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6 Important Factors You Should Consider Before Buying A Writing Desk

The importance of posture

A writing desk is one of the most essential tools for people who work from home. Without a proper writing table, you will quickly find yourself uncomfortable after holding your laptop on thighs for hours.

I’m a full time freelance writer and blogger, so I’m using a desk between 50-6o hours each week. I learned the hard way the importance of posture after I started writing for a living. Typing 3000 words a day with a bad posture is a quick way to make your life a lot more difficult.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I started developing mild carpal tunnel syndrome in my hands from typing super fast and with bad posture. I didn’t have to get surgery or anything, but I did get a brace to help with positioning my hands. Ultimately, my hands got better through taking breaks, fixing my posture and lifting weights.

For me it was my hands, but for someone else it could be their back. The moral of the story is pay attention to your posture. The little time it takes you to fix your posture now can save you a lot of pain in the long run.

In this post, I’m going to tell you the 5 most important factors you should consider before buying a writing desk. It’s very important to review this before buying a product because resending and refunding a writing desk can be a hassle.

1. Material

One of the first things you should look at when assessing a writing desk is the material it’s made out of. Most writing desks are made out of specific types of woods and are supported by steel or metals.  The material it’s made out of will determine how durable the desk will be.

Ideally, you want a desk that is sturdy. The majority of writing desks today will last you a few years as long as you’re not jumping on them.

Both wood and metal types of writing desks are great, but the metal ones can hold more weight generally. This isn’t a huge factor in most people’s buying decision, but if you plan on placing a lot of heavy items on your desk, you should get a metal one.

Another important point in regards to material is looking at the finish of the writing desk. The finish of the writing desk is basically it’s top layer (color) and its texture.

If you have any specific textures you don’t like, make sure to look at the finish before ordering it. I say this because there are some textures that make me feel sweaty/uncomfortable. It’s important that your hands and forearms can withstand feeling the finish on your writing desk for 8+ hours a day.

Examples of wood finishes for writing desks on Amazon

2. Dimensions and size

When you are shopping for a writing desk in-person, you don’t have to ask how big the desk is. Generally, most stores have some sort of display where you can estimate how see how big the writing desk is and whether or not it will fit in your room.

When shopping online for a writing desk, you must pay attention to the size and dimensions listed on the product page. The last thing you want is to get your dream writing desk and it can’t fit in your room or office.

The dimensions and size will often impact the price of a writing desk. Generally, larger writing desks with larger parts will cost more than smaller writing desks.

If you are shopping for kids, make sure the listing shows the dimensions and it clearly says children’s desk in the title or description. Many writing desks online are mostly targeted towards adults, so make sure you add “kids” or “children” in the search bar when searching for a desk for kids.

For writing desks, there’s not really a standard size. Most people choose different sizes based on their specific needs. The only measurements you need to worry about are the height, width and depth of the writing desk.

  • The height is how tall the desk is
  • The width is the horizontal length of the desk
  • Depth is the measurement from the front to the back of the desk

To give you an idea here’s what the dimensions will look for sample writing desks:

  • An executive desk is about 60 in * 30 in * 30 in (width * depth * height)
  • An child’s desk is about 36in * 24 in * 20 in (width * depth * height)

You don’t need to memorize these kinds of measurements, but it’s just good to keep in mind when you are searching for a writing desk. If you see a writing desk with measurements that are 150 in* 120 in * 120 in, you should probably avoid buying it.

Most writing desks online are pictured in a room, so you can get a good estimate regarding the size of the desk just from the picture. Here’s a sample one from Amazon.

3. Design

The design of the writing desk will impact both how your room or office looks in addition to how easy it is to work on the desk. As you can see from the two sample desks pictured above, the designs for writing desks can vary significantly.

Although some of the unique designs can be really cool to look at, it’s not the most practical. Once you have your desk for several weeks, you likely will not care about how unique it looks and you’ll be focused on the utility of it.

Websites will typically list the design type in the description of the writing desk. Some of the types of designs you will likely see include industrial ,modern and more. The design will impact how the writing desk is shaped, structured, colored and more. 

Generally, the better the design, the more expensive the writing desk will be. The majority of writing desks have a modern or industrial type of design, but there are custom writing desks that help with specific needs. The design will also impact how hard or easy the writing desk is to assemble.

