my crafting desk.)
I was looking for a stand up table too. I needed a narrow one for my room. My first thought was a sofa table, the kind that are behind the sofa for lamps and doodads. Then I found a bookcase that works perfectly as a die cutting station. I love that all my dies and embossing folders are right there. After reading Sabrina's wrist height comment, I checked and it's at wrist level. It is only 12" wide, not wide enough for my paper cutter. I may add a 16" wide board on top.
Height for standing craft table...
