Xybix vs. Other Healthcare Desk Providers

Xybix vs. the Competition:
Other Radiology and Healthcare Desk Providers

Some people can take their desks for granted. Not so radiologists. They need to remain alert and healthy to power through a high volume of work, and a solid imaging desk can play a big part in that. The right desk can offer a quiet, appropriately lit, comfortable environment that makes it easy to view multiple monitors while sitting or standing in the proper ergonomic fashion to reduce eyestrain and musculoskeletal injuries. In addition, these desks need to be workhorses able to manage 100+lbs and $100K worth of monitors.

That’s why all the imaging and healthcare desks that we compare provide all the basics. All these desks can support multiple heavy monitors and expertly manage cables to ensure that expensive equipment isn’t accidently yanked down. Imaging desks are all height adjustable for ergonomics and sit-to-stand flexibility. Finally, to provide proper lighting for reading scans, optional bias and task lighting is available.

Protecting Health with Ergonomic Desks

Where the differences arise in imaging desks is in ergonomics and value. All vendors give a nod to ergonomics, some with the enthusiasm of a bobblehead and others with a slight dip of the chin. And yet a desk that offers proper ergonomics for people of all shapes and sizes shows that you value your employees—your most significant asset—and want to protect their health. Ease of use comes into play with ergonomics as well, with Xybix offering the only intuitive app for saving unlimited settings and allowing multiple adjustments with one touch.

Speaking of value, you definitely want to consider longevity and cost per year while price shopping imaging and healthcare desks. For example, a $6,000 desk for a busy radiology lab may seem like a bargain. But if the $6,000 desk only lasts 5 years, you just paid $1,200 per year. A better bet is a $10,000 desk with a 12-year lifespan running about $830 per year. Chances are, the $10,000 desk lasts longer because it’s made better, meaning fewer breakdowns and service issues as well. In fact, you’ll often see differences in product warranties that indicate confidence—or lack thereof—in quality and craftsmanship.

To help you compare imaging and healthcare desks, we’ve done the groundwork for you. Please read on, and feel free to give us a call if you have any questions.

Xybix vs. AFC Industries

Xybix and AFC Industries radiology workstations both are legit when it comes to key features such as managing multiple monitors, providing design and installation services, meeting BIFMA durability standards, and offering optional niceties such as cupholders, personal heating/cooling systems, and task/bias lighting. AFC Industries workstations are more affordable and available off the shelf, but the long-term value suffers by comparison. Xybix shines when it comes to more refined ergonomics and warranty coverage.

HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE FOR ALL SIZES

The ergonomics of a desk need to be just right to prevent painful and costly repetitive stress injuries. And beyond that, it is just the right thing to do! To help avoid tendonitis, carpal tunnel, and cubital tunnel, you must be able to sit or stand at your workstation with your wrists in a neutral position. In addition, the right desk height is important for achieving proper focal distance to monitors, thereby preventing eyestrain, neck pain and headaches. While seated, you must be able to place your feet comfortably on the ground and have ample leg room to stretch out in order to prevent lower back and hip pain.

Imaging and healthcare workstations are highly adjustable to ensure that all users can achieve proper ergonomics. According to the ANSI/HFES 100-2007 ergonomic standard, this means a workstation should adjust to meet the needs of a 4’11” sitting user, a 6’6” standing user and everyone in between.

AFC Industries workstations only lower to a standard desktop height of 28”, best suited to people in the neighborhood of 5’10” (which is 1” taller than the average American man). Shorter users will need quite a foot stool to keep their legs from dangling, invading AFC’s already limited knee and leg room. Xybix exceeds the ANSI/HFES standard with a height-adjustable range of 22” to 48” inches, easily accommodating nearly everyone. If you have an ergonomist on site, he or she will appreciate compliance with ANSI/HFES and the flexibility it provides when tailoring a workstation to each user’s needs.

To ensure that users actually make the ergonomic adjustments they need, Xybix provides an intuitive mobile app for saving settings. The Axys control center saves an unlimited number of settings for desktop height, climate controls, and lighting colors for an unlimited number of users.

A WARRANTY THAT COVERS EVERYTHING

As a customer, you can see the confidence a company has in their products through the warranty. With healthcare imaging desks, the warranty is particularly important because the desks are in use for long hours and they bear the weight of heavy equipment. If a monitor arm malfunctions or a lift column fails, you may be out of commission as surgeons and doctors wait for scans. You not only need confidence that the desk is built to last, but that if something does happen, customer service is there to help.AFC Industries covers certain materials and workmanship for the life of the product. High-wear and movable parts are covered for 5 years and electronics, motors and lights for 1 year. While AFC expresses confidence in what it manufactures, the parts manufactured elsewhere (such as the motors) get short-shrift on the warranty. Should something go wrong, you’ll need to wait until regular office hours to reach AFC’s customer service.

