5 myths about ergonomic office furniture busted

Most people think that if you want an ergonomic and healthy workplace, you have to dig deep into your pockets. But is that really true, or is it just an excuse? We've taken a closer look at this and four other myths about ergonomic office furniture in this article!

What exactly is ergonomic office furniture?

To start, a brief explanation of when a piece of furniture is actually ergonomic. First off: there is no real rule as to when a chair or a desk can be described as ergonomic. For this reason, there are several criteria that define an ergonomic chair. These include, among others:

• Height adjustment
• Comfortable, not too soft upholstery
• Stable base on the floor
• No backrest, or one that doesn't give way too much
• As many adjustment options as possible for chairs with armrests
• Head and neck support for chairs with a backrest

For a desk to be ergonomic, it should have these characteristics:

• Height adjustment without physical effort
• Sufficient freedom of movement
• Memory function for different heights

More detailed information on ergonomic sitting and standing stools, as well as height-adjustable desks, can also be found in our blogs. Simply click here. But now let's move on to the five myths that are still circulating about ergonomic office furniture.

1. Ergonomic furniture is always expensive

This rumor even has a true background. About 20 years ago, health in the workplace didn't really play a role. Health awareness, especially among the older generation, wasn't yet high enough for things like standing desks or healthy office chairs to be paid attention to. At that time, sports and healthy eating were also not part of a balanced life for many employees.

However, with a slowly emerging health trend, companies also saw an opportunity to make a business out of supposedly healthy furniture. The result was supposedly "individual" ergonomic office chairs from manufacturers that no one had even heard of before. This individuality came at a price, and the chairs were often sold at inflated prices to companies or individuals. This gave the "healthy" pieces of furniture a bad reputation, as they also didn't really contribute to health.

Since then, ergonomic office furniture has more or less been considered a rip-off - but can that still be justified today? The answer is a clear no. For example, height-adjustable desks hardly differ in price from normal desks without height adjustment. The Deskspace Pro, for instance, costs 449.00 Euros and is a fully functional desk with all important features. The accompanying sitting and standing stool Wobble is available from 149.00 Euros. So, ergonomic office furniture is affordable for everyone today!

2. Standing for long periods is also unhealthy

This is also only partially true. Your workday should always include all three elements: sitting, standing, and walking. We'll look at how best to divide your time in this section. Basically, it can be said that prolonged sitting is significantly unhealthier for your body than prolonged standing.

Also interesting: not all standing is the same. If you stand for a long time, you can also experience health problems. For example, it can quickly happen that you shift your weight unevenly - putting more strain on one leg and all your joints on that side. The correct height of your height-adjustable desk also plays a role, otherwise it can lead to tension in your shoulder and neck area.

To prevent pain and discomfort in your joints, you should never stand at your workstation for more than 1.5 hours at a time.

The height-adjustable desk, for example from Deskspace, has the advantage that you can quickly switch between standing and sitting. According to experts, you should divide your workday roughly as follows:

• 50 percent sitting
• 40 percent standing
• 10 percent walking

But: Too much walking never hurts. Because only then does your circulation stay active and you feel fit for longer. So try, for example, from now on to do phone conferences walking as much as possible.

3. An electrically height-adjustable desk is always better

This is only partially correct. Studies show that people used a height-adjustable desk more often if it had manual adjustment – although this depends heavily on the individual. The crank adjustment is slightly faster than one with an electric motor and also involves a slight effort. So you provide more movement at the workplace, even if it's only a small thing. If you want to be a little more active, manual adjustment is the right choice for you!

However: an electrically height-adjustable desk is more common and also significantly more comfortable. Although the adjustment takes a little longer, it only requires the push of a button to start – for some people, this also leads to more frequent use. In addition, the price difference between the two variants is only small. Therefore, it is not wrong if you opt for an electrically height-adjustable desk such as the Deskspace Pro.

4. There is no such thing as truly "healthy" sitting

Many people decide against an ergonomic office chair because they believe there is no truly healthy way to sit. This is not entirely correct, although the statement does have a kernel of truth. The healthiest approach is always movement, such as light walking. However, one can optimize their sitting position so that it barely affects health.

Ergonomic office furniture such as a sitting and standing stool contributes significantly to this. On it, you have to keep your back straight and cannot sink into a comfortable backrest. After a while, you automatically maintain an upright posture, thus reducing back pain and tension in your shoulders and neck.

An ergonomic sitting and standing stool like the Deskspace Wobble also has a semicircular rubberized underside, which constantly causes small micro-movements. You are constantly in motion, but you don't notice it. This increases your calorie consumption and reduces the risk of diabetes and obesity. Another reason to switch to ergonomic office furniture!

5. Ergonomic office furniture does not have a long lifespan

We can also answer this with a clear no. Many people think that a height-adjustable desk is more susceptible to defects due to the installed electronics - but that is not true, at least not proven.

Small electric motors, as used in height-adjustable desks, are only occasionally subjected to short loads. They do not run continuously and do not have to lift heavy weights, so they are never pushed to their performance limits. Experience shows that an electrically height-adjustable desk can easily have a lifespan of over ten years. The rumor that these devices are particularly susceptible is therefore refuted.

Furthermore: In the worst case, never the entire table, but only the motor needs to be replaced. This does not incur high costs, and the Deskspace customer service is always available to you!