Recently, we explored some pretty cool DIY hacks for office desks and chair. But today, it’s time to see how the pros do it. There’s more and more high tech office furniture on the market each year, making life (and work) easier.

Stir Kinetic Desk Breathes for You

Not really. But the Stir does pretty much everything else. This desk is a sit-to stand model with extra bells and whistles. It actively encourages you to switch back and forth between sitting and standing throughout the day. The desk has thermal sensors that can tell when you are at your desk and a built-in computer that can document what your sitting/standing patterns are throughout the day. As the smart-desk “learns” your behaviors, it starts making suggestions. When you’ve been sitting for a while, it will gently raise and lower the desk surface—kind of like taking a gentle breath and exhaling—to remind you that it’s time to switch positions. You can use the touchscreen to electronically adjust the height of your desk to match your standing position. With users reporting more energy and bosses noticing more productivity when employees can stand for a portion of the day, the $4000 price tag doesn’t necessarily seem too high.

Would You Like a PowerMat with That?

Teknion has partnered with PowerMat to incorporate induction chargers into a number of office furniture accessories.  There are edge-mounts to slide onto the workstation and covered mats that can connect to a tool rail. For a seamless design, a mat can be built into the desk surface itself. This version includes a flush-mounted grommet to indicate the charging area and a light/sound to confirm that the mat has been activated. Perhaps the most attractive option is the Conflux LED task lamp with a circular disk for a base that can hold one or two small devices.

Sound Off on This Office Chair

Finally, here’s an inexpensive but interesting chair called the X Rocker. It incorporates a Bluetooth receiver and speakers to provide “surround sound” in your seating. With the popularity of video-conferencing on the rise, this might be a cool option for workers who do a lot of remote chatting with distributed teams.