We are well aware of how difficult it is for people who are looking for an electric stand sit desk to compare the different desks on the market especially when the cheapest desks are available online WITHOUT the possibility of trying/testing the desks before buying.
We are Wellington based and can demonstrate desks to Wellington buyers but what if you are in the South Island or in provincial towns - how do you compare products ?
We're not going to use this space to promote our desks. Any vendor will promote their own product over others ( including us) but we do think it's worth a quick look at what features are important (in our view) and what features present something of a "red herring".
Here's what we think is important under "Hot" and what's not important under "Not".
Hot
Stability at height - You do not want a desk that is unstable at height. You can't work at a desk that wobbles. There are two major influences here. 1/ Does it have a cross bar which will definitely add stability but restricts leg movement 2/ Does it have enough steel built into the legs to stabilise it ? Steel costs money and adds weight. I would ask what the desk weighs to get an indication ( The Powercore frame weighs 33 kg boxed)
Smoothness and Speed - You want a smooth transition and a fast transition (from sitting to standing). Some desks are clunky and noisy. They will ANNOY you and anyone in the office. Some have a graduated transition where it builds up to full speed and slows to a stop. The fastest desks go at 40 mm/s and the slower ones are between 20-22 mm/s. It's a big difference.
Top quality - Anyone who has bought a cheap kitchen know that all melamine finishes are not equal. A bad finish will peel easily but good PVC edging will not. Hard to ascertain from looking at the product. NZ made is normally very good quality but not all imported tops are poor quality. Check the edging for smooth finish.
Not
Lifting weight - It simply doesn't matter what the maximum weight the desk can lift is. All desks can do 100 kg + and I have never seen a desk with more than 50 kg loaded on it - so it is irrelevant in my view.
Warranty length - Some resellers offer 10 year warranties (we offer 5). If you really think you are going to be able to return a desk that is 8 years old you should think again. Don't let this cloud your thinking because it will always be claimed that it has been misused or kept in a unsuitable place.
- Some desks claim lower environmental impact than others but this is a sham. Virtually all desks have a sleep mode when not being used and the power use when they are working is minimal. If you are looking to help save the planet your electric desk has virtually no impact so don't worry. They are also virtually all metal construction so can be easily recycled at the end of their useful life.