Interested in getting out of that uncomfortable office chair for a few hours a day? It’s no surprise that standing desks have become more popular over the last five years, specifically due to the increasing number of jobs that are putting people in front of a computer eight hours a day.

Unfortunately, buying a standing desk (especially one with mechanical adjustable options) can be very expensive. Some of the most popular standing desks start around $500 and range all the way up to $5,000 for models with advanced electronics.

Of course, who wants to spend all that money just to stand up? We certainly don’t. Here are some of our favorite standing desk options that won’t cost you more than a couple Benjamins.

The StandDesk 2200 ($22)

Developed by an awesome IKEA hacker, the StandDesk 2200 is basically a super-cheap standing desk option that requires a little work to build. Designed to sit on an existing desk, this build requires a side table, shelf, brackets and some screws to create. The concept is also very easy to expand upon if you want to add additional monitors.

The downside to using this design is that portability is terrible. It also takes up a significant amount of space in your office, assuming you are switching between sitting and standing on a regular basis. Of course, the cost savings are fairly tremendous when compared to other options. It’s a cheap way to see if you like standing at your desk.

The Oristand ($39 shipped)

Created by the CEO of Hootsuite, the Oristand is a foldable standing desk that’s built out of industrial-grade cardboard. Ideal for either laptop or desktop users, the Oristand can accommodate a monitor or laptop on the top platform with a keyboard / mouse on the bottom.

Of course, you will need to have an existing flat surface to setup the desk. While definitely portable, it’s not ideal for public areas like a coffee shop, mainly due to the large size of the desk taking up a significant amount of space. It would be ideal for an office though, easy to setup or take down when you want to stand.

The StandStand ($75)

Small enough to slide into a laptop bag, the StandStand is the ultimate standing desk for someone that requires extreme portability. Opposite from the Oristand, this product would be perfect for public places (assuming you exclusively use a laptop). Made out of birch wood, the pieces can be easily assembled in less than a minute.

The downside to the StandStand is that you will be looking down at your laptop screen instead of straight ahead like other standing desk options. In addition, there’s no space for an additional mouse or other accessories (only room for a laptop).

The ReadyDesk ($169)

If you don’t want to give up your dual monitor setup, consider the ReadyDesk. Ideal for anyone that’s still on a desktop, the ReadyDesk can accommodate two 27-inch monitors or a monitor / laptop combo. This desk is particularly ideal for anyone that shares a workspace as the height adjustment options work for for anyone between 5’3″ and 6’3″. T

Of course, this isn’t a portable solution for the majority of users. Once the ReadyDesk is setup, it’s likely going to remain there. That being said, users could always shift their monitors down to the secondary platform and their keyboard / mouse to the desk if they wanted to transition to sitting.

The Chairigami ($95 to $165)

If you are into eco-friendly furniture, then check out the Chairigami desk. Starting at $95 for the Kickstarter model (42″) and ranging up to $165 for a larger size (seen above), the Chairigami may be an interesting option for anyone in need of a full-size, temporary desk; perhaps ideal for a college student living off-campus.

The downside to Chairigami products is how long they actually last. Chairigami estimates that a desk will have a two to three year life before it needs to be replaced. Of course, you may be over the whole standing desk fad by then. The desk can be recycled easily after it’s worn out.

The StorkStand ($99 to $199)

Removing the need for any actual desk, the StorkStand is an option for laptop users that lets you use a simple office chair as your desk. Supporting up to 50 pounds, the StorkStand creates a platform for your laptop on the top of a office chair using a metal brace and a Velcro strap.

While ideal for impromptu meetings with limited conference room table space, the downside to this design is that your platform will likely move with the chair; thus it’s only as stable at the office chair. In addition, some office chairs with low backs may not work well at all with this design.

6 Unique Standing Desks That are Less Than $200

If you are shopping for a back-to-school laptop, be sure to check out our Laptop Deal Feed to find all the hottest deals. Also, read over these tips in order to help you understand what’s important to students and how you can help set up a student with a laptop that will last them through high school or college.

1. Size and Portability Are Vital

While you may find a great deal on a 15-inch or 17-inch laptop, lugging around a giant beast of a laptop from class to class is definitely not fun— especially when there are heavy textbooks stuffed into the backpack or laptop bag.

13- to 14-inch models seem to be the sweet spot for students, however let them test out an 11-inch model to see if they would trade screen size for even more portability.

Going with an ultrabook under 4 pounds is also preferable if your budget allows it. In addition to the slim size, ultrabooks often come with slim power supplies—ideal for carrying to the local coffee shop to get some schoolwork done.

