Desk that Hides Cables

Without a doubt, classroom computers come with lots of cables for data, power, audio and who knows what. The traditional school desk hasn’t kept up, resulting in a messy and potentially dangerous situation with wires hanging everywhere. BlueLounge’s StudioDesk has a cool hidden area under the desktop for hiding small peripherals and cables. It slides open so that teachers and tech staff can gear and slide it shut when ready for school. The $600 desk measures 27.5- by 47- by 25-inches high.

Big Screen on the Go

Tired of lugging computers with huge screens around on carts that are too small or unwieldy? Video Furniture International has a new way to store and move a classroom computer with a big screen. The VFI Tech monitor stand can house a high-performance PC with all the peripherals as well as securely hold a 50-inch flat screen monitor or a 27-inch tube monitor. The inside of the cabinet is cooled by its own fan and there’s a six-outlet power strip, but at $800 costs about as much as the computer it carries.

New Twist on Traditional Desk

No longer just a place to stash books, pencils and the occasional spitball, the classroom desk has morphed into a multitude of shapes these days. SmithSystems sticks with the traditional open-front format, but updates it with better ergonomics and a variety of colors. Buyers can mix and match materials in 17 different colors so that it will match just about any school décor. With instant access to all that’s inside, the Elemental Desk means that getting classroom materials won’t take the class 10 minutes. The desk sells for between $166 and $191, depending on the choices.

Room on Wheels

A classroom of one’s own is a luxury that few schools can afford to provide for teachers these days. But, how to you get the teaching materials to where the kids are? The latest addition to Smith System’s line of furniture is the Mobile Book Box, a wheeled cart that can hold texts, materials and even notebooks, making the classroom portable. That is, unless stairs are involved. The cart costs $194.

Form, Function and Fun

I am a firm believer that school furniture doesn’t have to look boring and come in one size that doesn’t fit all. And, it seems, so does Smith System, which just introduced its new UXL line of school desks, chairs and work tables. Aimed at high school students, the furniture is sized for their growing bodies. There are several choices from a student desk large enough for a computer and books to the Diamond desk that can be combined with five others to create a hexagonal work space. All the items are available in 17 different colors and edge molding so every room looks consistent.

Don’t Be A Square

Face it, conventional school computer furniture has not been designed for desktop PCs, much less notebooks or tablets. On top of being the wrong height for small hands to rest comfortably on the keys, there’s rarely enough room for a mouse and school work. And, don’t get me started on what to do with all those wires for power and peripherals. Sure, traditional school furniture is OK for kids to scribble notes or write essays, but are not exactly optimal for a keyboard, mouse and screen. This is changing, but slowly, with a variety of classroom furniture that’s been designed from the start to accommodate computers.

While its name implies a break with the past, Versa’s Revolution Desk isn’t as radical as its name. It sticks with the traditional rectangular table shape, but everything else is changed for the better. Instead of allowing kids to hide behind a screen, the Revolution keeps the display below the surface and angled so that they get a good view while the teacher can keep an eye on them. A keyboard tray pops out of the bottom, the whole desk is built on a sturdy steel frame and it comes in four choices of laminate surface color. The best part is that the Revolution comes with a lifetime warranty. The 48- by 30-inch desk costs $800.

SmartDesks’ Quark system is the first computer furniture made especially for classrooms built around laptops. Curved and swooping, Quark is inviting for kids to use. It provides a 34- by 34.5-inch work surface made of long lasting medium density fiberboard with thermofoil laminate coating. On top of thoughtful places to stash wires, Quark has a cup holder, a pencil tray and a way to lock a computer into place. The desk’s central pillar can be adjusted with a pneumatic lift by six inches so it fits bulky high schoolers or tiny first graders. Several Quark desks can be put together with the QStar table, making an instant computer center.   

Acrobat Tech Labs from Smith Systems does away with the rectangular desk altogether and replaces it with an arrowhead shaped table that provides more room on the side for mouse work. On top of standing individually and in pairs, the Acrobat can be set up in clusters of four for flexible classroom designs. To work comfortably with kids of differing ages and sizes, the 24- by 60-inch tabletop adjusts from 24- to 36-inches high and there’s no shortage of places to hide pesky wires and cables. The best part is that with the optional riser shelf, there’s a lot of space to put a printer, scanner and no shortage of books. The Tech Lab table costs $660 while the riser and shelf add $390.

Media Carts Offer 12-Year Warranty

Your librarians might want to check out the new Wire Frame Book & Utility Truck from Bretford. It's easy to maneuver heavy loads of books, DVDs, CDs, and other library media and actually comes with a 12-year standard warranty -- pretty impressive in the taxing world of school environments. The new model has a small enough footprint to navigate tight corners, and the wire frame means users can push around heavy loads and let students see the loaded material from any angle. Lists for $330. See Bretford for more specs and shipping details.