Height Adjustable Tables: The Rising Trend

Height adjustable tables are increasing in popularity, but like any growing trend, it can be hard to determine what the best option is.  We are here to help make sense of it all and explain why we choose to sell electric height adjustable tables instead of pneumatic or counter balanced tables.

Appropriate Tension

Functionally, you have to set the tension on a pneumatic table to accommodate the specific weight the table frame will support. Even when adjusted for the correct weight a pneumatic table requires some physical exertion to adjust up and down. If the tension setting on a pneumatic table is not set correctly it can be difficult to raise and lower posing a risk, especially for people with back problems, injuries or other conditions.

For employers with a large number of employees it is inevitable that some of the desks will be set at the wrong tension at least some of the time over the many years the tables will be in use.

We believe this risk is enough to choose an electric table over a pneumatic table all other things being equal. But of course all other things are not equal.

Cost and Energy Efficiency

When pneumatic tables were first conceived, electric tables cost over $2,000 and had significant power draw. With technological advances, electric tables now cost less to manufacture than pneumatic tables with consumer prices reflecting these efficiencies.

The amount of power electric tables use is a valid concern. Pneumatic tables do not use any electricity whereas electric tables use power even when in standby mode. There are appliances on the market that draw 10 watts and more when in standby mode and that is unacceptable when you consider offices may have hundreds of products concurrently running in standby mode. The key is to ensure that the amount of standby power being used is minimized.

ergoCentric’s upCentric™ Height Adjustable Table uses .06 watts of power in stand-by with plans to reduce this power consumption to .0001 watt.  What does this mean? This means energy consumption costs pennies per century, making the impact on the environment virtually zero.

Care must be taken to ensure the electric tables you buy draw minimal power when in standby mode.  With that issue covered the choice is clear, especially when ergoCentric’s is the only company we are aware of that offers an L-shaped electric height adjustable table configuration.  Electric height adjustable tables are the better solution.