Choosing a workspace
Trial a coworking space in one working week
A five-day method for testing a coworking space: what to check each day, from calls and internet to the commute, before committing.
By BestCoworkings
Buy the cheapest honest access
For a trial, use a day pass, a bundle of day passes or a free trial day if the venue offers one. Do not start a discounted annual membership to test a space; the discount is not worth testing with a year attached.
Book the way a real member would: same entry process, same hours. A hosted tour shows the space; a working day shows the job it does.
Day one: the arrival and the desk
Test the full arrival: the journey, parking or the final walk, check-in, and finding a seat at your normal start time. Note what happens at the busiest hour, not just at a quiet midday.
Sit where you would actually sit. Check power, the desk surface, the chair and the light. Small frictions repeated daily are the real product.
Day two: calls and concentration
Take your real calls from the space. Use the phone booths or call areas at their busiest times and note availability, booking rules and whether the call quality is acceptable.
Do a block of focused work and note the noise level at different hours. Ask staff what the quietest areas and times are; they know the building's rhythm.
Day three: the practicalities
Test the internet for your real workload, including any large uploads or video calls. Check printing, kitchen facilities and storage if you will use them, and ask about the meeting-room rates and booking process you would rely on.
Ask about the membership terms you would actually sign: minimum term, notice period, access hours and guest rules. Get them in writing while you are still comparing.
Days four and five: change your pattern
Arrive at a different time and stay later or earlier than usual. Access outside staffed hours is a different product; test it if your plan would include it.
End the week with a written comparison: the full monthly cost including your journey, the access hours, the call arrangements and how the days actually went. If you trialled two spaces, the notes settle the choice better than memory.