Thanks very much,
Scott

I’ve used various Hag chairs over the years and am now in the market to buy a new one. I would like to consider a Capisco.

Thanks for any updates.

The Kangaroo sits (free-standing, no attachment needed) on a “normal” desk or cubicle work surface. It has a tower at the back, to which are affixed a keyboard-and-mouse surface, and a mounting bar for VESA monitors. The entire work assembly can be raised or lowered, allowing you to work comfortably from a seated or a standing position. In addition, the display mounts can be raised or lowered in relation to the keyboard-mouse surface for fine tuning.

Both adjustments are smooth and easy and facilitated by gas-shock struts.

To move the full arrangement, you loosen one knob, and press down or lift up slightly, then tighten the knob to secure the new work height. To adjust the display(s) up or down, relative to the keyboard surface, you loosen the other knob, press down or lift up, then tighten that knob.

I’m 1.83m (or just a tiny fraction over 6 feet), and found that the limit of travel – from “normal” seated height to standing height – was just within my range, when I also included a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, which has an elevated palm rest and tips downward away from the user (also has a slightly split “wave” keyboard topography).

Anyone taller might need to place the Kangaroo onto a shim or additional surface on top of a standard desk, or the top of the Kangaroo’s range might be too low for you while standing. That is, you would find yourself looking over the tops of the display(s) and would find your forearms slanted down too much with your wrists then cocked back up to type (not good for the carpal tunnel).

Anyone my height or shorter should find it a good fit without shimming.

Now, I recommended it because I saw some posts from people who thought the Capisco’s seating height made a regular desktop too low. For that purpose, the Kangaroo would be ideal – it would also help anyone who wanted to prop up a book for reading. HOWEVER, I don’t own a Capisco. I just went from sitting on my butt (badly) all day, to standing all day, and didn’t even consider pausing in between. After receiving my Kangaroo (it arrives fully assembled; you need only to mount your monitor(s)… proper hex-key/Allen wrench is included) I spent 5 hours standing the first day before feeling a little tired. Since the third day, I basically stand for the full workday, and my back is feeling much better than it has for years, thankyewverymuch. It’s been about a month now.

So, in summary, a Kangaroo sit-to-stand workstation might be an ideal addition if you already have a Capisco chair, and if you don’t have the chair, you can achieve all the benefit (and then some) with the Kangaroo alone (and save half the expenditure).

However, persons taller than my six feet could place something on the desk, UNDER the Kangaroo, to raise the whole thing, then use a Capisco for sitting (if they wanted to sit) with its higher sit position, and then the Kangaroo would rise to their correct height when they wanted to stand. Win-win.

The office buddy who first bought a Kangaroo, prompting me to buy mine, stands on a wobble board, for additional benefit.
I’m not that athletic, but I did buy a balance-pad (2-inch-thick closed-cell foam) from http://www.fitter1.com.

I’ve been slower to adapt to the balance pad than to the Kangaroo, but both are going very well. My back and other bits thank me.

Should have done this years ago.

I have no connection to Ergo Desktop, to Fitter First, nor to Microsoft, except as a satisfied customer (yes, even Microsoft, in the case of the particular keyboard).

To all you seekers after back and neck health, best of luck, and good hunting to you.

– Kevin

PS: Ergo Desktop is in the USA, and I’m in Canada, so it cost a hundred bucks for shipping. Still worth it…

It was well worth it. I could not be more delighted with this chair. Infinitely adjustable, incredibly responsive and just plain FUN to sit in! I am a woman on the short side, but not truly petite (5’4″ or 5’5″) and I had never found a chair I liked. I ended up crossing my legs or sitting in other weird positions, but I would also get terrible hip pain. Armrests were useless to me – never at the right spot. Nothing ever felt right.

I got on the internet and started researching chairs for smaller women. I found a posting by a woman who wanted info about this chair; she had tried it and fallen in love but was worried about the price. She mentioned that she could sit backwards on the chair. I thought, Who wants to sit backwards? What would be so great about that? The whole thing sounded silly, although I liked the crazy look of it.

But then I read more of what she said, and read this blog, and started getting the feeling that maybe it WOULD be good to be able to sit backwards.

Contrary to some users, I found this chair to be perfect from the first moment I tried it. It moves with me, offers support when I need it and gets out of my way when I don’t. And yes – I even like to sit in it backwards!

Thank you again for this blog!

I was at Kaiser Permanente ER for a night (my wife had an emergency), and there was this funny looking chair in our room. I got to sit in it for my whole stressful night, and I found this chair to be so supportive. It is really difficult for me to put in $600+ for a chair, but after reading all your posts, I believe my body deserves better. Also, looking back for the past 2 years, I have already spent $300 on some uncomfortable chairs that reduce my ability to work. I will place an order after my paycheck arrives next week.