Technical Furniture vs Office Furniture: Everything You Need to Know

Investing in the right equipment for your industry is essential. You may not realise it, but office and control room/trading furniture (or technical furniture) are very different.

Environments such as control rooms and trading floors are not like a regular 9-5 office. Their specialised requirements make it important to buy the right kind of furniture. This helps create a functioning, successful workplace. Employees can feel comfortable and perform at their best.

Where is technical furniture used?

Technical furniture is specialised, and often bespoke. Industries with a higher than average need for durable, ergonomic furniture use it. Often these are mission-critical workplaces such as control rooms. These can be for emergency services, transport, utilities and more. Trading floors in banks also need high specification technical furniture. 

The pressurised, 24/7 nature of these environments needs the right furniture. Operators require a higher level of ergonomics and comfort. Usually more than ordinary office furniture can provide. Workstations need to support more monitors and equipment than an office desk too.

What is the difference between office furniture and technical furniture?

Technical furniture is built to a high standard to withstand 24/7 use. It’s built to last and can be more durable than office furniture. 

Ideally, a desk should last ten years or more. It should have the capacity to be maintained and parts replaced during its lifetime. Technical furniture providers will usually offer a longer warranty period. The work surface is usually a high grade laminate to withstand continual use.

Does your workstation have to support multiple monitors and other equipment? If so, cable management is a key consideration. Technical furniture has more advanced cable routing and storage than an office desk. It will also have more IT storage reducing the amount of desk clutter. The IT housing is designed to be accessible, allowing easy IT access for maintenance and moves/changes. 

Height adjustable work surfaces are often incorporated into technical desks. If you're a trader or control room operator you might spend long hours at your workstation. Your comfort and safety are important and standing desks have great ergonomic benefits.

In a 24 hour control room, different shift workers may share consoles. With a sit stand desk, the work surface can be adjusted to your preferred height. This allows it to accommodate varied body shapes and sizes.

A dual work surface desk can also have a controller for adjusting the monitors independently from the main work surface. 

Adjusting between sitting and standing helps you prevent fatigue and maintain alertness. This is essential if you’re working in a pressurised role where you may have to deal with critical situations. Standing desks also have well documented physical benefits. These include better circulation and reduced aches and pains.

Two tier desktops with monitors on the rear desktop and user worksurface on front desktop

Can I use an office desk as my control room console or trading workstation?

The nature of trader and control room work means that standard office furniture won’t cut it in this environment. Workstations need to integrate customised IT equipment. They often support multiple PCs with large monitors in a tiered arrangement. Any technology integrations must include monitor arms capable of supporting these. 

Technical workstations also have enhanced cable management and ventilation systems. They feature extra power and data outlets too.

Office specification furniture only has to support a monitor, keyboard and a telephone. It’s used during 9-5 office hours and usually by one person. It doesn’t need to be designed to perform to the same rigor as technical furniture. It’s a cost effective solution for office based environments and roles.

Technical furniture is built to higher ergonomic standards than office furniture. If you’re working in a high intensity role you’ll find it more comfortable. You’re less likely to develop common health issues associated with desk work. It’ll help prevent issues such as strained muscles, back and neck aches.

To sum up, technical furniture has the following features:

• The desktop will usually have a durable laminate surfaces rather than MFC

• A monitor rail/monitor arm systems that can incorporate large monitor arrays

• PC housings that can cope with multiple large PCs and other hardware

• The addition of a desk flue to dissipate the increased heat load

• Greater desk depth for higher ergonomic viewing standards

• Increased cable management in the form of larger cable management chains and cable trays/troughs.

• Offers easier access to IT storage (access doors\roll out PC trolleys)

• Desk frames that can incorporate dual height adjustable desktops

Chairs need to be specialised too

A quality chair is also essential for control room and trading floor environments. Cheaper office chairs just won't be adequate in a mission-critical workspace. Control room chairs will have a warranty rated for a 24/7 occupation where as normal office chairs will not be guaranteed for this extended use.

Control room and trading floor chairs need to be more ergonomic than a standard office chair. In a control room people of differing heights, weights and body shapes may share them. For this reason, they have to be of a higher specification than the average task chair. They have to be durable and well padded with good adjustment options.

An ergonomic chair provides a good level of support for your back. It allows the seat height and angle to be adjusted to suit your needs. Being able to sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor is ideal.

Comfort levels are important. Control room and trading floor work is pressurised. There may be fewer opportunities to take breaks. The chair’s padding needs to be soft whilst being durable. A headrest can also ease neck strain whilst looking up at screens.

What are the benefits of technical furniture for your employees?

Technical furniture’s higher levels of ergonomics help users who may be working long shifts under considerable pressure.

It has a large enough surface area to support your equipment and reference materials. You should be able to reach frequently used items without having to stretch or stand up. The depth underneath the desk will have enough space to stretch your legs. 

Monitor mounting systems are higher spec. This is because they’re supporting multiple monitors rather than just one. They allow finer adjustments of height, focal depth and tilt.

Even the shape of technical desks can differ from regular office desks. Consoles can  be designed in a concentric curve around a central video display, optimising sight lines.

Technical desks may have built in lighting and IT temperature control systems. You can optimise your environment to suit your needs.

All of this will help employees feel less fatigued and reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury. Adjustable, ergonomic furniture that enables good posture helps everyone perform at their best.

Looking to upgrade your control room or trading floor? Technology Desking has you covered with a great selection of technical furniture. Take a look at our range here