Xybix, too, offers a lifetime warranty on the products manufactured in-house, including the steel frames and desktops. To share confidence in suppliers, all other parts are covered for 10 years. Xybix offers a single point of contact no matter what goes wrong—plus 24/7 access to live customer service.

Xybix vs. RedRick Technologies

Xybix and RedRick both design and manufacture top-of-the-line imaging desks with a common focus on ergonomics, which is critical for radiologists to continually and accurately read scans. Key differences arise in the ergonomic focus and the strength of the warranty.

YOUR HEALTH & COMFORT

A healthy, comfortable, quiet workplace enhances morale and productivity. That’s why RedRick and Xybix both excel in ergonomics, although RedRick’s standard desk only lowers to 24” compared to Xybix, which drops to 22” to accommodate even the shortest radiologists. RedRick does have alternate option that meets the ANSI/HFES 100-2007 ergonomic standard of 22”-48” of height adjustability, but settings cannot be saved.

While imaging desk manufacturers love to tout their ergonomic features, they know the features are meaningless if people don’t use them. Despite the benefits—such as preventing carpal tunnel, eyestrain, and neck pain—radiologists aren’t likely to make adjustments if they’re tedious or confusing.

That’s why Xybix offers an intuitive mobile app, Axys, which allows an unlimited number of users to save settings. Radiologists can save desktop height, climate controls, and lighting colors as “scenes,” and activate a scene with a touch of a button.

A WARRANTY THAT WORKS

Manufacturers often provide a lifetime warranty—meaning for as long as you own the product—on parts they actually manufacture. The parts manufactured by other companies, such as lift columns or lighting, often have a more limited warranty. In either case, a look at the warranty can provide a strong indication of the manufacturer’s confidence in their quality and their suppliers’ quality.

RedRick covers the parts that they manufacture for the lifetime of the desk with a 10-year warranty on everything else. It's worth noting that the desks are manufactured in Canada, so parts and service could take a little longer and costs could be affected by international affairs.

Xybix covers their made-in-the-USA Imaging Healthcare Desks with a lifetime warranty on the steel frame and desktop. Parts from other suppliers are covered for 10 years, even if the original manufacturer offers a shorter warranty. While the warranty expresses confidence in the quality of all components, nothing is foolproof. If something fails on the desk, Xybix offers 24/7 live customer service to triage issues—something no other manufacturer offers.

Xybix vs. BioMorph Desks

The Xybix Desks for Radiology compare to the Biomorph Level2Plus, Flexo, and Plus Series. Both companies meet ergonomic standards in terms of height, but Xybix clearly provides a better viewing experience for radiologists. Biomorph beats the industry on price but not necessarily in service and usability—the company offers a more bare-bones, DIY experience than Xybix. In addition, the warranty offers a dizzying amount of pass-throughs and exceptions.

MONITOR ARMS OR MONITOR ARRAY

The eyes have it in radiology. Users need fresh eyes to provide the best care. This means placing monitors at the proper focal distance to prevent the headaches, eyestrain, and neck pain that can result from comparing images on multiple monitors.

Biomorph desks use monitor arms that require users to adjust each monitor individually, a tedious process with 5 or 6 monitors in play. In a shared workstation environment, users may not take the time to adjust the monitors despite the tired eyes that may follow. Xybix helps users achieve proper focal distance with the patented Rollervision monitor array. One touch brings all the monitors to the right spot, and the rollers offer the flexibility to pull the monitors in for a closer look as needed.

WHEN DESIGN MATTERS

Given the importance of radiology to healthcare and the significant investment in imaging desks, support from an experienced team is invaluable. With a degreed and dedicated designer, you can create a reading environment that propels productivity, increases efficiency and decreases errors—all contributing to better patient outcomes.

BioMorph provides complimentary design services—if you order 4 or more desks. Xybix really shines in this area, starting with on-site consultations for remodels and services for architects when involved in a new build. After a sales pro analyzes your space and needs, a degreed designer takes over and remains with your project until it’s complete. Xybix designers are experts in all aspects of space planning, from efficient and productive desk configurations to ADA compliance and electrical requirements. Your project comes to life through 3D renderings that showcase colors and finishes in addition to the overall layout.

A WARRANTY YOU CAN UNDERSTAND

When Xybix set out to offer the best-in-the-industry warranty, our goal was to avoid any legalese. Anyone can understand our warranty. If we made it, it’s warrantied for life. If we provided it, it’s warrantied for 10 years. Our products are designed for 24/7/365 use, and our customer service and warranty are designed to keep you up and running all the time.

The warranties for the BioMorph imaging desks that compare to Xybix, on the other hand, take some digging to understand. The frame and motors are warrantied by their manufacturers. The electrical and mechanical parts are covered for 7 years, laminate for 5, and desktops/wood for 1. The kicker here is that BioMorph defines “normal use” as 8 hours of use in a 5-day workweek—a far cry from 24 hours a day, every day.