2. You Need More Power!

Battery life is just as important as size and portability. At a minimum, the laptop you purchase for a student should provide 5 to 6 hours of battery life. While on the expensive end of the spectrum, the 13-inch MacBook Air ($999, Apple Store) provides 11 to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge!

For a student who’s going to be sitting in class taking notes for six to eight hours a day, it’s simply a necessity. Besides the MacBook Air, look for Windows 10 ultrabooks and laptops utilizing Intel’s Core M processor. The power consumption is lower than previous CPUs, ideal for moderate web browsing, editing simple documents and watching Netflix.

3. Chromebooks and Tablets Are Not Laptops

Both of these devices are still secondary devices, not primary. While significantly cheaper than most laptops, Chromebooks can be problematic within environments that don’t have access to the Internet since nearly all actions on a Chromebook require a constant connection to the Web.

You are also locked into using Google’s suite of word processing tools, completely opposite from the majority of high school and colleges, which are heavily dependent on Microsoft Office. The variety of software that can be installed on a Chromebook is also limited compared to a laptop.

While tablets are absolutely fantastic for checking email or consuming media, they are still extremely weak when it comes to productivity. Office software available for a laptop offers significantly more features and allows a student to work faster and more efficiently. If you are purchasing a tablet or a Chromebook for a student, it should be in conjunction with a laptop purchase, not replacing it.

4. Touchpad and Keyboard Quality Matter

One of the aspects most laptop buyers overlook is the overall quality and durability of the keyboard and touchpad. If your student is going to be writing an endless number of papers as well as tweets and Facebook status updates, a solid, responsive keyboard that lasts for years is important.

A problematic touchpad can also be troublesome to a student who’s attempting to write a 15-page term paper in one night. Check reviews to make sure the keyboard is not sluggish or cramped and that the touchpad can handle multitouch gestures effectively. Purchasing a wireless mouse is a solid secondary option, as well.

5. Know Which Specifications to Boost

One of my favorite upgrades in a laptop is the hard drive. Moving from a standard hard disk drive (HDD) to a solid state drive (SSD) will provide an amazing performance boost, specifically in the amount of time it takes Windows 10 to launch as well as launching intensive programs like Photoshop. Sitting down in class and booting up your laptop in a few seconds is perfect for taking notes. If your budget won’t allow it, make sure you get a laptop with a 7,200 rpm speed hard drive or one with a hybrid standard HDD / small SSD setup.

Regarding the graphics chip, the majority of laptops and ultrabooks offer an integrated GPU with the CPU. If your student wants to be a filmmaker or simply likes to play computer games, consider picking up a laptop with a dedicated graphics card. RAM isn’t incredibly important for most students; 4GB will be just fine. However, if they are running into situations where multitasking is slowing down their computer, it’s relatively simple to upgrade the RAM to 8GB to 16GB at a later date.

6. If You Go Windows 10, Consider a Touchscreen

While a touchscreen is inevitably going to increase the overall price of the laptop, Windows 10 was really made for a touchscreen interface. It becomes more efficient to launch and control software using a touchscreen over time. However, if you go with a Windows 10 laptop and skip the touchscreen, don’t worry. The Start menu is back, opposite from Windows 8.

7. Extend Your Laptop Warranty for Free with American Express or Discover

Generally, students aren’t known for taking excellent care of their belongings. That laptop is likely going to get dropped and tossed around a few times before leaving school. However, you don’t want to waste money on an extended warranty if you don’t have to.

If you purchase the laptop with an American Express or Discover credit card, the warranty will be extended for up to an additional year at no cost to you. Check out the terms on the AMEX site and the Discover site to see how it works. As an added bonus, AMEX will extend the manufacturer’s warranty on refurbished laptops, as well.

8 Look for Software After Your Student is in School

One of the great advantages to being a student are massive discounts on software when using a school email address. For instance, Microsoft offers a four-year subscription to Office 365 University which includes access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Skydrive cloud storage for $79.99. That’s just $20 a year. Alternatively, a regular consumer has to pay $100 a year for access to Office 365 Home Premium. Many other software creators also offer solid discounts on productivity software for students.

9. Secure Your Investment with Tracking Software

After you purchase your laptop, install Prey (free) on Windows laptops or Find MY… (free) on Apple laptops. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard of laptops mysteriously going missing on campuses. It doesn’t matter who took it though. You will be able to protect that back-to-school laptop with tracking software.

