What features make a good office desk?
A good office desk could help make your workday (and life) go a lot more pleasant, while the wrong desk could make you miserable and burn you out more easily. If you’re looking to upgrade your desk, remember these key points in selecting the ideal office desk for your needs and preferences.
Would that office desk you’re planning to buy go well with your working style and accommodate your job needs? Is the size just right to fit your workspace or office? Could the work desk surface endure the everyday wear and tear and the demands of your job and working environment?
Since you spend a lot of your time working, it is important to make your office desk as efficient and as comfortable as possible. The ideal office desk could dramatically improve your general feeling about work. The qualities that make a good work desk include proper ergonomics and comfort. An office desk needs to have sufficient space to have room for a computer, documents, and drawers.
Here are the things you must consider when selecting an office desk:
The Function
Computer Work:
Choose a work desk that is specially designed for computer use. Make sure the office desk provides enough space to hold the CPU underneath. Also, make sure that it built-in wiring holes for electrical wires; this is a safe and secure way to keep cords from tangling and messing up your workspace.
Paperwork
Select an office desk that would offer the most spacious surface possible so you could work on those spreadsheets, important papers, and bulky books with ease. You might also consider a work desk with overhead cabinet space or shelves.
Combination of Paper and Computer Work
An “L”-shaped office desk setup is advisable, and it allows for paper and computer work. It has enough space to accommodate computers as well as paperwork.
Homework Desk
“L”-shaped desks are usually a great option when your office desk has to share space with other people, such as a family room or a bedroom.
Consider Your Work Devices and Working Habits
Do you often find your workstation a bit messy? Don’t worry, a lot of great minds did, too. But if so, you would need more office desk space than the neater types of workers. They might find a smaller work desk enough for their work needs. The size and amount of tools and materials needed must likewise be a factor when choosing a work desk.
Space and Ergonomics
Your desk must have enough clearance space for your legs, with ideal desk heights of twenty-nine to thirty inches from the floor.
When you are sitting behind the office desk, there must be, ideally, at least four feet of space. At least three feet of free space must likewise be open between the desk and other pieces of office furniture.
For those who use computers, keyboards must be placed at a suitable and comfortable height. Keyboards on traditional office desks might be too high for the user and might lead to muscle strain and overall discomfort for the user.
Work desks for computer use must be equipped with a proper keyboard platform or have legs that could be adjusted. Also, make sure that the keyboard platform is roomy enough to be able to hold a mouse.
Desktop materials and equipment must be within a comfortable and easy reach, and the desk has to have enough space, so it does not overload the desk surface.
Desk Surface
Laminate
Laminate, or plastic finish that’s applied to a wood core, is durable, cost-effective, and withstands more wear and tear than a veneer or pure wood. It likewise comes in a broad range of wood grain patterns and colors. For excellent laminate that would withstand everyday use and abuse better, go for a desk with high pressure and thick laminate.
Steel or Metal
Even though metal is not the most aesthetically pleasing or professional in appearance, steel or metal desks are actually reasonably priced and ideal for desks that are used in high-traffic areas or endure long-term heavy use.
Veneer or Wood
Veneer refers to a thin layer of wood bonded to a more substandard base. Veneer and wood office desks normally look more aesthetically-pleasing than other office desk types, but they’re usually more expensive and significantly more delicate. These kinds of desks nick more easily, and they aren’t suitable for heavy or rough use.
Materials usually determine the style and color of an office desk. Thus, selecting materials that go well with your overall office decor helps you appreciate and enjoy the space.
For instance, neutral colors, like beige and cream white, and natural wood tones like birch or pine create a minimalist, sophisticated, and light office space that’s very much conducive to productivity.
If you are looking for stimulation and want to see bold and vibrant hues, something bright that creates an eye-catching contrast with your existing office decor – maybe a mirrored office desk – is a wonderful choice. Glass is unobtrusive and modern, becoming a lovely complement for a workspace that already features lots of patterns and colors.
Quality and Durability
The quality of an office desk is usually most obvious in the construction of the shelves or drawers.
Drawers have to open and close easily and seamlessly while bearing weight. Ideally, you would want the drawers sliding out to their entire length to enable easy and maximum utilization of space.
Quality wood drawers are usually built with a dovetailing construction. This is sturdier than drawers assembled with just glue or staples. With a metal or steel office desk, check out the drawers when they are closed. Keep in mind that if you notice a gap where the desk meets the drawer, the desk isn’t really assembled properly.
Also, check the edges and corners of an office desk. If you see any fraying, move on to the next option.
Mind Your Back
Stand-up Office desk:
As we have all been told, prolonged sitting on a chair for hours at a time could wreak havoc on anyone’s back, particularly for people with already existing back issues.
When choosing an office desk, consider minding your back by using a stand-up office desk instead, where you are literally standing while working. A lot of stand-up office desk users say this work method likewise makes them more active, feel alert, and more productive. Nonetheless, desk stools are available in conjunction with stand-up desks.
Today’s modern desk has already evolved from the simple office table with shelves and drawers of years that passed. Make sure that make the most of the myriad of office desk choices available in the market, many available at fairly reasonable prices at malls and office supply stores.
Contemplate the many considerations we have enumerated above when choosing your next office desk. It would serve as a helpful tool in creating a comfortable, conducive, and ergonomic workstation.
Bottom Line:
Even though your personality and personal tastes influence the style of the office desk you eventually choose, think about your comfort, the overall ergonomic design of the office desk, as well as your needs and the purpose of the desk. The broad range of desks available in the market makes it easier to find something that is perfectly tailored to your workspace.