In today’s blog, we will talk about something that I am sure many customers think about. Why do adjustable standing desks cost so much and what makes it that expensive? Now there are several ways to explain this, but the short answer is the cost of materials and pure size of standing desks. Here in New Zealand, we have plenty of places to purchase tables and desks. And for a decent standing desk we are expecting the cost to be around $700 to $1100. That’s an expensive desk, it must be the best desk in the world if not New Zealand right? It could well be, but let's delve deeper and figure out what parts make an adjustable standing desk and which parts cost the most and what are the differences?
Standing Desk Build:
Let's start off with the first cost of the adjustable standing desk, the build. Standing desks have two main parts, the frame and the desk top or table top as you could call it. Each one of these parts can vary depending on what brand or company you choose to purchase your adjustable standing desk from. Let's look at the different options, and start with the frame.
Standing desks frames are generally built with Metal and each brand uses different kinds of metal for their standing desk. The different types of metal and the density can determine how much a frame would cost to build and the strength. Density of certain metals matter as there are soft and hard metals; there are also cheaper and more expensive quality metals. For example, you can have a desk frame that is very light and cost effective but then it would not be stable at higher heights and thus it would not be able to carry the weight of desktops and computers safely. The other end of this spectrum is dense metal, which is both heavy and expensive. This is what we use here at Deskbird NZ. The downside to this is that it costs a bit more to manufacture but the benefit of using a strong frame is that it can structurally be able to hold up more weight. Why is this important? This short answer is because these standing desks are height adjustable which means as the desks get higher they become less stable. With a lighter and less dense frame, we would not be confident that it would be able to hold heavy equipment safely. We don’t want to put the user or any equipment at risk. Our adjustable standing desks frames here at Deskbird NZ are just under 30kg, providing both stability, strength and durability. Our standing desks are built to last. We have made sure our standing desks are strong on the feet before getting it to move; these have been tested. This is where we lead on to the second part which combines with the frame, the motors. Just like a vehicle, there is no point putting a V8 engine on a car frame that can't support the strength and speed. The same goes with desks, it wouldn’t be effective putting good motors on a bad frame. Hence we have gone with the best frame we can.
Motor:
There are three main mechanisms that make an adjustable standing desk move up and down: manual, single motor and dual motor. There are more out there, but what we have listed are the majority available to the market. Just to clarify, there are different types of manual versions out there such as hydraulic and just the standard crank handle that you will have to turn around and around. In terms of cost, the manual versions are the most affordable, but also the least practical as you can imagine. The second option is the single motor which is more expensive than the manual but cheaper than the dual motors. While these are good, they are also limited to how much weight they can hold; usually around the 80kg mark. While this is sufficient, at higher heights it will be less stable with desktops, laptops and equipment on the desk compared with a dual motor powered standing desk. The best option is the most expensive option which is the dual motor. At Deskbird NZ, we have gone with the dual motor in our frames; this is due to the fact that it is so strong and durable; even though it is more expensive the value it can provide long term is great. We think that standing desks are something that consumers won’t want to switch all the time hence it may be better to provide the best option possible. The great thing about having the best motor and frame is that even in 10 years if your standing desk top is worn out, you can just replace the desk top without replacing the desk frame; saving you hundreds of dollars down the line. We may be increasing our range to include a single motor to cater for customers who don’t require a high weight load. A good tip to check how strong a frame and motor is, is to check what the maximum weight load is. Do give us a follow to stay up to date on new products!
Desk-top:
The third and last component of an adjustable standing desk is the standing desk top. Desk tops can be made out of a variety of different materials such as chipboard/particle board, HDF, MDF, bamboo and plywood. Here at Deskbird NZ we mainly use MDF and plywood for our desk tops as we believe they provide the best value/quality and cost for the end consumer. The top itself isn’t as complicated as the motors and frame but still an important part aesthetically and functionality wise. Each different brand and company will have certain features about their desk; for example the features of our standing desk top include 2 x desk grommet for cables, curved edges for safety and aesthetics and a USB port on the side of our keypad for fast charging. We also have add-ons available such as a wireless charger that can charge your phone through the table. In terms of the best desk top, it is entirely up to you as the customer. Why is that? That is because every desktop feature will be different for different brands and we understand that different people will have different requirements for desks. There will be more varieties coming out later in the year such as bamboo. Stay tuned!
The last big cost of adjustable standing desks is the shipping. Because our standing desks are heavy and big, they do not qualify for courier deliveries as they weigh over 20kg. They need to be specifically delivered by two people in order to adhere to health and safety protocols; something we really stand by. This is to protect staff from injuries and a bad back. Because we provide free shipping here at Deskbird NZ, it does play a factor in the cost as shipping often is around the $100 mark to be transparent. With all that said, it is important to look at which adjustable desk option would suit you best. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments! We hope this content has provided you some insight into adjustable standing desks in NZ!
