Office Furniture 2020: Year In Review

It's been a crazy year to say the least. The office furniture world was no exception. In 2020 we saw major changes to the workplace with the addition to new products designed to reduce the spread of Covid-19, along with trend setting new furniture and seating from innovative brands. Today on the blog we'll take a look back at everything 2020 had to offer.

Acrylic Screens & Dividers

Even before 2020 began, manufacturers like Global and Flash Furniture were hard at work crafting acrylic screens and space dividers designed to fight the spread of Covid-19. From clamp on desk screens to freestanding partitions, 2020's health-minded products were truly top notch. We can't say enough good things about the manufacturers that made it their mission to keep work environments safe.

Easy To Clean Seating

2020's antimicrobial and antibacterial seating solutions were a hit with businesses. From the waiting room to the conference room, easy to clean seating solutions were a must consider. With antimicrobial and antibacterial vinyl chairs, reducing the spread of germs in the workplace was much easier.

Powered Conference Tables

The days of running extension cords across the conference room have officially come to an end. Powered conference room tables dominated the market in 2020 as they made it easier for businesses to host interactive meetings. The ability to showcase important presentations while improving collaborative efforts will surely keep powered conference tables at the top of our "Trends To Watch" list in 2021.

Modular Training Tables

Wether you're working in a group or practicing social distancing in your collaborative spaces, modular tables have you covered. Popular options like the Rumba series from Safco and Transform series from Special-T made it easy for businesses to adapt on the fly. With these flip top modular tables on wheels, creating unique layouts to meet the needs of any situation was a breeze in 2020.

Standing Height Office Furniture

By now you've probably heard about the negative effects caused by sitting for extended periods of time in the workplace. It was for these reasons that furniture manufacturers brought to market a plethora of standing height desks and tables in 2020. Standing height conference tables, multi-media tables, and workstations of all styles make it easy to reduce fatigue while simultaneously improving blood flow. They're also really cool!

Ergonomic Task Stools

Standing height office furniture and ergonomic task stools are a match made in heaven. With today's perch stools, adjustable drafting chairs, and bar height stools you can perfectly compliment your standing height stations to encourage a more ergonomically correct experience for valued visitors.

Gray Office Furniture

No furniture finish was more popular than Gray in 2020. From solid grays to gray woodgrain tones, every reputable manufacturer on the planet brought us trend setting finishes to help revamp interiors. Sure, finishes like Cherry and Mahogany will always have their place. That being said, if you're looking to modernize your interiors and stay up to date with the latest trends, check out popular Gray finishes like Absolute Acajou from Global and Driftwood from Safco.

Made In The USA

This year was full of difficulties related to product inventory. We saw extended lead times and product discontinuations that drove a massive movement towards office furniture made in the USA. Why you ask? Most of the furniture on the market is imported from China. With Covid-19 affecting the world at large, it was extremely difficult for manufacturers to replenish inventories that required products to be shipped into the country from overseas. Office furniture that's made in the USA is extremely high quality and typically a bit more expensive. That being said, you can't go wrong buying domestic. We fully recommend purchasing furniture from brands like Special-T.