Friday Finds: Cool Products From Symmetry Office

Any office specialist will tell you that now workspace is complete without the right combination of ergonomic products! Integrating monitor arms, articulating keyboard trays, foot rests, and more will help you reach peak performance levels in no time. In today's Friday Finds post we'll showcase some super cool products from Symmetry Office. These ergonomic tools are a must consider for any business professional that's serious about productivity!

First up, the Symmetry Office APEX-HD-2 dual screen monitor arm. This heavy duty unit is designed to support computer screens up to 40 pounds each! The APEX-HD-2 features a tear drop hole pattern that makes mounting a breeze. This unit can be effectively installed in less that 15 minutes! When it comes to ergonomic monitor arms, Symmetry Office does it best. Units like the APEX-HD-2 provide excellent adjustment capabilities and will instantly increase the amount of usable desk space available in your workstation. With solidly constructed aluminum arms, tool free cable management, and a professional look, the APEX-HD-2 is one of the absolute best monitor mounting solutions on the market in 2015.

Next up, the Symmetry Office Balance 3 Sit to Stand Keyboard tray and mechanism combo. Priced at $230.99, this user friendly ergonomic tool is one of the best buys on the market. The BALANCE-3-TSS features ridged phenolic construction that's sturdier than steel. Anti skid grip strips are standard on the Balance 3 to prevent your keyboard tray from sliding around when you're typing. With a a fully adjustable and detachable mouse pad, finding your desired operating position just got easy! The BALANCE-3-TSS also boasts a foam gel wrist rest for improved user comfort. This sit to stand unit is sure to promote continuous movement in the workplace. As sitting for long periods of time is never a good idea, users will be able to quickly unlock the mechanism and raise this versatile keyboard tray to keep working from standing positions.

Shed a little light on your project with the Symmetry Office Ascend series desk lamp! Overhead fluorescents can be costly. That being said having an LED office light like the Ascend is just plain smart. The Ascend boasts more than 25 individual LED's that can change to 4 different color settings. Talk about setting the mood! With it's built in USB charging input, you'll be ready to charge your device without overcrowding the power outlets under your desk. Worried about desk space? This handy little tool completely folds in half to stay out of the way when not in use. Priced at $141.99, the Ascend is available in two cool finish options to compliment your space.

Symmetry Office offers some of the absolute best CPU holders on the market. If you're still operating with your computer's power source sitting on the ground, it's time to make a change! Leaving your CPU on the ground and unprotected makes factors like left and water damage major concerns. A locking CPU holder like the HARMONY-CPU-4 will keep your computer safe and out of the way. No more banging your knees on the computer when you arrive at work. Simply turn on your CPU  and slide it down the track that mounts under your work surface to keep it out of the way when not in sure. Talk about leg space! It's almost like having a whole new workstation. Not to mention, the HARMONY-4-CPU locks to keep your important digital files protected. This heavy duty unit is easy to install and supports CPU's up to 50 pounds.

Last but not least, it's always a good idea to prop your feet up when working. Adjustable foot rests like the FR-1 from Symmetry will help users take pressure of their knees while working. A good foot rest like this will improve blood flow and help reduce fatigue in the workplace. At just $62.99, you can't afford to not try one out. Designed to provide support for the 5th percentile female when normal office chair adjustments won't work, the FR-1 offers a wide surface and anti-fatigue rubber mat that makes getting comfy a breeze.

5 Easy Ways to Improve Office Efficiency for Free

Everyone's looking for new ways to improve their office, but why spend a fortune? If your chair is uncomfortable or your computer is slow, you certainly don't have to put up with it just to increase your productiveness, but you don't have to grab a hammer and break the piggy bank either. If you're on a budget, try some of these easy tricks to help improve your office efficiency without giving up the green!

Clean Your Keyboard Tray

One of the things you may never even about doing is cleaning out your keyboard. A dirty keyboard can be the cause of slow typing, and is often the impetus for purchasing a pricey new keyboard whenever a letter gets jammed and won't work anymore. Fortunately, keyboards and keyboard tray attachments can be cleaned out to prevent having to buy a new one. The sad part is that when most people consider it, they usually think it requires calling a service that will charge them more money than a simple cleaning is worth. Well, there's a great trick to cleaning out your keyboard with something you likely already have in the garage at home. Simply use a can of compressed air to blast the gunk out of it if the keys are slow. If a particular key is jammed, use a small screwdriver to pop it off and dislodge whatever is causing the jam (usually small pebbles, pencil tips, or crumbs). Then finally, wipe it off with a few disinfecting wipes to remove grease. You won't believe the difference!


