You will agree with us that it is not easy to make the right choice from the extensive range of sit-stand desks on the market. You probably don't find it surprising that bad purchases are often due to the fact that people are too seduced by what they like. Usually it is also a matter of insufficient knowledge. And that is exactly what we can help you with.
In this article we list the advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly used technologies and offer you some quick checkpoints that you can easily run through yourself without being a specialist. You will know better what to look for and what to ask the salesperson in the showroom.
From our broad experience with office furniture and more specifically with height-adjustable office tables, we have identified two criteria to help you make the right choice:
- Stability
- Adaptability
Interested in our tips?
Then read on or watch our video below.
You will learn to test the stability and adaptability of each model in the showroom yourself with a few simple tests.
4 factors determine stability
Only a stable desk offers the most comfort. You will agree with us on that. It should not wobble or move with the slightest push. And certainly not in the highest setting. The question is of course: how do you recognize a stable height-adjustable desk?
In our opinion there are four important technical aspects:
- The position of the support point
- The strength of the frame
- The number of parts of the leg
- The placement or orientation of the thickest part of the leg
We are happy to explain to you how you can recognize and assess these four technical elements, so that you can visit a showroom well prepared.
What are the most common errors against stability?
Stability seems very self-evident, but in practice that is not the case. Below we show where things go wrong and what the better solution is.
2. The strength of the frame:
NOT GOOD
3. The number of parts of the legs:
LESS GOOD
To reach the same height, both pieces must be longer and therefore a 2-piece table leg is more unstable. Especially when working while standing.
4. The placement or orientation of the thickest part of the leg:
NOT GOOD
The leg of this desk consists of extendable parts, with the thickest part at the top. This makes the leg top-heavy, which promotes instability.
BEST SOLUTION
This leg has the thickest element at the bottom. This ensures a stable base for the table.
A stable standing desk has 3-piece table legs with the thickest part at the bottom. In addition, the two legs on the short side are in the middle of the table. This means that the support point is located centrally on the foot, so that the weight on the table is optimally distributed. In addition, our sit-stand desks have a strong frame for which a lot of metal has been used. This of course also benefits stability.
Check it yourself with our simple stability test.
All that theory is nice, but of course you want to check it yourself. With this simple test you can test every sit-stand desk in the showroom for its stability:
Take a glass and fill it to about 2 centimeters from the rim. Place that glass somewhere on the table top. Now give a few pushes against the table on the short side. If the table is unstable, water will spill from the glass. With a stable table, all the water remains neatly in the glass. Repeat the exercise also on the long side of the table. Watch this video for a short demonstration.
Enjoy your adjustable standing desk to the fullest thanks to its adaptability
You will understand that the speed and comfort with which the table can be adjusted in height largely determine how often you will actually adjust the height of the table. We shouldn't be silly, if the adjustment is too slow or too difficult, you will do it little or not at all in practice. And then of course it's a shame about your investment. We would like to list the advantages and disadvantages of the different systems on the market for you. This way you will soon know exactly which system is the best solution for you.
We take a closer look at three:
- the pendulum
- the gas pump
- the electric motor
We also demonstrate the three systems in this video .
ELECTRIC DRIVE
- effortlessly adjustable in height
- works independently of the weight on the table
- small electric motors are concealed in the frame
- Intuitive operation via display with memory function provides certainty about the correct working height
GARLAND
- Manual height adjustment is intensive, depending on the weight and slow
- cheaper solution
- no electricity connection required
- difficult to estimate the correct working height
GAS SPRING
- proper operation is highly dependent on the correct setting in relation to the weight on the table
- adjustment based on weight possible, but not practical
- cheaper solution
- no electricity connection required
- difficult to estimate the correct working height
You can easily count on half to a whole minute to adjust a table from sitting to standing height.
That is long, very long... and the main reason why in practice you quickly give up adjusting the height every time.
The gas spring: pay attention to weight changes
A gas spring works fine as long as the weight on the table does not change.
The fact is that the gas pump is adjusted to a certain weight during installation.
If that weight changes, the gas pump will no longer function properly.
The electric drive: fast and with perfect control
We use an electric drive for our height-adjustable desks.
This allows you to continuously adjust the height of the table, regardless of the load.
Thanks to the electric motors, you can adjust the height of the table many times faster than with the crank system.
You also do not have the disadvantage of the weight dependency of the gas spring system with an electric drive.
Be sure to watch our video in which we illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of the crank, the gas spring and the electric drive.
With a crank or a gas spring it is always a bit of a gamble.
There is also a solution for this.
Height-adjustable desks with electric drive are often equipped with a digital display with which you can always perfectly read the height of the worktop.
You can even program a number of working heights thanks to the memory function. This is very useful if, for example, different people work at the same workplace.
You are always welcome in our showrooms
In our showroom we are happy to explain to you all the advantages and disadvantages of the different systems and you can convince yourself of the quality of our height-adjustable desks.