The office desk is a piece of furniture necessary for the smooth and efficient flow of activities in the workplace. Although it can be an arduous task, acquiring the right work desk is critical to maintaining productivity and promoting convenience in your office.
As previously stated, selecting a suitable desk for your office can be challenging. However, after deciding on a specific office table and using it for a while, you will need to change it at some point.
10 years or 15 years? You probably wonder how much time you need to wait before considering replacing your desk. Is it necessary for an office table to complete its lifespan before it is changed? Continue reading this piece to find out the answers to these questions.
We’ve compiled a list of signs that it’s time for a new office desk, and they are as follows:
1. Wear and Tear
Wear and tear are perhaps the most obvious signs that you need to go office desk shopping. Your table is due for a change when you notice its paint is starting to chip off, and its legs are beginning to wobble.
Although office desks have a long lifespan of about 15 years, they eventually grow old at some point and may not be able to satisfy your needs as they used to.
Hence, if your work table is nearing the end of its life and you notice signs of wear and tear, you should prepare to have it replaced with a new one.
2. Posture
According to several experimental studies, office furniture can affect the posture and, consequently, the general well-being of an individual. While your office desk might be in good shape, it can still put you at risk of discomfort or, worse, injury.
Ask yourself - do you have to unnecessarily stretch or strain your body to access your table correctly? If yes, this is a strong signal that your desk isn’t the right fit for you. Therefore, you should consider buying a more suitable desk for your office.
Basically, if you find that your office desk doesn’t support a good working posture, you should consider purchasing a new - and ergonomic - one.
Here’s a quick tip - to complement the ergonomic benefits of your new desk, try investing in a comfortable office chair.
3. Limited Workspace
If your work area gets cluttered or chaotic too often, that is a sign that your office table might be too small, and you may need to change it.
Small desk space can hurt your productivity and workflow, especially if you deal with a lot of paperwork.
Investing in a more extensive desk can help you solve the problem of restricted space. Meanwhile, a desk with a storage shelf can also make a huge difference in keeping your work free of clutters, as you would be able to store your paperwork in the desk cabinets temporarily.
4. Appearance of the Workspace
The work desk is arguably the first item that catches your attention when entering an office. For this reason, it is fair to say that your table significantly contributes to the outlook of your workspace.
You don’t want a situation where your work desk is the odd one out in your space, as it can ruin the general appearance of your office.
Perhaps the table is too big for your space; purchase a smaller one. Meanwhile, if the desk’s colour doesn’t augment the existing decoration of your office, you could consider changing it too.
5. Under-desk Space
Another sign that you could use a new office desk is if you have to cramp your legs below your desk while you work. This position affects your work productivity and puts you at the risk of developing pain, soreness, and injuries.
You may have to sit at your desk for long hours, so you must have enough room to stretch your lower limbs underneath the furniture. For this reason, you should consider buying a table with substantial under-desk space.
6. Nature of Work
Your work desk should be a good fit for the nature of your job. So, you should consider replacing your office desk if it constantly disrupts your workflow.
For instance, ditching your small - albeit stylish and high-end - office table for a larger one is the way to go if your job requires that you have a lot of space for heavy paperwork.
You may also have to change your work desk, preferably to a standing desk, if your work requires staying on your feet for long periods.
Conclusion
Knowing when your office desk needs replacement is essential, as a defective or uncomfortable piece can negatively impact your productivity and general well-being.
After reading through this piece, you should be able to tell whether the table in your office is due for a change or not.