Properly Route Your Wiring

Computers are extremely useful, but if the wires that connect them to printers, external hard drives, and presentation projectors are tangled up in a huge mess, you could get roped into a pretty expensive mess if any accidents happened. In order to get maximum efficiency from your computer and other devices, make sure you keep your wiring properly routed - that is, make sure the cords and cables connecting your devices are short and connected properly. Keeping wires and hard drives off the ground is a great way to avoid damage from spilled beverages and office pests. Consider adding CPU holders that mount under desks to keep hard drives off the floor and out of the way. Keep your wires together in bunches using velcro, duct tape, or wire chases mounted to the underside of your desk so your legs don't get tangled in them. Making use of grommet holes (the little holes at the front of your desk you've always wondered about) by running all your wires through them helps clear up desk space so you don't have to wade through a web of cables when searching for the stapler. If you still need more desk space, add monitor arms to your computers so they're mounted to walls instead of taking up space. Doing any of these things will help keep desks and workstations looking clean, organized, and easily maintained.

Purge Your Old Files

Another quick way to increase your office efficiency is to get rid of old files. That's right! In both computers and file cabinets, a good cleaning is a great way to improve your space and your speed. If you rely on paper filing systems, take the time one afternoon to go through and clean out the old records you haven't used or needed in a while. The same can be done for the literature racks and bookcase in the waiting room or reception area. If you don't have the heart or the ability to toss old files in the garbage, move them into boxes or smaller file bins sorted by date or type and keep them in a storage closet so they're out of your way. If you use computers, this task can be much simpler. Just go through and click delete on old files you no longer need. Run a quick scan to get rid of any malware or cookies that may be slowing your computer down, and empty your computer's recycle bin. The space you'll free up in your computer and storage cabinets will not only give you more storage options, but it will also increase your speed and functionality!

Adjust Your Office Chair

If you've been putting up with an uncomfortable office chair for far too long, you may be thinking that its time to get a new one. Unsupportive chairs can cause terrible back pain, depression, and  serious medical problems like sciatica and even blood clots! The only thing likely holding you back is the exorbitant prices of quality office chairs these days. Well, while you can find fabulous deals if you look long enough, chances are you can greatly increase your comfort without having to buy a new chair. In fact. most offices provide comfortable ergonomic office chairs without their employees even knowing it. If you've been experiencing  discomfort, just try adjusting your chair. Almost all modern task chairs have a height feature that can be adjusted so you don't have to bend down or reach up over desks to work, and often the back, seat angle, and arms can be adjusted as well. Some chairs even have an air pump feature on the under the seat to fluff up the cushion or deflate it. Instead of replacing your chair, just work with it a bit. You may find that its not so bad after all!

Clean Your Work Surface

There is no better way to increase your office efficiency that is more simple than an easy spring cleaning. Few like to do it, but no one can deny the affordability and helpfulness presented by a clean office space. If you find that you've been lining things like papers and business cards along the edges of cubicle layouts, you may actually just need a few stackable trays to help you keep things organized. Adding a whiteboard is a great way to keep daily notes without wasting papers that are easily lost. Some presentation boards not only include whiteboards, but also cork board doors to hold cards and post-its as well. Consider adding utility carts or file trucks that can be kept in corners or under desks but can be wheeled out until they are needed. Try to put everything easily within arms reach for added efficiency.

New School Furniture for Updating Your Classroom

With the summer break fast coming to a close, most kids are already preparing to don their backpacks for the reopening of their schools, but is your school ready? Everyday, new technological advances and discoveries get added to the world repertoire of human information. Out of the ever changing realm of discovery, an age of digital education has dawned - its time to say goodbye to dilapidated desks and chairs and hello to the new age. This article will highlight the best ways for your students to feel comfortable learning the tricks of the technological era that will soon become theirs by helping you to find the best furniture and tech accessories so you can help mold minds!

Student Seating

Humans have come a long way from brushing the dirt off of stone floors to learn by firelight from the village elder. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, chairs have been the standard for quality seating in almost all schools in this country, but that doesn't mean your chairs should be a hundred years old. In the new age, student seating has jumped leaps and bounds, with many high end student chairs even possessing ergonomic features. Chairs like the Boss Economical Stack Chair, while more traditional in function, are still incredibly advanced in design. With lumbar support, breathability, stack-ability, and molded seats, your students will be yearin' for learnin' in comfort!

Student Desks

For many kids, wooden desks provide wonderful opportunities to practice artistic tendencies, penmanship, scientific experiments such as the adhesion qualities of gum to the underside of wooden surfaces, and perhaps worst of all - whittling. Fortunately, many furniture manufacturers have wised up to the fact that wooden desks make tempting artistic substrates and have developed new student desks that are much less inticing and far more suited to the technological age. Many desks today feature chrome, metal, or tempered safety glass tabletops, making them more resistant to wear. They often double as great modern computer desks for classrooms that provide them.

