When Does an L-Shaped Standing Desk Make Sense?
Summary
It makes sense when you have two kinds of work that each need a surface, such as a computer on one side and paperwork, drawing or a second machine on the other. OSHA notes that a corner can add depth for large monitors or several items. If one side would hold little more than a lamp and a pile of mail, a straight desk of the same depth does the same job in less floor space.
What the corner adds
OSHA's desk guidance says "Using a corner rather than a straight run of desk may provide additional space and depth to accommodate large monitors or multiple items." That depth is the main gain. A large monitor or two screens can sit further back in the corner than a straight desk of the same depth would allow.
The second side becomes a separate station. It might hold a drawing tablet, a sewing machine, a second computer or documents you spread out while typing on the other side.
Where L-shaped desks go wrong
The trouble starts when the main work ends up split across the corner, with the keyboard on one wing and the screen you look at most on the other, or the mouse just around the bend. CCOHS lists "No twisting of the upper torso" among the basics of a sit/stand setup, and OSHA says frequently used devices such as the keyboard, phone and mouse "should remain within the repetitive access (primary work zone)." When several monitors are in use, OSHA's purchasing guide adds: "The monitor that is used most should be in front of the employee."
One way to lay it out is to pick a wing, or the corner itself, as the place you face while typing. Keyboard, mouse and main screen go there together. The other wing holds what you turn to less often.
Left, right and the room around it
Some L-shaped frames build only one way, with the short side fixed on the left or the right. Others can be assembled either way. Check which you are buying against the room: where the door opens, where the window is, and which side you walk in from.
On a model where the whole L lifts, both wings rise and fall together. The whole L needs clear space above and around it through the full height range, including the inside corner where a wall shelf or window sill may sit.
More surface, more weight and more cables
A bigger top has room for more equipment, and everything on both wings counts against the maker's load rating, so check whether that rating covers the desktop itself. Our dual-monitor setup guide and our guide to cabling a standing desk go into the screens and the cords. The cords from both wings have to reach the wall with the desk at its highest position.
Sources
- OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Desks
- OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Purchasing Guide
- CCOHS, Office Ergonomics - Sit/Stand Desk
We have not tested these products. Specs and guidance are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; the manufacturer's page for your model has the current details.