Choosing your office furniture
We all know the saying you get what you pay for, but when it comes to office furniture, what’s really the difference? And do you really need to pay outrageous prices for quality furniture? You can buy anything from Walmart to Global furniture to furnish your office. While everyone would love to buy the nicest (and presumably most expensive) office furniture possible, is it worth it? What are the options?
We’re going to take a dive into what you get from a few different categories of furniture. We get that what’s right for one business may not be what’s best for another business. Everything from budget to style can play a part in what the best decision is for you and your business when it comes to finding the perfect fit.
Walmart office furniture
Walmart furniture is definitely extremely cost effective. You can furnish an entire office with a minimal budget. The quality, however, is very poor. You will find yourself replacing broken office chairs, have bubbling on the surface of conference tables, and have corners of desks chipping and peeling. Not to mention because the materials used to build the furniture are cheap, draws tend to not slide well, get stuck and break easily.
Who Walmart furniture may be a good fit for
If you’re just starting out and have super limited funds (like you’re not even sure you can fully afford your office space) choosing somewhere like Walmart or Target may indeed be the best temporary option for you. It isn’t going to last long, but it’s better than sitting on the ground!
IKEA office furniture
A little bit up from that you could quite easily, and affordably, deck your office chock full of IKEA furniture. IKEA products aren’t fantastic quality, but are better than Walmart, and much more sleek in appearance. This office furniture isn’t going to last terribly long either though. You may get a couple years out of it, depending on how much use the furniture gets on a daily basis.
Who IKEA office furniture may be a good fit for
If you’re just starting out, and don’t have much of a budget, but want to have slightly better quality, and a more modern feel, shopping Ikea may be the way to go on this one. The office furniture will last longer than the Walmart or Target brands, but most likely not by too much. Also, the comfort level is not what you will get with higher quality office furniture.
High quality brands: Tayco, Knoll, Global, Steelcase, etc.
Then on the other end of the spectrum, you can buy brand new, superior quality furniture like Tayco, Knoll, Global, or Steelcase. These brands are known for their superior quality. You can opt for either a sleek or a more traditional appearance, and it’s going to last you years. You are more likely to replace your office furniture because you feel like updating your space, than you are due to anything breaking. Plus, the quality is second to none. This means not only will your furniture be super durable and last a long time, but you will have extremely comfortable furniture.
Who high quality brands such as Tayco, Knoll, Global and Steelcase may be a good fit for
Going the route of high-end furniture is ideal for those who have a decent budget starting out, or have been in business for a while and are looking to upgrade their style, durability, or comfort. If you have staff, this is also a fantastic route to go because comfort in office furniture can bring up morale, and reduce things such as back pain. When looking at quality furniture lines, having a superior desk can also bring up productivity for years.
Your office furniture is an investment, not just an expense as some may view it. It can truly have an enormous impact on how efficient your space is, how productive you and your staff are, and how happy everyone is working in your work environment. If you’re looking at re-doing your work space, you may want to check out our previous blog, “10 Ways to Create a Blissful and Productive Office Space”. If reducing missed work days from yourself and your staff due to pain is a concern, check out, “Ergonomic Office Chairs:How to Pick the Right Office Chair for You and Your Staff”.
What if I want quality furniture, but can’t afford the full price tag?
This is one of our favorite parts of what we do! At Better Office Furniture in St. Charles, we have the ability to provide businesses with quality and comfort in their office furniture with our pre-owned selections, at a less expensive rate. Of course if you are able, or prefer, to have brand new furniture we can always accommodate that. Buying brand new will increase your options and the selection available to you, but rest assured we can look at your space and determine what pre-owned furniture we have that will work well for your office and staff for years.
Whatever level you may deem yourself at, feel free to contact us for questions! You also never know what steal of a deal we may have available at out warehouse at the time. Sometimes buying brand new from a “cheaper” place can actually cost you more out of pocket right now; and definitely cost you more long term due to the need to replace more frequently!
