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With two new task chairs and four new meeting chairs, the Formetiq seating range now offers greater choice with the same amazing value. These contemporary chair designs are built for comfort and make an eye catching addition to any workplace design project.

With our new Formetiq upholstery up and running all our seating is now assembled and upholstered in-house by our expert team. Each chair undergoes thorough quality checks to ensure it leaves in perfect condition. We now offer a huge range of fabric choices with multiple colours and materials, from respected manufacturers.

Arrow Group are excited to announce we’ve grown our Formetiq desk range with the addition of the the new Alto 2 Sit-Stand Bench.

The Alto 2 bench includes all the premium features of the Alto 2 single desk to offer a leading back-to-back bench design, including fast height adjustment, programmable controls and advanced anti‑collision technology with adjustable sensitivity.

The addition of optional universal screen brackets and adjustable central cable tray make this bench an ideal solution for modern workplace environments where staff are increasingly requesting sit/stand arrangements or even a shared home office space.

All the electric sit/stand desks in our Alto range use ultra‑quiet motors (lower than 50dB), offer smooth height adjustment (no juddering) and are quick to assemble (under 10 mins).

Eat healthy, move more, stress less…each and every day we’re bombarded with messages, subliminal or direct, about the ways to achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Whilst much of the popular advice will of course divide opinion, most will agree that sitting too much is seriously bad for your health. People who sit a lot have an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. In addition, sitting all the time burns very few calories which has been linked to weight gain by scientific studies. This is a major problem for office workers as they sit down for most of the day. Sit stand desks are becoming increasingly popular.

So what is a sit stand desk?

To coin an old phrase, it does exactly what it says on the tin. Essentially it’s a desk that allows you to stand up comfortably whilst working, allowing the user to vary the height of the desk and alternate between sitting and standing.

White papers conclude that using a standing desk can have impressive benefits for health and overall productivity. At the very least, using this type of desk can partly negate the harmful effects of sitting too much.

So, from the team in the know here at Formetiq, we’ve compiled four benefits of using a standing desk.

1. Standing lowers your risk of weight gain.

Weight gain by its very nature is caused by taking in more calories than you burn. While exercise is the most effective way to burn calories efficiently, simply choosing to stand instead of sitting can be hugely beneficial. In fact, when compared to an afternoon of sedentary work, an equal amount of time spent standing has been shown to burn over 170 additional calories…still want that Mars bar?

2. Height adjustable desks reduce back pain.

We’ve all been there, when the clock ticks three o’clock and your back finally screams enough! Indeed, back pain is one of the most common complaints of office workers who sit all day. Whilst there have been many studies on the aforementioned topic, one concluded that its participants reported up to a 32% improvement in lower back pain after several weeks of using standing desks.

3. Standing boosts productivity.

A common concern about sit stand desks is that they hinder daily tasks such as typing. However a recent study well and truly puts that myth to bed – in a study of 60 young office employees, standing for 4 hours each day had no impact on characters typed per minute or typing errors.

4. Sit stand desks improve mood and energy levels.

In a 7-week study, those using sit stand desks reported less stress and fatigue than those who remained seated the entire working day. Additionally, 87% of those using standing desks reported increased energy levels through the day.

Upon returning to their old desks, overall moods reverted to their original levels. These findings align with broader research on sitting and mental health, which links sedentary time with an increased risk of both depression and anxiety.

After a beautiful weekend wondering through the Suffolk countryside, nipping in and out of the cafes that appeared to line our entire route, I’ve arrived back in the office recharged and ready for whatever the forthcoming week holds for me. As I settled down with my morning cup of tea, my email inbox going “ping, ping”, I’m aware that the rain is beating against the window and Monday morning appears to be exactly that… a typical Monday morning.

But as I sit back and relax into my luxurious Formetiq task chair and fine-tune my desk height to reach my optimal position (yes I’m a creature of habit), I wonder how many other people are enjoying the comforts of their workspace… or lack of.

You see, my line of work means that I’m lucky enough to be invited into businesses of all sizes and whilst there are of course exceptions, it never ceases to amaze me the varying quality of our nation’s workspaces.

However, change is in the air.

Sit stand or height adjustable desks are becoming more widespread as consumers and employers recognise the health benefits and become fully aware of the dangers associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Indeed, recent studies have shown that sitting for long periods of the day is a contributing factor to cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, sitting in a conventional office chair will increase the vertical loading on the spinal discs by up to 50% compared to a standing posture.

New users of height adjustable desks have recognised a number of benefits:

• Improved circulation helps energy levels and better concentration
• Can assist in reducing back pain caused by static and poor posture
• Achieve the ideal desk height whatever your height may be
• Improvement in productivity and communication

Formetiq is pleased to present a range of sit-stand and height adjustable desks that are the epitome of style and function. Our metaphorical microscope is on the Alto with its 3-column legs, anti-collision detection and desktop height variation from 610mm to 1260mm. With a whole suite of options including Bluetooth, the Alto is a welcome addition to any workspace environment.

You can also speak to a product expert by calling 01502 533433 or by emailing us at sales@formetiq.com

Picture the scene… the end of summer is nigh, those summer nights have been replaced by darkness at 5.30pm, a drizzly haze filling the evening sky and gusty winds that remind you winter is just around the corner. However, it’s not all doom and gloom as its time to raid the wardrobe, rescue that woolly jumper and curl up on the sofa in-front of a roaring fire, binging on those old Friends box-sets.

We’ve all done it, meticulously planning and furnishing our respective living rooms to be the ultimate place of comfort and relaxation…or put another way, our happy place.

So why can’t that same dedication be applied to our workspaces? So that we look forward to going into work, arriving at a workstation that oozes style, sophistication and above all, comfort? Well if you follow our advice, you can.

Sit-stand desks

As the name suggests, a desk that switches between standing and sitting means that you can be active without staying on your feet all day – too much standing could cause leg and foot swelling. Our self-confessed style guru’s recommend that you wear comfy shoes with a low or flat heel and lots of arch support whilst standing on a cushioned mat.

Flexible seating

We’ve all had it, eyestrain and acute back pain at some point or another, often caused by an archaic desk or an office chair that’s reminiscent of something found in the terraces of a football stadium. The key to comfort and increased productivity is a chair that easily glides up and down, so you can position your gaze in relation to your monitor, and contours to your back, improving your overall posture.