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‘L’ Shaped/3 Leg/Corner Desks & an alternative that could save £££s

Wether making a statement in large office space, or making the most of an awkward office space; getting an L-shaped desk made to measure can be the answer, and it can actually make the most sense economically too. This post will:

L-shaped desk jargon buster

Return

The return is the section that extends back toward you as you look at the main desk. You can have a left-sided return, right-sided return or reversible. Left/right refers to the side the return comes back on, a reversible return means it can be installed either way.

J-shaped/Turned Desks

Referring to the top, not the frame. Usually it indicates the top is made of one piece of material with a portion cut out. J-shaped desks normally have a shaped inside corner, and a shallower return.

3 Leg Desks

Referring to the frame, not the top. Usually required when the return and length are quite long, to offer extra support. L-shaped desks with a smaller return sometimes only have two legs with a supporting beam, 3-leg desks have less wobble by design but introduce more complexity and bulk.

Credenza

Sometimes used to indicate some storage/shelves are built into the desk.

Common issues with sit/stand L-shaped desks

More motors, more problems

A trap many can fall into when purchasing a sit/stand desk frame is always equating more motors to a better product. Multiple motors add more complexity, not only are the chances of mechanical failure greater, but synchronising the motors is essential and sometimes difficult over time.

Load weight

The more desk top space you have, the more the desk top weighs. The more space you have, the more things sit on the desk top. All of this could mean you start to encroach on your weight limits for a sit/stand desk frame. It also becomes harder to equally balance significant weight on the desk, which can cause to problems years down the line.

Stability/wobble

When using a two leg frame, the return is naturally going to create an imbalance that needs to be addressed in the design. Some desk frames do this better than others. When raising the centre of gravity to a standing position, failures in this area become very noticeable.

Sit/stand L-shaped desk frame comparisons

Desk FramePrice (inc VAT)Overall Min SizeOverall Max SizeTypeWarranty
Fully Jarvis L-shaped£11491800 x 1600mm2000 x 1600mm3 Leg15 Years
Flexispot L-shaped£4001200 x 1000mm1800 x 1200mm2 Leg3 Years
E:Lift Corner£9331400 x 1200mm1800 x 1800mm3 Leg5 Years
Flytta 3£9601200 x 1600mm1800 x 1600mm3 Leg7 Years
Conset 4996£8931800 x 1800mm1800 x 1800mm3 Leg3 Years
HADO HD3£9951000mm580mm2 Leg7 Years
A comparison of L-shaped sit/stand desk frames

Alternative approaches to the L-shaped desk

Hybrid sit/stand ‘mini-return’ could save you £££s

Negate many of the issues that come with L-shaped tops (extra wobble, extra motors etc) with a visually similar approach as show below by buying only a standard sit/stand desk frame with an additional standalone section, build in a custom shape ‘mini return’ to create the L-shape illusion.

Budget solution

After reviewing the above comparison table, it is apparent that L-shaped desk frames, especially 3-leg models, come at a premium. If on a budget, it might be best to decide which is more important, sit/stand or L-shaped. Using third party legs is a cost effective way of building a high quality L-shaped non-sit stand desk, learn more about this approach here.

Buy your custom L-shaped desk top today

If you are sure about the size you want for your desk top, now is the right time to place an order for your solid oak, pine or walnut desk top. View our full range of compatible tops here.

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