For most people, Staples is the go-to store for almost anything office-related.
From copiers and printers to office desks and chairs — Staples opens you up to a wide array of products and services that you probably can’t find anywhere else.
All that said, is Staples a good place to buy an office chair? Or are they just another massive product carrier?
To answer these questions, we’ll be taking a look at the pros and cons of buying office furniture from Staples. Hopefully, this will help you decide whether to buy an office chair from them or to hop on over to other shops, like OfficeDepot or Walmart.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
The pros of buying office furniture from Staples
There are many perks to buying office furniture from Staples. In this section, we’ll be taking a closer look at all the reasons why you should buy office furniture from their store.
Here’s a quick summary:
- Product and brand variety
- More affordable prices
- Store accessibility
- Shopping can be fun and entertaining
Product and brand variety
When you’re buying office furniture, you want to ensure that you have enough options to choose from. After all, not all manufacturers incorporate the same designs and elements into their office furniture.
A great thing about Staples is that they have a large array of office furniture products from several different brands. Some of these brands are even offshoots of larger and more well-known companies like HNI.
More affordable prices
For consumers who are on a tight budget, having more affordable options is a must. You don’t want to overspend your resources on a single office chair.
This is where Staples come in.
Staples sells a wide variety of office furniture and supplies at highly competitive rates. No need to spend thousands of dollars on office furniture if you don’t have the budget.
Store accessibility
Accessibility is another important factor to consider when you’re looking for an office furniture retailer/wholesaler. You want to be able to easily obtain their services and products, especially during more time-sensitive cases.
The great thing about Staples is that they have branches in over 40 states.
If you run into trouble with a product or if you need to quickly get your hands on a new office desk, you won’t have to drive into the state over — there’s probably a Staples in your area.
You can check out the Staples Store directory to see their locations.
Shopping at Staples can be fun and exciting
There’s something about the sight of so many office supplies and furniture in one place that gets you all excited.
That’s right; we all have a dormant Amy Santiago living inside of us, just waiting for the right moment to come out and buy organizing products and ergonomic office furniture.
Shopping at Staples can be a ton of fun — even if you’re doing it online — because of the variety you can enjoy. Furthermore, it takes only a simple turn around a corner to enter an entirely different section of products and services.
It’s like an adventure in every aisle.
The cons of buying office furniture from Staples
Unfortunately, nothing on earth is immune to its own occasional flaws. Now that we’ve discussed all the reasons why you should buy office furniture from Staples, we can move on to talking about all the reasons you may not want to.
Here’s a quick summary:
- Cheaper prices often mean cheaper materials
- Unreliable online reviews
- Most office furniture brands are not from well-known manufacturers
Cheaper prices often mean cheaper materials
There is usually a huge trade-in when you buy cheap products. And often this affects the quality of the product bought.
This is because most manufacturers need to switch out more expensive materials with lesser quality ones to make up for the difference.
When you buy office furniture made of low-quality materials, it’s much more vulnerable to early deterioration and damage. True, it costs you less upfront but considering the years to come, it’s not the best deal around.
This isn’t true for all of Staples’ products and services. There may be some of higher quality than most. A good rule of thumb is to always check the manufacturer, see if they have a reliable background for office furniture creation.
Unreliable online reviews
Online reviews, especially those posted on a store’s main website, are often viewed as unreliable mainly because the company can easily generate these reviews to fool consumers into buying their products.
While there’s no way to confirm if the reviews on Staples product pages are fake, it’s still wise to be on your guard, especially if you’re buying office furniture products.
Don’t just read the good comments — sniff out the bad ones too. This will help you better evaluate the product you’re planning to buy.
Most office furniture brands are not from well-known manufacturers
While there’s nothing wrong with working with startup companies, there just seems to be a great lack of well-known office furniture manufacturers in Staples’ brand roster.
If you’re buying office furniture, you should be able to select between mid- and higher-end products. This gives you more space to pivot and change courses when making a decision.
Furthermore, lower-end brands tend to provide the worst office furniture products. Not only are the majority of these items made of lesser-quality materials, but they also lack important ergonomic properties that allow workers to go about their duties safely.
So, is Staples a good place to buy an office chair?
Our answer to that is, it depends.
If you’re on a budget and are okay with just buying a lower-end chair without all the ergonomic features, then sure. Several products, like the Union & Scale Prestige Marrett and the Tempur-Pedic TP9000, can offer users adequate support while at work.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for something with more support and adjustment features, you’re better off buying office furniture from larger manufacturers like Steelcase and Herman Miller.
The bottom line
Staples is a relatively good place to buy an office chair. You have to be careful to choose a brand that offers both quality and ergonomic features.
Don’t fall prey to low and “discounted” prices, as these brands don’t always deliver the best value products. Furthermore, do your research before finalizing any purchases, so you don’t end up regretting what you buy.
My name is Vance, and I am the owner of To Ergonomics. Our mission is to improve your workflow by helping you create a supportive and welcoming environment. We hope that you’ll find what you’re looking for while you’re here.