Elevating workplace wellness in Asia
Your most valuable workplace asset is rising to the occasion and then some. This asset is, of course, your people. And one of the key factors helping them move is the height-adjustable table.
Sit-to-stand workstations started as a luxury option. Now, the height-adjustable desk is becoming a common sight, inhabiting increasingly more workplaces across Asia, across industries, in SMEs, and global behemoths.
Transparency Market Research reports that, since 2023, demand for the height-adjustable desk has been growing at a rate of 5.8% CAGR, and the forecast for the product will grow to US$10.2 billion by 2034.
Evolution and impact
The sit-to-stand desk first appeared in the 1980s and the evolution has been underway ever since. Now, 40 years later, adjustable work surfaces have become sleek systems with seamless electronic controls that transition effortlessly from one position to another. And, Herman Miller has been at the forefront of this evolution.
In the 1960s, designers Robert Propst, who created Action Office for Herman Miller, and George Nelson, the brand's design director from 1947, pioneered alternative working positions, recognising the benefits of standing at work.
A desire to make things better for people is part of Herman Miller's DNA. As a result, the brand is always refining its designs, testing, and reengineering to create products that do even more to support the work, lives, and play of the people who use them. And, height-adjustable desking is no exception.
After launching their first mobile sit-to-stand solution in 2016, Herman Miller now has a comprehensive selection of standing tables that includes compact, mobile solutions such as the OE1 Micro Pack; the visually streamlined Atlas Office Landscape, which can be configured in multiple ways; and Ratio, which is built for agility and customisation.
Workplace transformation
With remote work on the rise, along with rapidly changing technology and the arrival of AI, the workplace now serves as a destination for activities remote work cannot replicate: collaboration, mentorship, and culture-building. They expect environments that actively enhance wellbeing and productivity—not just functional spaces.
How sit-to-stand tables support wellbeing
Recent research has found that 72% of workers experience musculoskeletal discomfort related to workstation setup, with back and neck pain dominating complaints.
Research confirms that frequent position changes deliver powerful benefits, including maintaining the spine's natural S-curve position and minimising back and neck problems to optimise musculoskeletal health. Other benefits include improved circulation; standing decreases the risk of blood pooling in veins, thereby decreasing the risk of blood clots.
Meet Nevi: the ergonomic table for businesses large and small
The Nevi Sit-to-Stand is the latest in Herman Miller's increasingly sophisticated height-adjustable tables. Nevi comes with gentle alerts that help establish healthy movement patterns by reminding the user to move between Nevi's four positions throughout the workday.
Designed to work across a range of floor plates, Nevi is highly configurable, coming in freestanding and back-to-back linked benching applications; plus, it's value-conscious, making height-adjustable functionality accessible to growing and established organisations alike.
The future of height-adjustable working
Nevi is not simply another sit-to-stand desk––it's also an indication of things to come once a premium offering available to a select few, height-adjustable tables are set to become the gold standard, and the norm.
First, smart desking stations collect precise usage data, which can be applied to optimise workplace planning and wellness initiatives. Second sustainability. Herman Miller focuses on durable, modular designs that dramatically reduce environmental impact throughout product lifecycles.
The third trend is hyper-personalization: advanced memory settings enable workstations to adapt instantly to users' needs. And lastly, diversified design. As sit-to-stand table aesthetics become increasingly streamlined, their ability to function anywhere––from heads-down focus area to dynamic collaborative space––grows.
For Asian workplaces, height-adjustable tables align perfectly with emerging wellness-oriented environments designed to attract and retain talent in fiercely competitive markets. Organisations investing in movement-supporting furnishings set themselves apart by demonstrating a clear commitment to the well-being of their most important asset: their people.
About Herman Miller
Over the last century, Herman Miller has been guided by a commitment to problem-solving designs that inspire the best in people. Along the way, Herman Miller has forged critical relationships with the most visionary designers of the day, from mid-century greats like George Nelson, the Eames Office, and Isamu Noguchi, to research-oriented visionaries like Robert Propst and Bill Stumpf — and with today’s groundbreaking studios like Industrial Facility and Studio 7.5. From the birth of ergonomic furniture to manufacturing some of the twentieth century’s most iconic pieces, Herman Miller has pioneered original, timeless design that makes an enduring impact, while building a lasting legacy of design, innovation, and social good. Herman Miller is a part of MillerKnoll a collective of dynamic brands that comes together to design the world we live in. For more information, visit www.hermanmiller.com