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What do a $9.00 pair of running shoes, a $3.00 hammer and a $49.00 office chair have in common?


All those items are really cheap…and all are really poor quality. The truth is that when an item is priced extremely low compared to it's peers, there is always a reason, and that reason is normally that the item in question is made with inferior materials and/or workmanship. There is place in the world for low quality goods, and that place is usually the landfill in pretty short order. But just for the sake of argument, let's say you are only going to wear a pair of running shoes one time, or use a hammer for only a week, or utilize an office chair for a month or two. In all of those cases, purchasing an inferior product could be a good idea, since you know going in that you're going to dispose of the item quickly anyway. But if you want the item to give you a reasonable life of service, then "cheapest" is almost always a bad idea.

"But they look nearly identical?"

That's what makes it hard to avoid buying junk. If you place the running shoes, hammer and office chair side by side with good quality products it's sometimes very difficult to spot any difference at all. That's what the manufacturers of inferior products want…a good initial appearance to confuse and/or deceive the customer into thinking their product is the same thing, except "just cheaper". The difference becomes very apparent after a period of utilizing the product. The good quality item is still functional, and the junk item isn't. No surprise there.

Commercial Grade vs. Home Grade

Office furniture pretty much falls into two basic categories: Commercial grade and home grade. If an item is going into a home environment where it will only be used occasionally and treated gently, then home grade office furniture is sometimes acceptable. The problem arises when you place a home grade item in a true office work environment. The results are fairly predictable: The serviceable life of the product will not be nearly as long as most folks were expecting when they purchased it. Commercial grade furniture is meant to withstand day-to-day office use and last for a minimum of 3-5 years, and can often be used for 10-15 years with reasonable care.

These two broad categories can be further broken down as follows:

Commercial Grade: High End, Mid Market, and Low End.

Home Grade: Soho and Junk grade (there's just no other word for it).

"So what office furniture should I buy?"

Obviously, it depends on the intended usage and your budget. If it's for your home and will not be in daily use, then home grade might be acceptable. If it's for use in a working office environment office, then commercial grade furniture is your best investment. Unfortunately we see too many instances where someone thought that they were getting a good deal on office furniture, and wind up replacing it within a year or two.

Give us a call and we'll be happy to consult with you regarding your office furniture needs, and we'll do our best to provide you the most functional, durable and cost effective solution possible.