Prey, for instance, provides the geo-location of the laptop using Wi-Fi hotspots to triangulate the position. It will also allow you to take pictures with the laptop camera, lock down personal information remotely and watch their movements on the Web. If they log into their Facebook account, you will know about it! Getting that laptop back from a thief will save you the trouble of going through the entire laptop buying process again.

9 Tips for Buying Back-to-School Laptops

Welcome back to Ben’s on the Road, where one brave Ben’s Bargains editor (me!) attempts to drive across the country with three kids aged five and younger, for as cheap as humanly possible.

Yesterday was my first day on this trip working a normal Ben’s work shift from the car. It’s pretty cool, actually, how easy it is to do my job from anywhere I want, including a moving minivan (my husband is driving; hopefully that is obvious!). My tech setup is not complicated: my Macbook Pro laptop, a power converter (so I can have my laptop plugged in and charging), a mobile hotspot, and my iPhone.

I’ve experimented with a bunch of different  hotspots and have found that if you’re going to be traveling cross-country, you really need to have the ability to connect to multiple service providers. They all have different areas where the signal is spotty or just nonexistent, so it works best to have more than one you can connect to. I have a Verizon pay-as-you-go 4G LTE hotspot, as well as my T-Mobile iPhone with unlimited data and tethering capabilities. Because my T-Mobile data is unlimited, I use that for WiFi whenever I can. Then if the signal goes weak, I switch over to my Verizon hotspot. I have used a prepaid AT&T hotspot before as well, but I wasn’t as happy with the speed/reliability on that one.

I bought my Verizon hotspot on clearance at Best Buy for $15 (it’s currently $50 online though). It’s called the Ellipsis Jetpack. I pay $100 for 10GB of data that needs to be used within 2 months. Because I also use my phone for WiFi, I shouldn’t have to refill the data at all over our 15-day trip.

To keep my laptop charged, I have this power converter for the car. You plug it into the cigarette lighter and it gives you two AC outlets and two USB outlets. Nothing fancy about this model, but it was like $20 and has worked just fine.

Add my beloved Macbook Pro (which is fancy and was not like $20!), and that’s all I need to work from the road. I feel pretty lucky I’ve got a job I can do from anywhere. And that I don’t get car sick!

Aside from a few 5 to 10 minute chunks of time where neither my phone or my hotspot had service, I have been able to stay connected really well! We just passed through the mountains in CO and I rarely lost connection even on the stretches of road between small mountain towns. Not bad!

We stayed with family close to Denver last night, and today we’re headed to a cabin near Capitol Reef National Park in Southern Utah. The drive has been absolutely gorgeous! Looking out the windows at the mountains is almost entertainment enough, but we also stopped off and spent some time in the little town of Idaho Springs. I love mountain towns, and this one was about as charming as they come. They have a nice park/playground right by the river, and a very unassuming and inexpensive taco joint called Del Rio Taco that had some of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had. You can sit outside on their patio and watch people rafting down the river below. If you’re ever in the area I highly recommend it!

I’m a sucker for a good photo opp, so a few hours later we also just pulled over on a random exit with a view, had a snack and snapped some pictures.

To find things like this to do when we need a break from driving, I use an iPhone app called Roadside America ($2.99). It uses your phone’s location to give you a list of “off beat” things to do close to the highway. I also like the app Roadtrippers (free!). With this one, you can see things to do, quick snacks, outdoor activities, etc, near your current location, or put in a specific route and see everything along the way on a map.

Tomorrow we’ll be exploring Utah and giving hiking with kids a try. I’m so excited to spend some time in an area I hear is just gorgeous. Watch for lots of pictures soon!

Check here for latest Travel gear deals

Ben’s on the Road: Days 2 & 3

Are you disappointed that laptops have gotten ridiculously light with this inane ultrabook fad? Do you wish you should be forced to plug in your laptop instead of relying on silly batteries? Wouldn’t you love to use a massive rolling hard case to carry around your laptop instead of a simple bag?

Enter the Acer Predator 21 X Gaming Laptop, a 21-inch behemoth that weighs as much as six MacBooks combined, costs as much as a 2010 Dodge Charger and has a battery life of less than two hours. As a laptop, this is a terrible idea. As a home gaming computer, this is a terrible idea.

