Ikea Trotten, Skarsta & Rodulf – What is the difference?
Often films get future tech so wrong it’s funny (a personal favourite is the abundance of massive CRT monitors in Blade Runner), but one day we will get a taste of the technology (and desks!) we were promised in Minority Report. It’s not just the crazy gesture support I want, but the lack of peripherals, and subsequent lack of wires cluttering up our (hologram/glass?) desks… But do our hopes of a cable free desk have to languish in films, or at best lie in the distant future?
A cable free foundation
If you’re going the distance with this, the desk itself needs to be wireless. Easy, until you bring a sit/stand desk into the equation. Most sit/stand desks come with an electric motor to adjust the height of the desk top. This naturally offers some advantages, but means you need another wire, the fundamental enemy of the cable free desk!
The IKEA Skarsta uses a hand crank/winding mechanism. Jackpot. (Psst: Going back to basics with the mechanism does not mean you need to have a cheap looking desk top, check out our desk tops here.)
Bluetooth all the things
Your next step is Bluetooth. It is easy to forget that Bluetooth is an evolving technology, and has moved on from copying dodgy MP3 files from your mates Sony Ericsson w810i to your Samsung Razr. So hook up your keyboard, mouse, speakers etc., the only achilles heel will inevitably be your batteries. Remember though, as of 2019 Bluetooth is on version 5.1. It is quicker, more seamless, and importantly sups less power than ever before.
Use other wireless technologies to hook up your printer (Airprint or WiFi), and even the illusive wireless monitor is now possible! With increasing 8h+ battery life on most decent laptops, having a wire free 9-5 is tantalising close. However, as it stands today, very likely there will be a stubborn peripheral or two that refuses to let go of the wall, what then?
Dr Cable & Mr Hyde
You need to get creative. Some IKEA desks offer an under the desk top net, like the above (pictured is the Bekant model). Otherwise you might want to look into cord clips, sneaky boxes with holes cut in the back, flatwire, cord concealers or binder clips before reaching for the drill if you have stomach for it!
I have found having a monitor stand also offers a sneaky place to conceal wires, as well as tidying my wireless keyboard and mouse when I have finished working. Check below for a link to our zero waste monitor stand (when purchased with any desk top), use the code ZEROWASTE for £15 off at checkout.
Custom Size Solid Wood Monitor/TV Stand
So it seems like we will have to wait for the complete answer to our cable free wishes, but we are getting closer, so keep the faith, Fletch.
Skarsta Compatible Solid Wood Desk Top
Custom size? Same price.
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