Hootsuite CEO behind $25 sit-stand desk

[Screenshot of the Oristand]

Even if you’ve seen the statistics about the benefits of standing and moving more during the work day, you might not be ready to drop a few thousand dollars on a sit-stand desk.

But the good news for those who’ve held off on the investment is that there’s a new option that costs just $25 US, thanks in part to the Canadian founder of Hootsuite, a social media management site.

Ryan Holmes, originally from Vancouver, created the Oristand with Steve Suchy and Nathan Martell. The desk, which is made of industrial-weight cardboard, is designed and built to assemble and collapse easily—which makes it portable for remote and contract workers.

The desk makes it cheap and easy to spend some of your working time standing, which research shows can have cardiovascular benefits. A 2010 study found that over the course of a 14-year research period, both men and women who sat for more than six hours a day were more likely to have died of cardiovascular causes than those who sat for less than three hours a day.

And of course, the low price point is also a draw considering that standing or sit-stand desks can run in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

For example, the Renew Sit-to-Stand Desk sold at Design Within Reach ranges from $1,599 to $2,099 US. Ikea sells a sit-stand desk for $599 Cdn here in Canada.

Hootsuite’s Holmes decided to create an inexpensive, simple option after experiencing back pain, Vancity Buzz reported. Oristand evolved from a basic prototype he put together with leftover cardboard. It weighs about two pounds, but can support the weight of any laptop or keyboard and works for those between five and six feet tall.

It’s even easy to outfit an entire office — a pack of five Oristand desks can be purchased online for $100 US, plus tax and shipping.

Of course, a desk made entirely from cardboard isn’t durable in the long term — be careful you don’t spill coffee on it. But on the plus side, it’s 100-per-cent recyclable.

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