Have you ever seen something in an office equipment catalog or website–or Sky Mall magazine–and thought, “Well, that’s different.” From complicated yet efficient keyboards to strange chairs and obscure gadgets, here are 8 offbeat gizmos your small business may find useful.
1. Safetype Vertical Keyboard
(Images: via safetype.com)
The Safetype vertical keyboard was designed to prevent wrist twisting on a keyboard. The alphabet is split and positioned vertically with fixed mirrors so that a user can see the keys. Typing on the Safetype looks like playing an accordion. Though it promised significant wrist relief, the Safetype never caught on, even among polka fans.
2. Strange Sculpture Desk Chair
(Image: via 23hq)
It’s a tree; no, it’s a sculpture … actually it’s a chair. As odd as it appears, the Stokke Garden desk chair is extremely comfortable, thanks to its wide range of sitting positions. It does seem a little difficult to get work done in it, though.
3. Conference Bike
(Image: via wikimedia commons)
The Conference Bike or CoBi offers small businesses a chance to take a meeting on the move. This seven-person bicycle may look ridiculous, but the CoBi is used in at least 18 different countries by businesses looking for a fun way to engage their employees. Just be sure to appoint a steering committee first.
4. The Balancing Act
(Image: via 23hq)
With a name that’s more of a metaphor than it is easy or practical, the Balancing Act is a three-part chair intended to inspire teamwork in meetings. Three people sit on each section of the chair, and they must work together to maintain balance. Luckily falling off the chair doesn’t mean you’re fired, just that you might have to work on your balance!
5. White Goat
(Image: via oriental)
Designed with the office smart-aleck in mind, the White Goat converts used paper–your recent expense report, perhaps–into toilet paper. But with a $100,000 price tag, most business owners will opt to skip the intermediate step.
6. Pen Utensils
(Image: via amazon)
This crafty utensil was made for the small business workaholic who never has time for lunch, let alone a trip to the company kitchen for utensils. They’re also great for taking notes or doing paperwork at outdoor team-building exercises. (Note to small business owners: Always run spellcheck on your packaging before printing 100,000 typos. Can you find the one in the package above?)
7. USB Vacuum
(Image: via boingboing.net)
Ideal for the small businesses clean freak who regularly posts news stories about how dirty desks can be, the whimsically designed USB vacuum whisks crumbs, dust and other debris out of keyboards and other tight spaces.
8. S’more Keyboard
(Image: via Geekpadshow)
If you happen to like a crumby keyboard, you’ll love the S’more keyboard. It might increase employee productivity—just ask your staff to do S’more work before they go home. (Note: The S’more keyboard is not adaptable to any Apple products.)
(Featured image: via 23hq)