The futuristic Altwork Station makes it feel like you’re working in zero gravity

With a growing body of research suggesting that sitting is the metaphorical pandemic of the developed world, it’s no surprise that people are falling in love with standing desks. I have a mechanical one at home and I absolutely love it; it’s well worth the couple hundreds it cost me. If you think that’s expensive, then you’ll most definitely blow a gasket when you learn about the $3,900 Altwork Station, a customizable work station designed to give users complete control of whether they wish to stand, sit, or even recline.

At first glance the Altwork Station looks like a futuristic dentist chair or something that’s meant to float around in a space station. The station features at adjustable swiveling arm that holds up two monitors and a small desk-like surface for your keyboard and mouse, which, by way, is attached using a set of magnets. Arguably, Altwork’s best feature is its ability to recline and automatically maintain monitor alignment with your field of view while adjusting the mouse/keyboard positioning to a workable angle.

Best of all, all those is done automatically with the push of button.

The chair’s underlying design elements stem from CEO Che Voigt’s vision of modernizing the way humans sit at desk, something that has remained largely unchanged since the introduction of the typewriter in the late 1800’s. Voigt, formerly a designer of high-end hardware for the aerospace industry, has infused this experience into designing the Altwork Station as something that’s adjustable, durable, and intuitive to use.

Many of those lucky enough to test the Altwork Station praise the device for comfort and ease of use, highlighting how the chair’s components move in unison with your body to provide a comfortable working arrangement in every configuration. Voigt, who is a firm believer that different positions are better suited to different task, starts the day standing but ends up reclining when needing to increase his focus.

To that end, the chair offers four modes, all configurable with buttons placed on the desk surface. They include: sitting, standing, collaboration, and focus.

Sitting, as you’d expect, is like a standard desk-and-chair setup with built-in lumbar and neck support, as well as a footrest. If needed, the monitor and desk arm can swivel outward for a more collaborative workspace. Alternatively, pressing the standing button on the control panel raises the arm to bring the monitor and desktop to an elevation more suited for standing.

The focus mode is where things get really juicy; activating the corresponding button causes the chair to lean back and lean your feet forward while simultaneously angling the monitor and desk toward you. In this position, your eyes are aimed upward, away from any distractions. This whole thing is very ergonomic and natural , highlighting the Altwork Station’s core value: flexibility.

As I’ve already alluded, this heavy-duty 210 pound hardware doesn’t come cheap: Altwork pre-orders cost $3,900 while the final price will be $5,900 when it launches in the second quarter of 2016.

These are certainly steep costs, but Altwork is meant for “high-intensity” computers users; programmers, designers, writers, and anyone else who uses the computer as their primary tool of the trade. If you spend at least 50% of your time sitting, and plan to do so for the next couple of decades, then Altwork is something you may highly wish to consider.

Source: Thenextweb + Engadget via Altwork