Office Furniture Outlet - How To Select Office Furniture 101

Commercial Office Furniture at a Fraction of the Cost of New!

    Office Furniture Outlet

HOW TO 101 HOW TO CHOOSE OFFICE FURNITURE	Quick tips

Modern office furniture runs the gamut in cost and quality – from inexpensive imports to top-of-the-line chairs, desks, cabinets and cubicles. Here’s how you can outfit your own office with A-grade gear without bloating your budget. The average American worker spends nearly 2,000 hours each year on the job, according to the International Labour Organization – that’s a whole multitude of minutes spent parked in a chair or poised at a desk. With so much time earmarked for work, it’s important to appoint office space with quality furnishings made for long-term comfort and style. Yet the best in office furniture can run into the thousands of dollars, so the more budget-minded are wise to consider pre-owned furniture. Pre-owned furniture dealers sell used yet top-of-the-line desks, chairs, cabinets and cubicles. Indianapolis’ Office Furniture Outlet acquires its inventory from Fortune 500 companies that sell off equipment when updating their furnishings, downsizing or going out of business. Office Furniture Outlet (OFO), then cleans, refurbishes and resells this stock at one-third to one-half the original price. About 60 percent of OFO’s customers are looking to outfit business offices; the rest are homeowners establishing an in-home workspace. Homeowners generally are used to the inventories available from mass merchandisers, and they make their determination strictly on price and very seldom on quality. In actuality, there is not a lot of difference in the price of the pre-owned, A-grade merchandise OFO makes available and the imported mass merchandise they sell at big-box retailers. While the cost may be comparable, the quality is vastly different. OFO boasts inventory from Steelcase, Herman Miller, Hayworth, HON and Kimball, all of whom produce best-available products for long-term use. By purchasing pre-owned furniture, you can affordably outfit your own office for years of use. The first item you should look for is a good chair. Without that, you’re susceptible to back problems, carpal tunnel problems, things of that nature. Nearly all chairs are made to accommodate a broad range of sizes, so the most important feature is adjustability. Look for a chair that adjusts up and down and back and forth. It also should be on sturdy casters for maximum mobility. The second office staple, a keyboard tray, is equally important for long-term comfort. Every computer user should avoid the temptation to type at desk height and invest instead in a commercial-grade keyboard tray that moves from side to side and up and down for precise positioning. If you’re continually working and typing at desk height, you will likely develop carpal tunnel syndrome. The focal point of most offices is the desk, so look for a piece that is both attractive and built to last. Quality wood desks are made of cherry, walnut, mahogany or oak solids and veneers. If it’s a steel desk you seek, consider its gauge, remembering that heavier is better. A quality desk will have drawers that operate on steel ball-bearing slides, and all mechanisms will guaranteed by the manufacturer for life. Drawers will have all-wood interiors rather than flimsy vinyl wraps. The final component of a basic office is durable file space. As with desks, the best file cabinets are constructed of heavy-gauge steel and have good slide mechanisms. The best slides have steel ball bearings, while mid-range products have fiberglass bearings or metal-on-metal slides. Once you’ve purchased your “new to you” office furniture, don’t forget to perform some simple maintenance from time to time. Oil the casters, work the mechanisms, cycle the pneumatic cylinders in the chairs, keep the items clean, and they will last for you. v	Price-conscious shoppers often are lured by inexpensive, mass-produced office furniture. Yet high-quality, pre-owned furniture can deliver comfort, style and years of use. While the price is usually equal, the quality is vastly different. The following are a few examples of affordable, high-quality furniture: Chair A highly adjustable chair with casters, dense foam cushion and sturdy fabric only costs $75 to $100. Keyboard tray A good one tilts, moves in and out and from side to side for precise positioning and will only cost $50. Steel desk Constructed of heavy-gauge steel, a good steel desk has drawers that are sturdy and do not twist and will cost $75 to $100. Wood desk Built of cherry, walnut, mahogany or oak, a solid desk will cost $300 to $1,000. File cabinet Constructed of heavy-gauge steel, a good file cabinet should support your weight if you stand on it and will only cost $100.