How Long Do Pneumatic Desks Last?
A pneumatic sit-stand desk is all about style and comfort. If you want the home office to be multifunctional, pneumatic desks are your go-to option. Don’t worry about the extra bucks though. The desk justifies the price by giving you less trouble throughout its lifetime.
That brings us to the question, how long do pneumatic desks last?
A premium quality pneumatic desk will last for 30 years. It is 3 to 5 times more than an electric standing desk. Even if you buy the mid-range design with a motor promising 5000 cycles, it has the potential to last for 15 to 20 years easily.
Here, you will know more useful information regarding a pneumatic desk’s lifetime and what factors affect it. Moreover, you will learn how to associate a desk motor’s life cycle with its lifetime. Does it sound interesting?
Then, without wasting any more time, let’s get started.
How Long Do Pneumatic Standing Desks Last?
The average lifespan of an office desk is 15 years. We are talking about regular desks without any ergonomic facilities. So, if you want to invest double the amount of money in a pneumatic sit-stand desk, it should last longer. Luckily, you can expect a decent-quality pneumatic desk to have a lifespan of 30 years. The lifetime can increase or decrease depending on the type of material used.
Let’s compare this lifespan to its other competitors. So, you can get a clear picture.
A static standing desk lasts for 15+ years without any trouble. While an electric sit-stand table is expected to serve for 5+ years. Don’t fall for the “30 or more years” tag on it. Within a few years, the motor will collapse and need intense repairing.
It is wise to check for the warranty before making a decision. You will notice most electric standing desks have a warranty for 5 years only. That says a lot about its expected durability.
On the other hand, a mid-range pneumatic desk will stand in your office for at least 15-20 years easily. Its higher durability depends on the pneumatic mechanism that runs underneath the surface. As you push the lever, the pistons start moving. The volume of the chamber gets reduced.
Finally, the air has to move to the other chamber to neutralize the pressure. As it moves to the expandable chamber, the table legs increase in size.
Factors That Affect A Pneumatic Standing Desk’s Lifespan
You can keep your pneumatic desk longer by following some rules. You see, certain factors affect the desk’s lifetime. If you take care of these factors properly, you can cut a lot of repairing money. But what are those factors?
Frequency of Use
It is not a good idea to keep pushing the lever when you don’t need it. Just like any other ergonomic office furniture, the motor comes with a certain life cycle. Life-cycle means the amount of time it can repeat the mechanism without fail.
Once that limit is over, you will have to repair or replace it. You see, it doesn’t only depend on the weight or material. Even a premium quality standing desk will fail to go over 5 years if the lever is pushed too frequently.
Now, there must be a lot of questions in your head right now? For example, how would you know the life cycle of a motor? Don’t worry. We will discuss how the frequency of use and the motor’s life cycle is connected in the next segment. So, stay tuned till then.
Load
Most pneumatic desks are manufactured to hold a certain amount of weight. It is clearly written in the instruction manual. You need to have a proper understanding of how much load you can put on it. If that limit is crossed, be prepared to repair it sooner than expected.
Now, the ideal weight also depends on the strength of the motor. However, 50lbs is the average limit in most cases. That doesn’t mean the desk will break if you put something a little heavy on it.
We just mean that to get the smoothest transition from sitting to standing, the load should be 50lbs at max. All you have to do is push a lever. And, the desk will execute your wish within 3 seconds (average).
If you wish to keep more objects on the desk surface, pick one with a high weight capacity. Some robust pneumatic standing desks are designed to carry up to 175lbs easily. You should ask for such designs.
Maintenance
How can we forget regular care and maintenance? Not just a pneumatic desk, but any device is going to wear out if we don’t maintain it properly. Our suggestion is to never put too heavy objects on the desk. Yeah, your desk might have a maximum limit of 50lbs. But it is better to stay under this limit all the time. That way, you won’t stress out the motors. Plus, the lifting will be smooth like butter. Who doesn’t want that?
Another important maintenance tip is to stop interfering with the desk while it shifts. It is a bad idea to touch or try to stop the desk while the desk is moving.
How Can You Calculate The Lifespan Of Motor?