Computer Accessories

In an era of all things digital, schools all over the country have recognized the benefits of adding computers to their students' learning experience and are oftentimes required. Unfortunately, computers bring with them all kinds of baggage: keyboards, chords, and external hard drives are just the beginnings of a list thats as long as the Great Wall of China. The good news is that there are many new computer accessories designed to make your life easier. Devices like keyboard trays or CPU holders for external hard drives are easily installed so that accidents such as spilled beverages won't cost you a fortune. The addition of adjustable ergonomic computer monitor arms  and workstations are wonderful ways to clean up a computer room by giving everything its own space. So if you have any fears about the addition of computers, don't fret! Computer gadgets are here to save you!

Classroom Accessories

Great accessorizing in a classroom doesn't always have to cost you a fortune, Oftentimes, the littlest things can make a big difference! The addition of classroom accessories such as a hook rack for backpacks or a partition hanger can ready a classroom for the new school year in a jiffy providing designated places for the simple things. Adding Flatscreen TV mounts opens up a whole new window of learning opportunity by allowing teachers the option to educate their class with entertaining documentaries or other television programs! The digital age is all about thinking outside the box. With these great accessories, your students will have no trouble doing the same.

Top Selling Ergonomic Office Accessories

Ergonomic office products have become an essential part of any professional business. With so many solutions available, we thought it would be fun to highlight the top selling ergonomic office accessories for 2013. Hopefully this article will provide insight as to what items can most improve your work day, increase productivity, and keep you comfortable!

1.) Keyboard Trays

While most every desk in the country is outfitted with some form of ergonomic keyboard tray solution, not all models are created equal. It's no surprise that every office furniture manufacturer on the planet offers some type of articulating solution geared towards holding your keyboard tray. However, top keyboard trays should do much more than slide back and forth under your desk. A quality tray will provide a seemingly limitless array of adjustments geared towards versatility. You should look to regain ample desk space while improving your posture while computing with any good tray. As with any product, the best models are manufactured by companies that specialize in this genre. Brands like ESI Ergonomic Solutions provide popular models that won't break your budget. Their combo solutions provide excellent bang for the buck. The ESI keyboard trays making the biggest impression these days are the sit to stand solutions. Ergo gurus love standing keyboard tray solutions for much more than wow factor. Quite frankly, these trays offer just too many ergonomic benefits to list!

2.) Monitor Mounts

Using the standard desktop monitor mount that comes with your computer is a thing of the past. In today's office, monitor mounts are available for any number of screens you prefer. A quality monitor mount and articulating arm will greatly improve your day to day efficiency while helping you to recapture usable desk space. Top models offer the ability to be clamp or grommet mounted to any desk or modular workstation layout your might be considering. In addition, tablet mount solutions are also gaining popularity in a hurry throughout the industry. Nowadays anything with a screen can be mounted to your worksurface to provide ergonomic benefits. To be honest, ergonomic monitor arms really look fantastic. The cool factor is never at a shortage when mounts of this nature are present. It's no wonder why these products have continued to sell like hot cakes throughout the first quarter of 2013.

3.) LED Lighting

It seems everything with a bulb is being reworked to use LED technology. Light emitting diodes form semi conductors that glow when voltage is supplied. This money saving light source is a great way to incorporate ergonomics into the workplace. LED lighting is easier on the eyes and reduces glare which will allow you to work for longer stretches and cause less stress on  your retinas. From TV's to desk lamp solutions LED office lighting is the sweeping the nation. For office lighting needs, several top brands have begun to offer awesome under mount task light and over head solutions. The good news is that LED lamps for the office will cost you far less than those fancy flat screens! On average, a specialized LED desk light can be purchased for around $100. Not only do these products improve your work day, they look fantastic as well. One cool new model even offers a USB port and will charge a variety of devices. The Solstice Desk Lamp is definitely our favorite!

4.) CPU Holders

Have you ever had to get around to the back of your computers power source? If you answered yes, you probably also found this task to be a real hassle. Often, CPU's are situated underneath office desk configurations and pushed as far out of the way as possible. In most cases, your computer mouse, modem, speakers, and keyboard tray hook up through this all important unit. In fact, this is the single most important part of any operating unit. For this reason, the CPU should be treated with your utmost respect and care. A computer is a costly investment that needs to be installed and held properly. That being said, CPU holders are rapidly becoming the hottest selling ergonomic office accessories on the market. These affordable products provide a discount investment in the health of your computer as they help to prevent dust build up and water damage. In addition, under mount CPU holder solutions provide swivel capabilities that provide easy access to the rear outlets. This is an awesome ergonomic feature that will reduce those frustrating trips under your desk to reconnect your computer speakers!