How to choose a comfortable office chair

Are you sitting comfortably? Not having the right desk chair can cause a lot of issues, so choosing a comfortable office chair is important.

If you’re regularly leaving your desk at the end of the day with more and more aches and pains or if you’re simply looking for a chair to kit out your home or office space, then now is the time to invest in a comfortable and supportive office chair.

It can be a mind-bending task trying to figure out which chair and features will work best for you, however, getting the right chair can make a huge difference to your or your employees’ productivity whilst at work.

It’s very easy to buy an uncomfortable office chair without considering the practicality just because you like how it looks. However, the longer you’re using the chair, the more adjustable features you’ll need to feel comfortable- the way it looks doesn’t really factor into it.

To help you understand more of what a desk chair can offer you; here is our essential guide on how to choose a comfortable office chair.

Key Features of your office chair

Your health and happiness at work can be impacted by how comfortable you are at your desk. You may have the perfect work station set up, but if your chair is uncomfortable, everything else can fall apart.

When investing in a new office chair these are the key features to consider:

• Overall adjustability – Ability to change your seated position multiple times throughout the day.

• Lumbar support – Providing extra support to your lower back to support the natural curve of the spine.

• Flexible seating – Ability to recline the back of your chair.

• Wheelbase – Allowing you the freedom to easily move at your desk.

• Swivel base – Meaning that your chair seat can rotate fully around a single central leg for increased moveability.

• Fabric – To avoid getting too warm and uncomfortable whilst sitting, choose a breathable fabric, like mesh.

A common mistake made by office chair buyers is that the style of the chair is preferred over the functional design and ergonomics. However, the style should come as a secondary consideration once all the key features of the chair have been considered.

Overall adjustability

Think about the amount of time an office worker can spend sitting in their chair. For example, an average forty-hour week means a single person can spend up to two thousand hours a year sitting in their office chair. When you multiply these numbers over an average working lifetime, the figures are staggering. This is why finding an office chair that is suited to you and how you like to work is crucial to your comfort and your health.

The majority of office chairs will offer the basic height and arm adjustment options, however, for a comfortable and long-lasting office chair, you should look for more adjustable functions. Added adjustable functions can include those for seat angle, back angle and tension relief.

The overall adjustability of the chair has to be of a high standard to allow the user to shift positions multiple times throughout their day and to ensure that the functionality of the chair remains the same high quality over time.

Lumbar support

One of the most important elements to consider is the chair’s lumbar support. This function is found at the lower back of the chair and is in place to provide extra support for your spine.

Through more material at the lower back of the chair, the lumbar support is able to support the natural curvature of your spine. This support feature is crucial for improving posture and reducing back pain whilst at work. This additional support from your office chair will improve your productivity and reduce the breaks that you take due to aches and pains.

Flexible seating

Another option for easing the stress that sitting down for long periods of time can be put on our bodies, is to have a chair that is able to recline. Often referred to as flexible seating, having the ability to recline in your office chair can make you feel comfortable and help you to maintain good posture.

Wheelbase

Having a wheelbase office chair allows for easy manoeuvrability. A wheelbase has become the standard for the majority of office chairs that are available. However, when investing in an office chair it is important to consider the surface of your office floor. If your office or home is carpeted, it is often worth enquiring if the standard wheels that are offered are fit for carpet use.

The wheelbase of your office chair allows you the freedom to move around your desk without having to stretch to reach specific equipment. This will erase other aches and pains caused by regularly over-reaching at your workstation.

Swivel base

A swivel base allows for your chairs seat to fully rotate around a single central leg. This, along with the previously mentioned wheelbase, has become the standard for many office chairs. A swivel base allows you to move easily altering your position when needed and to work at your desk in a way that suits you. The ability to move easily in your chair is especially great for collaborative offices that require you to shift your seat to face someone as you work together.

Fabric

The fabric of your chair should be breathable, ensuring you don’t get too warm and uncomfortable as you work. A popular material choice for many office chair backs is mesh, as it allows air to flow through to your back while you work.

It is also important to consider the padding of the chair so that you are not able to feel any of the mechanics of the chair as you sit. This padding should also be a material, such as memory foam, that is as long lasting as possible to ensure that the chair is suitable for extended use.

What to check for when sitting in your office chair

When deciding on your perfect office chair, it’s important to get your chair set up correctly at your desk and ask yourself several questions to check that you’re getting the correct support from your office chair.

• Backrest – The back of the chair should come to, or above, the middle of the shoulder blades in order to provide the best support.

• Lumbar support – Does it follow the shape of your spine? Is your lower back being supported?

• Height –  If working at a desk with a computer, in your seated position, and facing forward, you should be looking at the centre of your computer screen. At this point, are your feet resting flat on the floor? If not, do you need a footrest?

• Arm rests – The height of the arm rests should match the height of your desk. Are the rests close enough to your body? Do your shoulders feel relaxed?

• Cushion – Is the seat comfortable? Is this likely to sustain over time?

Chair dimensions

Although there are no standard office chair dimensions due to the variation of each seat size and chair function, it is important to make sure that your chosen office chair will fit at your workstation. Therefore, before investing in your new office chair, it is best to check with the chosen manufacturer what size and dimensions the chair has.

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