Is it worth cost cutting when it comes to cubicles? There are many differences between cubicle manufacturers, and of course, you get what you pay for. As with any other type of office furniture, there’s a tremendous difference between an affordable cubicle and a cheap cubicle. By looking for affordable cubicles instead of just “cheap”, you can save your company money in the long run that won’t compare to how much you’ save in the short term with a shoddily built cubicle.

Here are some of the things you should consider when looking at “cheap” cubicles:

• They are typically lightweight and unstable,  shifting around rather than staying in place
• They have components such as brackets and hinges missing when assembled or have plastic parts that are broken
• They don’t have powder coating on the metal frame – which means the paint will eventually flake off.
• They don’t have any off-module capacity, meaning the flexibility of the workspace layout is compromised and limited
• They only have cheap fabrics, and these swiftly show wear and staining, especially when used in moderate traffic areas

Poor quality furniture succumbs to wear and tear, looks and feels shabby, and presents a terrible front to your customers as well as indicating to employees that you don’t care about them or the space they work in.  Whether you are buying new or used cubicles for your office, avoid these red flags!

1. Cheap materials such as particle board – you see this all to often in “cheap call center workstations”; ugly, flimsy particle board cubes covered with laminate that soon starts separating from the composite underneath.
2. No raceways for cords and cables. You will certainly need some or else you will have cordage strung everywhere. Any decent cubicle (and even some shoddy ones) will have raceways as a standard feature.
3. Lack of acoustic measures. A good cubicle will have some sort of sound reducing quality (see as how the number one complaint of cubicle workers is noise, this is a must.)

Don’t be tempted to cut too many corners when it comes to your workstations. You’ll benefit more in the long run if you invest in affordable cubicles that will last and make your employees comfortable!