Fully armed: Colebrook Bosson Saunders

London-based company Colebrook Bosson Saunders (CBS) was co-founded in 1990 by Martyn Colebrook, Peter Bosson and Brenda Saunders, their combined experience in architecture, product and furniture design resulting in their radical redefinition of workplace ergonomics, thanks to their pioneering monitor arms. Prior to establishing CBS, Peter and Brenda had worked for financial clients and noticed that their employees’ desks were cluttered with IT equipment that failed to meet their needs, compromised their comfort and impeded productivity. On meeting Martyn, it became clear to them that there was huge potential for designing and manufacturing ergonomic, human-focused technology support tools.

Pivotal to CBS’s development early on was a serendipitous Eureka! moment, sparked by lateral thinking: keen windsurfer Peter happened to spot that the mast and sail on his board were supported by a rubber O-ring where mast and board met. It proved the springboard for CBS’s great innovation, Wishbone – the world’s first ever flat-screen monitor arm, launched in 1999. The original, height-adjustable design, which can support multiple monitors and incorporates streamlined cable management, is still in demand, testament to the quality and durability of CBS’s products.

CBS’s latest brainwave is Lima, launched last month. Like all the brand’s monitor arms, many of which have garnered Red Dot awards – including the memorably named Rodney, Flo and Ollin – this was designed and manufactured in-house at its head office in buzzy Southwark. It’s here that CBS creates its rigorously tested products with impressive alacrity, thanks to its workshop equipped with state-of-the-art CNC machinery and 3D printers. Every CBS product is cycle-tested 13,500 times to achieve the levels of quality and functionality that the company is renowned for.

Affordable, user-friendly, and highly adaptable, Lima offers an excellent entry-level to CBS’s product portfolio. CBS’s desire to create an inexpensive monitor arm was a key driver in its development, during which every component was vetted for cost.

This accessible design, which is bound to appeal to the public sector, comprises an aluminium post and a monitor arm made of a low-cost composite polymer, which balances quality, performance and sustainability since it requires less energy to manufacture it.

Lima is simply packaged: the arm and combined post and clamp all come in one box. And it’s a cinch to install: the post and clamp attach effortlessly to the worksurface and are secured using a simple thumbwheel screw. The arm then slots directly onto the tracks on the post. All that’s needed to fix the arm to the monitor is a screwdriver. The arm can be raised or lowered to suit individual needs, thanks to a push-button mechanism.

Lima is also highly flexible – CBS’s designers anticipated the need for a dual-screen solution; accordingly, another monitor arm can be ordered at a later date and post-mounted on the existing design without any need for tools. The two arms move independently. Lima’s head can be tilted 10º or 80º degrees back, rendering it suitable for touchscreens, giving the user even more control over their technology.

Aesthetically, Lima blends well with any style of interior as its arms come in three neutral shades – black, white or grey – while the post is in anodised black or silver.

The value of CBS products has become increasingly apparent over time: ergonomic monitor arms are needed more than ever nowadays as offices increasingly embrace agile working practices. If people can adjust the height and distance of their computer screen, they can adapt their technology to suit their unique, personal requirements, greatly reducing eye, neck and back strain and promoting wellbeing and productivity.

Lima is available through CBS’s website colebrookbossonsaunders.com or via its sales team, who sell it through contract furniture manufacturers and dealers.

With Lima in particular, CBS is greatly extending its reach, connecting with new audiences and markets and cementing its reputation as a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge monitor arms.

© Architonic