HOW TO ADJUST THE OFFICE CHAIR

No matter how expensive your office chair is,if an office chair isn’t set up right, it’s not doing you any good. 

 

5 common office chair adjustments - each lever interpretation

 

Arm Height Adjustment:

 

Most office, computer, task, ergonomic and even executive chairs offer this function. Quite simply this describes how the seat height is raised or lowered. A pneumatic cylinder is attached to the chairs mechanism located under the seat cushion. This cylinder allows for quick and easy adjustment throughout a specified height range. This adjustment is often accomplished through the use of a paddle or lever located underneath the seat cushion on either the right or left side of the chair.

 

Handrail adjustment

 

When typing, your wrists should be at the same level or slightly below the elbows. The arm should be placed wide enough to fit the size of the shoulder. For this reason, you should get a seat with adjustable armrests.

 

Adjusting the height of the armrest helps to align the wrist with the elbow to avoid excessive tension on the shoulder. Side armrest adjustments can enlarge or enlarge the distance between the armrests to fit your shoulder span.

 

Tilt with Adjustable Tilt Tension

 

According to Rani Lueder, founder of Humanics Ergonomics, reclining in a chair is an important way to relieve loads on your spine while opening up your thigh-torso angle, so you should do it throughout the day. If the chair has a tilt-limiter setting, lean back as far as you want to go and lock it into place. Cornell University’s ergonomics department recommends around 110 degrees as a good place to keep your chair’s recline for keyboard and mouse tasks. Don’t be afraid to unlock the recline and lean farther back throughout the day. Shifting positions helps redistribute pressure and promote circulation.

Seat depth adjustment

Proper seating posture requires your legs to be firmly grounded. If the seat cushion is too large, your feet will be hanging from the chair and not touching the ground. Small seat cushions leave you sitting at the edge of the seat which is bad for your back.

Seat depth adjustment helps in moving the seat cushion back or forward to fit your height accordingly.

 

 

Back Height Adjustment:

 

Many computer, task, ergonomic and drafting chairs now offer this feature. Back height adjustment allows the user to position the backrest’s lumbar support area within a fixed range for customized support. Back height adjustment is often modified by turning a know located on the backrest stem or frame. Once this knob is loosened the backrest can be raised or lowered to the desired position, then the knob is tightened to hold the position. Ratchet back height adjustment is also becoming more popular with some newer models of office chairs, this eliminates the use of a knob and is set or controlled by simply raising or lowering the backrest to the desired level and then locked into position by use of the ratchet style frame stem. Of course, there are many other chair functions available on the market and depending on your personal preference, the daily amount of time spent in a chair, and your intended use you may need or want an office chair with more ergonomic controls or features. If so, please follow the link at the bottom of the page for more information and a large selection of available ergonomic office chairs. Your office chair is your home away from home, so proper support and comfort are a must.