How does Acer attempt to justify the $8,999.99 price tag? Here are the specs:

• Screen: 21-inch 2560 x 1080 WFHD Curved Display with G-SYNC
• Video Cards: Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 in SLI with 16GB of GDDR5X VRAM
• CPU: 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7820HK (Up to 3.9GHz)
• Memory: 64GB DDR4
• Hard Drives: 1TB PCIe SSD in RAID 0, 1TB HDD
• Five-Fan Cooling System with 3 AeroBlade Metal Fans
• Cherry MX RGB Mechanical Keyboard
• 4.2 Dolby Audio Premium Sound System

It also comes with a hard shell transport case that looks about the size of a large carry-on when boarding a plane. In addition to room for the “laptop,” Acer has included room for the two massive power bricks needed for charging; just so ideal for any crowded coffee shop.

Here’s a review from The Verge is you want to see this ridiculous piece of tech in action:

This Week in Highway Robbery: Acer Predator 21 X Gaming Laptop

Jumping up from $0 to $120 on July 30, 2016, Microsoft’s free upgrade offer to all Windows 7 and 8.1 users will expire at the end of July. After July 29th, anyone that wanted to upgrade to Windows 10 from an older operating system will be force to pay $119.99 to get the new operating system. Of course, any new Windows-powered device you purchase will have Windows 10 already installed as the main operating system.

The $120 price isn’t new, of course. Microsoft have already been selling the full version of the Home version for that price via download or USB stick. The ability to upgrade for free has always had an expiration date, however it was always possible that Microsoft would extend the promotion. However, the latest blog post from Microsoft seems to indicate the promotion will expire as promised at the one-year anniversary of the operating system’s release.

Interestingly, Microsoft is also releasing the Windows 10 anniversary update at the end of July. That’s a free upgrade for anyone that’s using Windows 10. Upgrades include biometric security in apps and other programs, Windows Ink (integrating handwriting with a pen into the interface), an upgraded version of Cortana in more than 1,000 apps and a unified app store with the Xbox One platform. It’s also possible that Microsoft will package deeper integration with the HoloLens platform in the anniversary update.

To upgrade to Window 10, you can visit Microsoft’s upgrade page and follow the instructions. If you do plan an upgrade, consider moving to a SSD drive for faster boot times as well as instant-on access when your computer is sleeping. You can check out the latest deals on SSD drives in our Internal Hard Drive section.

But most of all, remember that all Windows 10 installations come with a ninja cat riding in your house on a unicorn.

Want Windows 10 for free? Upgrade now. It’s $120 in July

As of this morning, the first major Black Friday ad dropped for the holiday shopping season. The Dell Black Friday 2015 ad is mainly focused on two core categories, laptops and desktops. However, there’s also fantastic deals in the home theater and gaming space as well.

Check out our top 5 picks below!

1. Vizio 60″ 4K Ultra HDTV ($799.99)

This doorbuster price beats a historical low of $1,100, a $300 savings.  This set has received high praise from reviewers in regards to picture quality versus price point. Some people are even using it as a giant computer monitor due to the 4K resolution.

2. Dell Inspiron Micro Desktop PC ($99.99)

This doorbuster price beats a historical low of $150, a $50 savings. While it’s not listed in the ad, the micro desktop PC likely comes with a Dell KB216 keyboard and MS116 optical mouse.

3. Xbox One 500GB Gears of War + Bonus Controller + Fallout 4 ($299.99)

This doorbuster price beats a historical low of $350, a $50 savings. It also comes with an arguably more popular game than previously advertised bundles, Fallout 4 instead of Rare Replay.

4. Dell Inspiron 14″ Laptop ($149.99)

This doorbuster price beats a historical low of $180, a $30 savings. While this laptop doesn’t include a touchscreen interface, it does come with Windows 10 and a bright, high definition display.

5. Bose SoundTrue In-Ear Headphones w/ Mic ($49.99)

This Black Friday price beats a historical low of $80, a $30 savings. This model receives high praise from Amazon reviewers, receiving a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on the retail site.

The Dell 2015 Black Friday Ad Has Been Released

As a learning tool, a personal laptop can be extremely useful for children of any age. In addition, buying a laptop for a teenager entering high school is useful for gaining an edge in preparation for college as well as fostering a sense of personal privacy by allowing them to get away from a family computer.

Each year, retailers attempt to get parents into stores to purchase new laptops for students with sales throughout August and early September. While you can find a constant feed of the best laptop deals on Ben’s Bargains, it’s also good to know what brands to keep an eye out for when shopping for a teenager or a student that’s off to start college.

