True or False: Oak is the strongest hardwood material for use in college furniture construction. If you said true, University Loft Company invites you to take a closer look at some independent testing that proves otherwise. In fact, the Environmentally Farmed Timber hardwood we use – Hevea Brasiliensis, or HB – is simply stronger than Northern Red Oak. Here’s how we know this:
At the request of Southern Illinois University to determine the quality of HB, we compared a complete range of University Loft case goods against a national competitor during independent testing at Federal Testing Laboratories. In these tests, the student furniture products endured repeated cycles of pressure at a certain weight.
One such test involved University Loft’s 3-drawer chest. The ULoft chest, constructed with HB, endured 204 cycles at 350 lbs. before structural integrity was compromised. Our competitor’s product? Not so good. Made from Northern Red Oak, our competitor’s product failed after 341 cycles of only 250 lbs. This test, among others, proved that HB is stronger than Northern Red Oak (and ideal for furniture manufacturing). It also shows that University Loft Company uses superior construction methods in tandem with the native strength of the HB hardwood.
So why doesn’t every college student furniture manufacturer use Hevea Brasiliensis like University Loft? Maybe it’s because Hevea Brasiliensis is harder to say than Oak. Frankly, we’d rather use a harder wood that’s harder to pronounce than to settle for less.
Want to learn more about the superior strength and durability of the student dorm room furniture products from University Loft Company? Contact us today at 800-423-LOFT (5638).
Bob
The ULoft Blog Team
About University Loft Company and our solid wood modular residence life furniture:
Since 1984, when James Jannetides built a loft configuration for his own dorm room at Southern Illinois University, hundreds of thousands of college students have enjoyed better campus living thanks to University Loft furniture. Today, University Loft serves more than 1,200 colleges, universities and related student housing partners. As Jannetides’ says: “We are always learning, always innovating, and always improving … our environment, our products, and our service. We are University Loft Company.”