The standing desks work because of the motor. You will easily find the life cycle of a motor inside the instruction manual. It can be 5000 to 10000 cycles. However, what does it tell us about the lifespan of a desk? And, how does the frequency of use affect it? we promised you this answer. So, here we go.
First of all, let’s find out the number of working days in a year. Considering all the weekends and festivals, there are 250 days left for work. We will include the
Also, remember that we have prepared this table based on an eight-hour work day. So, if your shift requires more or fewer hours, the result will differ.
Life-Cycle | Cycles used each day | Number of days in a year | Cycles used over the year | Total Years |
---|---|---|---|---|
5000 | 1 | 250 | 250 | (5000/250)= 20 years |
5000 | 2 | 250 | 500 | 10 years |
5000 | 3 | 250 | 750 | 6.67 years |
5000 | 4 | 250 | 1000 | 5 years |
10000 | 1 | 250 | 250 | 40 years |
10000 | 2 | 250 | 500 | 20 years |
10000 | 3 | 250 | 750 | 13.33 years |
10000 | 4 | 250 | 1000 | 10 years |
Let’s analyze the table. Suppose your desk is equipped with a ‘5000″ cycle motor. And, you need to apply two cycles every day (for sitting and standing). So, the total number of cycles used in a year (250 days) will be 500. In that case, it will take you (5000/500) 10 years to finish the life cycle. The lifespan keeps reducing as you use it more frequently. That’s visible in the calculation above.
Now, if you pick a motor with a 10000- cycle capacity, the lifespan will be double (20 years). The more frequently you push the lever, the shorter lifespan it will enjoy.
Here is a piece of good news. Motors tend to outperform their life cycle most of the time. If you take care properly, it will stay around for more years.
Is The Pneumatic Standing Desk Worth It?
During the research, around 47% of employees in Denmark claimed to have lower back pain. The reason is simple. It is hard for workers to maintain a straight posture for a prolonged period. They feel tempted to slouch over the desk a little. Such posture leaves our spine in an awkward position. Before you know it, the pain is there.
And, the number of cases will increase even more since the “remote” job craze has taken over the world.
So, what’s the solution? Well, a sit-stand table can be the ultimate life saver. For example, a pneumatic desk allows you to get up from the seat and work while standing. The pneumatic mechanism enables the desk to match your ideal height in any given situation. Hence, the work never stops and you don’t feel fatigued. What’s more to it? Let’s find out. Shall we?
Burn More Calories
Did you know that walking burns 210 calories per hour? Imagine you are working and shedding pounds at the same time. that’s like a dream come true for many of us. Well, with a pneumatic sit-stand desk, it is possible. Just bring the treadmill to your home office and put it in front of the desk.
Now, extend the height of the table. That way, you can type on the computer or watch a conference without lowering your eyes. Now, start walking on the equipment and monitor your work from there. It will increase the blood circulation in your system. Consequently, you will feel a sudden energy boost.
Maintain A Good Posture
We don’t need to highlight how important it is to keep the lower spine in an ideal position. But we also understand the difficulty it asks for. It gets even harder if the table is static. No human can keep a single posture for more than 30 minutes. You are bound to shift. And, that’s why their desks need to move with you.
Pneumatic desks do just that. When you want to stand, the pneumatic desk goes into “standing” mode. Hence, there is no need to slump or slouch over. When the table goes into the “sitting” height, you can add an office chair to bring you some comfort.
Whether you should get a regular mesh chair or a comfy cushion chair is totally up to you. But if you need more information to make a decision, kindly follow our article on mesh VS cushion chairs.
Feel Less Fatigued
Boredom is the enemy of productivity. And, it comes when you are fatigued. If you are working in the same chair for 4 hours straight, you can’t really blame yourself.
However, pneumatic desks are more fun. You can change your work setting multiple times away. No need to leave your tasks to stretch your muscles a bit. You can stand and do a little work-out while staying connected to the office. Isn’t that great?
Final Note
Standing desks are the new trend. If you are a fitness enthusiast, there is no way you wouldn’t love it. But among all types of standing desks available in the market, the pneumatic ones are the most popular.
However, you are expected to pay a decent price to get your hands on this office furniture. But that’s just one side of the coin. Once you calculate how long pneumatic desks last, the money will be worth it for sure.
We think you should add this cool feature to your cozy home office. What do you say?