If the writing desk has a lot of unique parts, it will likely require more assembly work than a standard writing desk that has been mass produced. This is important to keep in mind in case something happens to the writing desk that requires repairs.

4. Assembly

The assembly of a writing desk is very important. The majority of writing desks are not extremely difficult to assemble, but they will require work. This is one of the benefits of buying a writing desk online.

Unless you are purchasing a unique writing desk, there have likely been hundreds or thousands of people who have bought the same writing desk. This means that it will be easier to find guides to help you assemble the writing desk in case you get stuck on the manual and instructions.

If you purchase a writing desk from Walmart or another physical retailer, the process of assembly is 100% your responsibility. You cannot call a Walmart associate to come to your house and assemble the writing desk for you.

Online writing desks have advanced so much that some of them don’t require assembly at all. Check out this example from Amazon:

If you specifically don’t want a writing desk that you don’t want to assemble, include the keywords “no assembly” in your search. This will help bring up writing desks that don’t require assembly.

Assembly is not a bad thing, most writing desks will require you to assemble them. The problem comes when the writing desk you bought needs a ton of assembly. If you have problems with assembly, you will have to re-box everything and return it.

5. Price

Price is probably the most self-explanatory factor when it comes to deciding a writing desk. You’ve probably already made up your mind on the budget you’d like to spend on a writing desk. Let’s explore the differences in pricing so you can make the best buying decision.

The majority of writing desks available fall into 1 of 3 price categories:

  • $0-$100
  • $100-$400
  • $400-$1,000

These price ranges offer a variety of writing desks for different needs. Here’s what to expect with each budget.

$0-$100

For the writing desks priced between $0 and $100, the quality can vary drastically. I personally would not buy any writing desk under $50. This is because the majority of them are low quality and I would likely have to replace them sooner than other ones.

On the higher end of this price range ($75-$100), you can honestly find some great writing desks. These are probably the best options for college students and anyone else who’s on a tighter budget.

I would recommend buying writing desks at that price only from big sites like Walmart or Amazon. This is because you can easily return them if you don’t like it. If you’re buying your first writing desk online, getting a lower priced one that’s closer to $100 is a great buying decision.

$100-$400

This price range is where you will get the most bang for your buck generally. All of the modern, sleek writing desks are priced in this range. Buying a writing desk that is priced between $100-$400 will likely last you at least 3-5 years with moderate wear and tear.

The materials, drawers and other accessories on these kinds of writing tables are great. This is a great option for home offices, dorms and anyone who wants to have a good writing desk for a long period of time.

The higher priced writing desks ($250-$400) will often come with added features and special materials. This is a good investment for anyone who works from home.

$400-$1,000

The writing desks priced in this range are the best quality of writing desks. These are great options for busy professionals who are optimizing for productivity and comfort.

Some writing desks in this range will come with extra accessories, chairs and more. The modern writing desks priced in this range have a lot of utility for the person using the desk. You will also find unique types of desks like antique desks priced in this range also.

Other types of writing desks in this price range include executive desks and setups. These are the desks used by high earning professionals and you will often see this desks in government buildings. One thing to note about these desks is that they are much larger than the average writing desks.

The material its made out of along with the dimensions make it very heavy and it can be difficult to assemble. Due to the quality of the materials and design, these desks can literally last for decades.

Here’s an example of one from Amazon:

 

6. Shelves and drawers

What is a writing desk without adequate shelves and drawers?

Shelves and drawers are some of the most important features when selecting the writing desk you want to purchase. Although the design and material that the desk is made out of can be aesthetically pleasing, lack of shelves and drawers can make a writing desk annoying to work with.

Since you are spending dozens of hours per week at your writing desk, it should be able to store some of the main supplies that you need to do your work. The writing desk that you choose doesn’t need to be a garage, but having enough space to place books, pens, notepads, etc, can make your life much easier.

Final thoughts

A writing desk can help you create the best work environment possible while improving your productivity. Without a proper writing desk, you can easily spend dozens of hours each week working on kitchen tables, living rooms and other places that offer a lot of distractions.

Although most writing desks today will fit the needs of most people for a short period of time, taking some of the considerations in this blog will prevent you from making a bad purchase decision and assembling/reassembling a writing desk.

You don’t need to buy the most expensive writing desk to fulfill your needs. Buying a desk with just a few of the desired features mentioned in this blog will last you for years comfortably.

 

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