Are Your Bamboo Standing Desks Surface Durable?

Most folks working extensive work hours, sitting at their desk, are prone to health concerns. A sedentary lifestyle does much more harm than those who are on the move. High blood pressure, obesity, and other linked cardiovascular health concerns have been higher in those sitting for long hours.

Solution? While there are many solutions, the question is why you would consider it when you can prevent it. Apart from regular posture exercises and taking short breaks at work, many companies focus on employee health and linked work productivity. They have equipped their employees with a standing desk.

Office Standing Desk

What is an office standing desk?

An office standing desk keeps you healthier as you alternate positions between sitting and standing, as you prefer.  As your body moves, blood flow increases, and your body muscles change positions, loosening up. Studies indicate benefits ranging from improved metabolism, reduced aches and pains, and more. They are sturdy and can be raised and lowered by cranking them up or manually adjusting the settings or electric motors.

When the use of an electric motor optimizes them, they are also called a standing electric desk.  Here are our reviews of the eight most powerful electric standing desk.

What material are they made of?

The range is diverse, with many made from wood ranging from particle board or engineered board, maple wood, wood veneer, powder-coated wood, bamboo desk surface, wooden laminates, and more. There are options available in metals which range from steel, polished aluminum, and painted though these are less popular due to a higher price tag.

Bamboo?

Is a bamboo desk top a good surface for a standing office desk?  Will it be durable?  Will it spoil if water is spilled on it? Many such questions arise when you discuss the use of bamboo for a standing electric desk.  Here is our review of a bamboo adjustable desk for an eco-friendly office.

Let us see this in some more detail.

Bamboo- the wood of choice

Bamboo is found in various parts of the world, specifically in East Asia and South Asia. It is used extensively as a construction material.

Bamboo is popular because of its high tensile strength when used in construction. Bamboo engineered wood is often used for bamboo office desk surfaces. It is soft yet tough with a high tensile light-weight, less expensive when compared to other construction materials.

Fashionable and economical, engineered bamboo wood is refreshing with its natural wood for solid bamboo tabletop.  Don’t miss our review of ideas for a bamboo desk setup.

Durability Tests for Bamboo

As you explore a bamboo standing desk top electric desk, it is important to know how long the standing desk will last you.  During a normal course of the day, the standing desk is subjected to different types of tests as you place a hot cup of coffee or perhaps a cold glass of water.  Here are some common situations which test the durability of your wooden desk surface.

1. Spillage of Water

Water spillage on a desk is quite common, and water stays on the desk until you wipe it off with tissue paper.  A water test for spillage was carried with water on the desk for a minute or so, on a standing desk with a bamboo desk surface. 

Result? The wooden bamboo surface did not show any damages that could be permanent.  Why? Bamboo, being a softwood, easily absorbs water and dries it out.

2. Cold Drinks and Effect of Condensation on Bamboo

Often you carry cans of aerated drinks and juices, sipping them, refreshing yourself as you work extensive hours. Can these cans/bottles/plastic cups harm your standing desk’s bamboo wood surface?  A logical question that you may not ask yourself unless you have monetarily invested for the desk yourself. After all, it’s your money.

Presuming that a chilled can was left on the desk over a weekend or for a day (24 hours duration), what is the effect on the bamboo wood?

Results showed that bamboo's natural properties absorbed the condensation from the can. The water from condensed drops was perhaps distributed across the wooden surface with capillary action, leaving the overall surface intact. Good to move on!

3. Soaked And Drenched?

Soaking the wooden bamboo surface for twenty-four hours resulted in the soaked end wood swell-up.  Clearly, bamboo could do with some chemical treatment to avoid the wood from swelling up should the working conditions involve situations where the desk surfaces could be drenched or soaked in water. Highly unlikely in an office/work situation, isn’t it?

Aha! So, bamboo is a good surface for use.

4. Writing Impressions

When you are working at your desk (wooden surface made of bamboo), there are times when you pull –out a yellow stick to write a note or a reminder for yourself. How would this affect the bamboo desk surface? Will it leave impressions or imprint when used with a single sheet of paper?

Regretfully, it did!  The wooden surface was tested, as a single sheet of paper was kept, and something was written on it, applying the regular pressure used while writing.

Hmm.. bamboo is not a good surface when subject to regular writing pressure. It needs a lamination or some chemical treatment before use in a productive office environment.

5. Weight Drag

When using an office desk, most of us tend to prop our bags or heavy files on the desk.  Does a bamboo desk surface survive this wear and tear?

Well, bamboo did not take this tress of a ten pounds dumbbell very well as a dumbbell was dragged across the bamboo desk surface. It left marks behind!

Oops. It sure needs further strengthening!

6. Weight Drop

At the office, there could be situations when you may drop a cup of coffee, a paperweight, a souvenir, or a heavy file, on the bamboo desk's surface. How well would the bamboo hold up?

Results were similar to the earlier test. When the bamboo was subjected to a weight drop (two and a half pounds), dropped from six inches above the bamboo desk's surface, it left visibly deep impressions on the surface.  Not quite impressive. 

Summary

In summary, wood though durable, and used widely for construction, surely has high resistance as a primary property.  However, used in an office environment, it would need some amount of care and caution!  Go for it if you can manage!