Mobile Desks: An Old Invention Still on the Move
Believe it or not, furniture has been historically mobile. Medieval royalty furniture, for instance, was made collapsible for transport. They had folding chairs, trestle tables, and knockdown bed frames, just like today. King Henry XIII even sported a well-known portable desk (pictured left). And it was the mobile desk in its many forms that stuck around through the ages.
There was the lap desk in the 16th century meant for writing in bed (yep, working from bed isn’t just a 2020s thing—we’ve done that for 500 years). The durable field desk, built for easy carrying, was used on battlefields from the Civil War to Vietnam. Typewriter desks debuted in the early 1900s, donning wheels and much-needed storage. Over the years, mobile desks kept upgrading—especially their aesthetic.
In the mid-century, furniture got sleek. Modernist designs focused on clean lines and bold colors that harmonize with office aesthetics. Furniture also became lighter and less bulky. It got cheaper, with plastic and plywood becoming standard construction so they could be mass-produced as office real estate boomed.
Today, mobile desks are made for more than convenience and style. They’re designed for ergonomics (link to blog), modularity, and sustainability. They’re accessorized with charging ports, cable management, a collapsible design, locking wheels, whiteboard surfaces, and memory presets for height and lighting adjustments, to name a few. And the work world has taken note.
Employers use modern mobile desks to optimize office space and rearrange when it’s time for a change. Workers can move to optimal environments, whether a quiet space for focus or an area with natural light for a mental boost. They can bring work to collogues for a second opinion. The movement itself can help mitigate common physical ailments like musculoskeletal issues and heart disease, especially where employees spend long hours at their desks.
Some desks let you customize the look with colors and branding to reinforce company values and add a touch of modern style. Some have adjustable heights, so people can sit and stand throughout the workday. They’re also less expensive. Basic workstations can cost from $1,500 to $5,000—and up to $10,000 for the higher end. You can buy a mobile desk for $150 and up to $3,000 or $4,000 for the higher quality.
In other words, it’s no surprise that mobile desks have been around for centuries. And, of course, we find them in workplaces around the planet. Though an old innovation, they align with modern trends, not least because they adapt to individual workstyles, promoting employee autonomy and happiness. As employers know, a happy, healthy, comfortable employee is a productive one.