Desk Buying Guide

There are an awful lot of desks out there so we are going to try and explain what you should look out for and how to be sure you are getting value for money.

Electric or Manual?

This is pretty easy to spot however there are also some technicalities you might want to look into such as the motor number. Read on. 

Manual

These you can tell by the wind up handle. Clearly with no motor in them they are the cheapest option if you want a full desk. We really like these products. No electrics mean a more reliable product and even if not used as a standing desk they allow sitting at the correct height.

Single Motor

There is one motor separate from both legs. These are cheaper than dual motor desks so you need to look closely at the number of motors you are getting for your spend. Still good desks however under heavy use the lifespan of the desk may be lower than a dual motor desk. One other issue is because the two legs are mechanically coupled to the single motor there is more noise and vibration than in a dual motor desk.

Dual Motor

There is a motor which is built into each leg. These desks are more expensive than single motor but are also considered to be more robust. Most commercial companies buy these as their desks are used 40 hours per week. They are the most refined in terms of noise and vibration of the three options available. We would recommend that if you can afford the extra cost they are worth the extra spend. 

How many segments are in the legs?

This is not easy to spot and it has an effect on how your desk will perform.Basically there are either two or three segments and the differences are explained below. 

Two Segments

There are only two segnets making up the leg. This means the desk is cheaper to manufacture and should cost less. Fewer components. It also means that the desk will rise and fall more slowly so 25mm/s instead of 40mm/s. It's quite a bit and if you go from sitting to standing a lot this could become annoying.

Three Segments

There is an extra segment in the leg which means the desk rises and falls at 40mm/s. This costs more but.....Be aware that the moving part of the desk can be at the feet or at the top of the desk. We have shown it at the foot in this example.

Simple or Complex controller?

This is rarely totally clear however it is worth being sure which your desk will have. There is a big difference in the cost and again you want to make sure your spend is going to you as much technology as possible.

Simple Controller

Simple up and down. They work well however you will not be able to return to the optimal seated or standing height each time without some adjustment. Our single motor desks come with this as standard basically to keep the cost down.

Complex Controller

These have a lot more technology built in. A digital display to tell you what height your desk is set at. Four memory locations so you can return to the same seated or standing height every time. We believe these are well worth having however some companies sell them as an add on and not with the desk. They can cost as much as £50 to add on. All our dual motor desks have them as standard.

Other considerations?

There are a few other things you should consider. Has it got collision detection. This is in the control module and means if the desk is being driven onto an object it will stop automatically. Useful if there are kids at home. Another option to look out for is thermal cut-out. If the desk is overused or misused will it shut itself down and stop the motors from overheating. Finally what is the lead length. Ours are 3 meters but some desks only have 2 meter leads which means if the desk is at full height you only have 0.7 meters to spare. Our electric desks come with thermal cutout and anti-collision as standard.