Had to choose between a standing desk and a new chair on a $400 budget

My back has been killing me after long gaming sessions at my old setup. I had exactly $400 saved up and I kept going back and forth on what to get. I ended up picking a standing desk converter from IKEA for $180 instead of a fancy ergonomic chair. Big mistake honestly. My legs still hurt from standing on a hard floor and my chair is still this broken thing from 2017. Now I'm stuck with a half-fixed situation and I have to save up another $300 for a decent chair. Has anyone else tried those anti-fatigue mats, do they actually help?

2 comments

2 Comments

laurabennett1mo ago

Respectfully, I see it the other way. A good chair is way more important than a standing desk, you can't fix bad posture with a converter. I'd rather sit on a used Steelcase from Facebook Marketplace for $300 and use a folding table than stand on a tired back all day. Those anti-fatigue mats help some but they're not magic, your legs still get tired after a couple hours.

abby_palmer1mo ago

Kinda wish I'd seen this thread before I went through the same exact cycle last year. Ended up with the anti-fatigue mat from Amazon and a cheap stool to rotate between sitting and standing, still not as good as just one solid chair would've been.