2 out of 5
I have two Biomorph desks, the Flexo and the Exo. Generally speaking, the design and mechanics of these desks are excellent. Raising and lowering the height is straightforward and efficient—a crank for the Flexo and a foot-release for the Exo—and the keyboard surfaces are independently adjustable.
The Flexo I ordered with maple plywood surfaces and the Exo, purchased several years later, with the standard “catalyzed laquer” finish, in order to save a bit of cost. What a mistake that was! The lacquer finish arrived exuding a strong chemical odor. After a week or so, as the smell had not lessened, I contacted Biomorph, which told me that, like new paint, this was normal and the odor would dissipate. I even removed the surfaces and placed them outside in the direct summer sun, imagining that such a treatment would serve to hasten the curing. After several months more, the problem persisted. Anyone sensitive to the pervasive toxic chemicals in our society will recognize this as chemical off-gassing of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The chemistry of lacquers, finishes, and paints is such that the solid components of the finish are suspended in a nasty volatile toxin that dissipates while drying, leaving an inert, stable surface. Something had gone terribly wrong with the Biomorph finish and it was anything but inert. While the smell did lessen to some degree, after six months it was still there, and, even more alarming, it came and went in intensity according to changes in the ambient temperature and humidity. As temperature and humidity when up, so did the off-gassing of the desk.
Biomorph denied there was any off-gassing and described it as normal “new paint” odor. They refused to give me a deal on exchanging the lacquer surfaces with their maple plywood surfaces, and stated that I would have to pay full price for the replacements. After six months VOC activity, I used the surfaces as templates to cut replacements from pine boards that I then finished with Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey finish (a low VOC finish made with byproducts of the diary industry). Sadly, the Biomorph lacquer surfaces now reside in a landfill, the bane of rats.