Whiteboards are popular in offices, and these days there are options available that will work in harmony with your space. Choosing which is the right whiteboard choice for your office is not difficult, as the most suitable whiteboards speak for themselves when it comes to meeting the needs of staff, and being long-lasting.
In this article, we’ll run through the available types of whiteboards for offices, their features, and which will likely meet your requirements. We’ll also look at what you should consider when selecting a whiteboard for your office.
Let’s start with why you would choose to install whiteboards in your office in the first place.
Why put a whiteboard in your office in 2023?
It might seem we’ve moved beyond whiteboards, especially with the numerous collaborative tools available on desktop and mobile devices, many of which allow you to project onto a plain wall. Why would you need a whiteboard?
There are good reasons why workplaces still install whiteboards. Firstly, whiteboards offer a unique way of collaborating. You could even say they offer more egalitarian collaboration, as rather than one person controlling a device, anyone in the room can grab the whiteboard marker and share ideas.
There’s also nothing quite like the tactile experience of writing on a whiteboard. It involves the body much more than sitting at a laptop, and that free movement helps get the blood flowing to the brain and ideas flow.
Whiteboards also offer plenty of space, so it’s easy to capture expanding plans, rather than trying to fit everything in within the confines of a small screen. Sure, screens work for many people, but some struggle with visualising the ‘whole picture’ when they can’t see it all laid out in front of them.
Whiteboards also have that impermanent quality that allows people to feel comfortable to run with an idea, and rub it out if they don’t like it. This can make it easier for some employees to contribute to a brainstorming or project planning session, without feeling too much responsibility for a fleeting idea.
Whiteboards are also integral when presenting ideas to a group, and are an ever-popular inclusion in training rooms and boardrooms. During a training session or group presentation, the host can easily and quickly add notes and suggestions from attendees, thus keeping everyone involved.
In addition, they are often installed in communal areas, like open-plan meeting zones and kitchens, where they are used as easy tools for communication.
What Types of Whiteboards Work Well in an Office?
Whiteboards tend to be situated in meeting rooms and break-out areas of offices—basically anywhere staff gather to conduct training sessions, discuss issues and collaborate on projects. These days, office designers are creative in how they plan office layouts, and more spaces are being opened up for staff to work in collaborative ways. This means more opportunities for whiteboards to be included.
So let’s look at what whiteboards work well in any office, starting with the cream of the crop - WriteWall®.
WriteWall®
Remember when you were told as a kid to not write on the wall? Well WriteWall® whiteboards invite you to do exactly that!
WriteWall® is a whiteboard surface that covers the wall, so that it appears you are writing on the wall itself. WriteWall® can span entire walls, and even wrap around corners, so there’s seemingly endless space available for creative brainstorming. This enables a lot of freedom when it comes to how staff interact with their whiteboard.
In terms of aesthetics, WriteWall® offers a very modern approach to the whiteboard, which blends well into offices, conference rooms and collaborative settings. It adheres to your wall without edging, which makes for a sleek and seamless look. It also has the advantage of being able to be configured either vertically or horizontally, so no matter the space you have available, there’s usually a way WriteWall® can be slotted in. And for offices that need to reduce surface reverb, WriteWall® whiteboards can be integrated alongside acoustic panels.
WriteWall® also has magnetic capabilities, so you can keep magnetised notes and pens on the wall. The surface is porcelain, and offers a smooth writing experience and scratch, stain, bacteria, chemical and fire resistance!
Lastly, you can also get WriteWall® in a low gloss finish, meaning you can project onto it if you need to.
Wall-mounted whiteboards
The next option popular in office spaces is wall-mounted whiteboards. The benefit of wall-mounted whiteboards is they leave open the opportunity to use remaining wall space in other ways, such as adding pin boards, notice boards, and acoustic panels. They can be installed vertically or horizontally to make the best use of your space.
Bach’s wall-mounted whiteboards come with edging and a pen tray, and can be installed in a range of sizes and edging colours. Bach uses Polyvision e³ CeramicSteel porcelain enamel for the surface, which is magnetic, so you can conveniently attach markers, erasers, or magnetic buttons to the board. Like the WriteWall®, you can opt for a low gloss board if you need to project onto it, though an ultra gloss option is most common for general whiteboard use.
Checkout our magnetic whiteboards.
Combo whiteboards
Another take on the wall-mounted whiteboard is the combo board, which is a whiteboard and pinboard in one. Available in custom colours, sizes and portrait or landscape layouts, they’re useful for keeping pinned notes, yet give you the option of using the erasable whiteboard too. A bonus is that pinboards absorb sound, so they add an acoustic benefit. Pinboards also add colour to the workspace. Bach offers a range of 35 colours to choose from.
Checkout our Combination Whiteboards for multipurpose use.
Mobile whiteboards
Last, but not least, are mobile whiteboards that are a handy option in an office environment, as you can move them around into any space you need them to go. Bach offers flippable and non-flippable mobile whiteboards in a range of standard sizes, or we can customise according to your requirements.
Our mobile whiteboards are available in a high-gloss finish, which makes them smooth to write on, and easily erasable.
Checkout our whiteboards on wheels (aka mobile whiteboards).
What’s the best surface material for an office whiteboard?
Let’s start with what you should avoid. A melamine surface—though affordable—will not be durable in an office setting. Melamine is prone to ‘ghosting’ (when remnants of old whiteboard markings can’t be erased and leave a stain), plus the surface is very easy to damage. Melamine whiteboards also have a propensity to warp and quickly degrade. For a home office, a melamine whiteboard might be ok in the short term, but even then, you’ll probably get frustrated with the quality and wish you’d bought something durable.