We have put together a list of five laptops that will be ideal to own at the start of the school year:

Elementary / Middle School

Acer C720 Chromebook

• Includes ‘Supervised User’ accounts to protect kids from adult Web content
• At 2.7 lbs, light enough for kids to carry around
• Offers a strong 10-hour battery life
• Retail cost around $225, Refurbs as cheap as $130

Search Ben’s for this laptop

High School

Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Series

• Includes 4th Gen. Intel Core i3 Processor for solid performance
• Ideal for more advanced homework requiring Microsoft Office
• Can be purchased with a touch screen
• Retail cost starts at $400, Upgrades available

Search Ben’s for this laptop

College (Business / Law / Education Majors)

HP ENVY 15-inch Laptop

• AMD or Intel Quad-core processor is ideal for work and multitasking
• While heavy at 5.6 lbs, 1TB of storage will last for years
• Beats Audio offers excellent sound system for downtime
• Retail cost around $700, Refurbs as cheap as $400

Search Ben’s for this laptop

College (Medical / Engineering / Science Majors)

Dell XPS 15 Laptop

• Ideal for very detailed work, the 3200 x 1800 resolution is perfect
• Combo of Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM and SSD hard drive ideal for AutoCAD
• GPU great for games as well when downtime is needed
• Retail cost around $1950, Watch for 25% off Refurb coupons

Search Ben’s for this laptop

College (Graphic Design / Film / Undecided Majors)

Apple MacBook Pro / Air

• Pro model offers killer performance and graphics power for film editing
• In addition, Retina display is ideal for visual work
• Air excellent for undecided, light weight perfect to take to class
• Pro costs around $1300, Air starts at $899

Search Ben’s for this laptop

The Best Back-To-School Laptops for Students

If you are an avid Bitcoin user, two new major retailers have just started accepting the online, digital cryptocurrency this month. The first was Newegg at the start of July and the second was Dell as of today. Dell’s announcement first appeared on Michael Dell’s Twitter feed. The company is partnering with Coinbase to process the digital transactions and convert the online currency into U.S. dollars.

Dell is now the world’s largest ecommerce business to accept #bitcoin https://t.co/xC41rKTYXi https://t.co/0YqPK7MfVG

— Michael Dell (@MichaelDell) July 18, 2014

While the majority of retailers still don’t accept Bitcoin, that doesn’t mean you can’t shop at those retailers with Bitcoin. A company called eGifter.com is offering the ability to convert your Bitcoin into a gift card for more than 200 major online retailer such as Amazon, CVS, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Old Navy, REI, Sears and Toys R Us. At the moment, there’s a slight advantage to this process as you can get an additional 3 percent off your order with each purchase.

If you are interested in learning about the exchange rate for Bitcoin to U.S. dollars, Google just added Bitcoin to the currency conversion database this week. For instance, if you search for a phrase like ‘1 BTC to USD,’ you will see the value of a single Bitcoin in U.S. dollars. That will change in real-time as the currency value moves up and down throughout the day.

Dell, Newegg buddy up to Bitcoin, now accepting the digital currency

Released by ASUS this month, the T100 Transformer Book is a new 10.1-inch Windows 8.1 tablet that has the tech community buzzing due to the combination of competitive pricing and the impressive performance of Intel’s Bay Trail processor.

Reviewers are also praising the fact that it includes a keyboard, has an 11 to 12.5 hour battery life on a single charge and comes with a free version of Microsoft Office 2013 Home and Student.

Priced approximately $100 to $150 cheaper than the Microsoft Surface 2 (depending on the storage size, 32GB versus 64GB), the ASUS T100 Transformer Book performs extremely well in benchmark tests. While you won’t be playing the latest games on the tablet, it’s an extremely efficient and speedy work companion device as well as a media consumption device.

For anyone who needs more storage space, the device includes a Micro SD slot that can take a SDXC card up to 64GB in storage capacity. This gives you the option of picking up the 32GB SSD version for $349 rather than the 64GB version for $399. The 10.1-inch IPS panel has a 1366 x 768 resolution and there’s a high definition camera included on the front of the display for video chatting.

Be aware that complaints about the tablet include a cramped layout to the included keyboard and slow charging speeds. However, it’s easily becoming the top budget tablet to own this year, assuming you are interested in the Windows operating system over iOS or Android. It’s also extremely difficult to locate at this time due to high demand for the tablet.

Here’s a selection of expert reviews of the device. You can also find pictures of the ASUS T100 Transformer Book below.

• LaptopMag
• AnandTech
• Computer Shopper

Check the Price of the ASUS T100 Transformer Book on Amazon

Shut Up and Take My Money: ASUS T100 Transformer Book