Day pass, hot desk or dedicated desk: which do you need?

Coworking spaces use a handful of terms that sound alike but mean quite different things. Here is a plain comparison of the main options, who each one suits, and how they tend to be priced, using real examples from spaces listed on Lumen Spaces.

Day pass

A day pass gets you a desk for one day, usually in a shared area, with no ongoing commitment. You turn up, work, and leave.

Who it suits: freelancers who mostly work from home but need a change of scene, people trying out a space before committing, and visitors to London for a day or two.

How it is priced: a flat price per day. At the time of writing, Yonder in Walthamstow lists a day pass at £20 and Bespoke Spaces in Archway lists one at £29. SHED London in Haggerston lists a hot desk at £40 a day.

Watch for: what the pass includes (meeting rooms, printing, tea and coffee), the hours it covers, and whether you need to agree the date in advance.

Hot desk (monthly)

A hot desk membership lets you use any free desk in the shared area, as often as the plan allows. You don't have a desk of your own, so you clear up at the end of each day.

Who it suits: people who work from a space most weekdays but don't need to leave kit set up, and small teams who move around.

How it is priced: a monthly fee. Some spaces call this an "everyday" or "unlimited" membership. Bespoke Spaces, for example, lists an everyday membership at £259 a month at the time of writing.

Watch for: joining fees, how busy the space gets at peak times, and whether there is anywhere to store things overnight.

Part-time desk

Somewhere between a day pass and a full membership, a part-time (or "flexi") desk gives you a set number of days each month for a monthly fee.

Who it suits: people who come in two or three days a week, or who split their time between home, clients and a workspace.

How it is priced: by the number of days. Yonder lists flexi desks from 4 days a month at £120 up to 12 days a month at £230, and SHED London lists a 10-day part-time membership at £190 a month.

Watch for: whether unused days roll over, and whether certain days (Fridays, for example) fill up first.

Dedicated desk

A dedicated (or "permanent" or "fixed") desk is yours alone. You can leave your screen, files and plants there, and nobody else sits at it.

Who it suits: anyone who works from the space most days, needs a proper set-up (two screens, specialist kit, a drawing board), or wants the same seat every day.

How it is priced: a monthly fee, usually higher than a hot desk. Yonder lists a permanent desk at £280 a month and Bespoke Spaces lists a dedicated desk at £295 a month plus VAT, at the time of writing. SHED London lists a full membership at £260 a month.

Watch for: access hours (some dedicated desks come with 24/7 access, some don't), storage, and the notice period if you want to leave.

A quick way to decide

• Coming in once or twice a month? A day pass is usually simplest.
• A few days a week, regularly? Compare a part-time desk with paying for day passes as you go.
• Most weekdays, but you travel light? A hot desk membership.
• Most weekdays, with kit you want to leave set up? A dedicated desk.
• A team of two or more who need a door that closes? Look at private offices instead.

A note on prices

Prices quoted here are taken from each listing at the time of writing. Operators set their own prices and can change them, and some quote with VAT while others add it on top. Always check the listing for the latest figure, and ask whether VAT is included.

What to ask before you commit

• What hours can I use the space, and is weekend access included?
• Are meeting rooms included, or charged separately?
• Is there a joining fee or deposit?
• What is the notice period, and is the term rolling?
• Is there storage or a locker?
• Is the price with or without VAT?
• Can I try a day first?

Find a desk

Browse day passes, hot desks, part-time desks or dedicated desks across London.

Still not sure which option is right? Tell us what you need — it's free, and we'll point you to spaces that fit.