The next step up is acrylic whiteboards. They can be well-suited to home offices and small office settings, as long as they are well cleaned, and you don’t write on them with the wrong type of pen. Acrylic whiteboards aren’t scratch resistant and are also susceptible to ‘ghosting’, so it’s important to clean them with the appropriate cleaning solution.
For high-use areas like offices, the best whiteboard surfaces are glass or porcelain.
Glass provides a smooth, non-staining surface that looks sleek and modern in a corporate environment. However, it’s not scratch resistant, and can be highly reflective, so issues may arise in high-glare environments.
Porcelain whiteboards also offer a sleep look, yet are very durable. BACH uses Polyvision e³ CeramicSteel porcelain enamel for our porcelain whiteboard surface, and it is resistant to scratching, fire, bacteria, and chemicals. This means your porcelain whiteboard will likely last a long time (ours comes with a 25 year surface warranty). The smooth surface of our porcelain whiteboards is also very easy to write on and has great erasability.
Everything weighed up, porcelain whiteboards will likely offer the best all-round solution for your office whiteboard requirements. Though their quality comes at a higher investment, it’s well worth the spend when you consider that your whiteboard needs to last a long time. Additionally, it will provide a very comfortable writing surface for your staff.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Whiteboard
Before you make your whiteboard selection, read through this list of considerations.
Material: As we covered earlier, not all whiteboard surfaces are the same. The most durable in an office will be either glass or porcelain, though in some cases, an acrylic whiteboard might be an acceptable option. When making your decision, read the product specifications, and check the product's resistance to staining, scratching, fire and chemicals. Also, consider how easy it is to write on. Remember, most offices are high-use environments, so your whiteboard needs to go the distance.
Size: Whiteboards come in various sizes, so be sure to choose one that’s the right fit for your space. Bach Commercial is able to customise many of our whiteboards to fit your office areas.
Configuration: Along the same lines as size, you need to consider how you want to orientate your whiteboard. People know horizontal whiteboards well, however they can be configured vertically, so that you maximise the entire floor-to-ceiling space. See this example of a whiteboard installed vertically between rows of desks.
Vertical whiteboards can provide a customised look when installed next to vertical acoustic panels as they retain consistency of wall panelling join lines. This provides the option to design unique layouts.
You also need to plan ahead if you want to project onto your whiteboard, as you’ll need to position either your whiteboard, or projector, in the appropriate location to allow for the interaction to occur.
Style: WriteWall® whiteboards look sleek and blend in seamlessly with surrounding walls. Porcelain magnetic whiteboards have a clear edge that conveniently holds a dry-eraser, and can be combined with a pinboard. Mobile whiteboards can be flipped and moved around your office. Combo boards include pinboards! All whiteboard styles offer unique advantages, so consider the style of your office and what will fit best. Also, think about how you want your staff to use the whiteboard. If you want to encourage free-flowing creative brainstorms and collaboration, then a WriteWall® whiteboard is perfect. If you don’t need that, a more compact and portable mobile whiteboard might be what you need. (Or get both.)
Writability: For an office setting, you want a smooth-to-write-on surface. Porcelain whiteboards are your pick for this. You also want a surface that allows you to easily erase pen marks, without leaving stains. Again, porcelain is ideal.
Thickness: You may want your whiteboard to closely align with objects around it, or to be extremely slim. Our wall-mounted whiteboards can be manufactured to different thickness requirements for seamless integration with pinboards, acoustic panels and other types of wall panelling.
Lighting: If your space is high-glare, with bright artificial or natural lighting, low gloss whiteboards are the pick for reducing reflected light. If you prefer a high-gloss finish on your whiteboard, consider getting your lights installed in such a way that limits reflection off the whiteboard. (High gloss surfaces are always the smoothest to write on and easiest to clean.)
Etching: Wall-mounted whiteboards can be laser etched. This is handy for when you need something to stay on a board permanently, such as a company logo or a yearly planner. If you want etching, consider how much of your whiteboard you are prepared to dedicate to that etching.
Are Whiteboards for Offices Easy to Install?
The whiteboards for offices in the Bach Commercial range are installed in the following ways.
WriteWall® whiteboards are mechanically fixed and concealed - we recommend that WriteWall® whiteboards are installed by a qualified tradesperson such as a carpenter or shopfitter. They must follow the WriteWall® installation guide.
BACH L15 Slimline Wall Mounted Whiteboards use Direct Stick (using permanent adhesive) or Split Batten (removable & concealed) systems
Installation of Combo Boards varies depending on the combination of pinboard/acoustic fabric and whiteboard you choose.
Bach is able to install your whiteboard for you, or assist with any queries you may have about installation.
Why choose Bach Whiteboards?
BACH Commercial understands what people need in a whiteboard, and have specialised in the design, supply and installation of premium whiteboards across Australia since 2005.
As industry-leading manufacturers of whiteboards, our clients receive only the best solutions. We take the time to understand your facility and recommend whiteboards best suited to your needs and space. We ensure our whiteboards are manufactured and installed with the highest quality of workmanship in the industry, and take care to integrate our top-of-the-range products seamlessly into your surroundings.
We can also install acoustic fabric, pinboards and wall and ceiling panels, so that your workspace is primed for running brainstorming sessions, training and meetings. To view more examples of our whiteboards installed in workplaces, see our projects page, or explore Bach Commercial’s range of whiteboards here.
To get a quote for your commercial project, contact us today. Our Customer Service team is ready to answer any questions you may have about our whiteboards and their installation.