A desk for children that grows with them is easy on the wallet and on the environment. But what should parents look out for when selecting the right desk?
With the start of school, the time has come: the first desk finds its way into the children’s room. Even if many children may initially still prefer to do their homework close to mom and dad, they will also be incredibly proud of this first desk of their own, after all, it’s a symbol of their reaching school age.
Parents who plan ahead are best advised to choose a height-adjustable desk. Because the correct sitting position at a child’s desk is extremely important. This is where students will spend several hours a day, not only cramming for mathematics, English, etc., but also maintaining a proper posture. A healthy child grows up to seven centimeters a year, so it happens all too quickly that the chair and desk soon become too small. The advantage of a growing desk for children is therefore obvious: it accommodates all growth phases of the child.
What should be considered when buying a desk for children that will grow with the child?
Ideally, the children’s desk should be infinitely adjustable. In the best case, this is achieved by means of a crank, so that children can reach the desired height without assistance. There should also be enough space under the desk – about 65 to 70 centimeters, or even more. For desks with computers, care should also be taken to ensure sufficient distance between the screen and the desk chair.
A tiltable desk top is recommended, which can be adjusted depending on the activity. This can prevent tension and later back problems, which may occur even in childhood. Various studies have found that a table tilted at 10 degrees is good for writing, 0-5 degrees for painting, and a 20 degree angle is best for reading. As an alternative, an inclined table attachment can also be purchased as a supplement.
The correct sitting posture for a child at a desk
To check whether the height-adjustable children’s desk conforms ergonomically correctly to the child’s physique in a sitting position, both feet should be flat on the floor and the hips and torso at a 90 degree angle so the spine is upright, the knees too should be bent at 90 degrees. In this position, the thighs form a horizontal line and the lower legs a vertical line. The forearms should be able to rest horizontally with the elbows each bent at 90 degrees.
Tip: Do not buy a desk for school beginners blindly, but test it out together with the child. If you order a desk online, you can also put it through a practical test. Most online mail-order companies offer a corresponding return service.
A desk for children made of sustainable materials
The absence of harmful substances in the materials used in the children’s desk that grows with the child is preeminently important. In Germany, the relevant quality labels must be present and test methods specified. Look for the CE mark and the ISO standard specifications. Particularly well known here is the GS seal, an abbreviation for the German term for “tested safety”. Toxic varnishes, glues, and certain plastics are often components of children’s furniture and may trigger allergies under certain circumstances.
Height-adjustable children’s desks made of sturdy wood grown in Europe under conditions of sustainable forestry are therefore safer and care should be paid to the original country of manufacture. Thus, children’s desks made of sustainable wood are not only good for the environment, but also for the development of children, despite constant use and stress, they are sufficiently durable for an anticipated inheritance by the next generation.
A timeless desk design that grows with you
It’s an indisputable fact that children’s tastes and preferences change with each subsequent year of their life. The more playful and “taste-specific” a desk is in terms of its appearance, the greater the risk that children will reject it at some point, although it may continue to function perfectly.
For this reason, it is advisable to select a model that – depending on preferences and age – can be decorated differently. A children’s desk with a restrained and timeless design will fit into the children’s room without any problems until the teenage years and beyond.
Spoilt for choice: A brief guide to desks for children that grow with them sustainably
There are many good sustainable children’s desks that grow with the child. Here is just a brief overview of height-adjustable children’s desks produced in Germany and other European independent, 90% owner-managed manufacturers.
”growing table“ from pure position – the desk for school beginners
With the “growing table”, product designer Olaf Schroeder created a desk that grows with the user in a timeless design. Inspired by old Bavarian farm tables in simple white and wood tones, it fits into almost any ambience and is made of a robust wipe-clean multi-strata wood. Available since 2009, it has become a classic among children’s tables that grow with the child. The production takes place in a workshop in Bavaria, manned by people with disabilities
growing table by pure position from € 549
”Vaclav“ by Sirch – height adjustable children’s desk
The “Vaclav” from Sirch is height adjustable and is a robust desk for school beginners. Completely manufactured in the Sirch factory in Bavaria. it is made of birch plywood and impresses with its timeless design, to which children and even teenagers will relate. A companion, therefore, for all schoolchildren to address their homework requirements up to high school level.
Vaclav by Sirch from € 247
stocubo children’s desk – the growing desk from Berlin
Here “Made in Berlin” means real quality. The children’s desk is modular and can be enlarged and adapted to growing needs with a wide variety of boxes and drawers. The wipe-clean MDF is available in a wide variety of colors, and can be fitted into any living space.
stocubo children’s desk from € 449
Desk from blueroom – a desk that grows with you with tiltable worktop
This desk looks like a school desk from an earlier period, although it’s superior, because it can later be converted into a secretarial desk, which at a later point would be suitable for both teenagers and adults. Designed by architect Isabelle Winterhalder-Anderhalden, this desk is a lifelong companion – designed to enable the earliest attempts at homework to the accomplishment of one’s first tax return.
blueroom desk from € 1,350
Checklist – These things should be considered when buying a height adjustable desk:
1. Where was the children’s desk you are interested in manufactured? Was it in Germany? Another European country? In Asia?
2. What is the main material of the growing desk for children? Solid wood is considered to be particularly robust, durable and environmentally friendly.
3. Find out about the transparency of the material and manufacturing specifications of the desk. Only then you can be assured that the desk meets all requirements.
4. For what age group and for what duration can the desk be expected to be of practical use?
5. The design: how easy is it to fit the desk into a wide range of environmental situations? Can the design be considered timeless, and therefore within that context, durable?