For people who sit at their desk for hours each day, a comfortable office chair is essential. An office chair should fit your body and work environment. Some chairs look great, but the moment you're forced to sit in them for hours, their looks may be the only positive thing about them. How do you find a comfortable chair that will support you for hours? This office chairs buying guide is here to help you with that question. Read on to learn how to buy office chairs that you'll love and be comfortable in, no matter how long you sit in them.
Anyone who sits in at a desk every day, whether in a home office or a cubicle, knows that there are pains associated with desk jobs and the wrong desk chairs. Lower back pain, leg fatigue, headaches, sore shoulders and arms, concentration problems and pain in the knees and calves: the list of complaints is large. Eliminate these problems by identifying elements of office chairs that will help and not hinder.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the applied science concerned with designing chairs that will be comfortable, allowing the user to work more efficiently and safely. Ergonomic office chairs are designed to support the lumbar (lower back and sides between the lowest ribs and the pelvis), arms and shoulders, the upper calf and feet. Ideally you want your keyboard at elbow height, feet flat on the floor and your upper calves about 4 inches from the seat cushion.
Back support
Proper support of the back is crucial to an office chair's comfort:
- Back rests should provide lumbar support. A contoured backrest is shaped to match the natural curve of your spine; an adjustable contoured backrest will provide the comfort and support your back needs. Office chairs that recline the back will transfer some of the upper body weight to the backrest.
- Back height and back angle adjustable office chairs are great for maximum adjustability and comfort.
- Adjustable armrests allow for differences in sizes of bodies. Your trunk, thighs and shoulders will differ from other users and adjustable armrests can fine-tune for elbow rest heights.
Seat support
A seat that is adjustable in many ways will allow you to change body positions throughout the day:
- Seat heights should be adjustable to allow multiple users to use the office chair at different heights.
- Seat comfort needs to be firm to support your weight evenly and soft enough to fit your form.
- Waterfall seats slope down in the front slightly, which improves the circulation to your lower legs and eliminates leg fatigue.
Position and height
The position on your body should change throughout the day and your office chair should make this change easy.
Industry standard weight capacities: Note that the industry standard for office chairs is 250 pounds maximum. There are chairs available for heavier users.
- Tension controls should be adaptable to the user's body weight.
- Chair reclining or tilting changes the angle of the seat comparative to the floor. Just like a reclining backrest, changing the angle of the seat will put some of the upper body weight onto the backrest.
- Swivel office chairs will ease tension from twisting at your workstation or desk.
- Big and tall chairs are available for larger body types. They have a variety of seat widths, back heights, seat depths and weight capacities.
Materials and construction
The materials used to make office chairs will add or take away from overall comfort. Decide on the materials and office chair construction that will work best in your work environment, while still keeping you comfortable.
Materials
- Mesh seating and backing allows air to pass through the office chair. Mesh will help keep your body's heat and moisture build-up from getting out of control. Mesh is useful in hot, humid climates.
- Molded foam seats and backs contour to the shape of your body.
- Top grain leather is Italian leather and considered to be of the utmost quality. Leather is a common material for executive office chairs. Leather can become hot in warm, humid climates, unless your office is temperature controlled.
- Imitation leather will give you the look of leather but it will be durable and easier to clean.
- Upholstery will be easy to clean and durable. It also comes in a variety of colors and patterns to match your office style. Upholstery is also more affordable than leather.
- Plastic is hard and, although durable, it can become uncomfortable in the long run. Plastic office chairs don't always adjust more than their heights.
Construction
- Five-point chair base measuring at least 27 inches will provide the best stability.
- Casters work well on industrial carpet. They are a bit too hard for hard surfaces, but there are soft wheel casters for linoleum, tile and wood floods. To prevent materials from interfering with the movement of the chair, look for hooded double-wheel casters. They also offer more stability. If you don't have hard floors you can still use a rolling chair; add a chair mat to your office space.
- Glides are a stationary foot for users who don't need the rolling feature of casters. Stationary chairs include visitor chairs and stackable chairs.
- Foot rings are metal circular bases on office chairs. They are used mainly on drafting/task chairs and medical office stools for extra foot and leg support.
- Spring tilts change the angle of the seat. This is what enables you to change your body position during the day and transfers some of the upper body weight to the backrest.
- Seat sliders adjust the seat forward or back on a horizontal plane.
- Adjustable arms move up and down, which allows users to move closer to their workstations. They also take tension off of the shoulders and neck.
- Knee tilting can be adjusted for a more natural sitting position.
- 3-paddle is a multi-function tilting mechanism that moves the seat and back, locking them in any position in the tilt range.
- Gas lifts adjust the seat height in relation to the desk for comfort and ergonomic benefits.
How do I keep my chair from rolling across the floor when I need it to stay still?
This is a problem for hard floors. To keep your rolling office chair where you want it, look for locking casters. This way you can lock you chair in one position, like a baby stroller, and keep it from rolling.
How do I know if the padding will last in my chair?
Some foam padding may not continue to support a user over the long term, like large-cell foam padding on the seat and back. Large-cell foam is foam with larger air pockets. There is some large-cell foam that will last over time, like memory foam.
Will my mesh office chair start to sag?
Mesh is a great material for office chairs since it allows air flow. The downside is that mesh can stretch out over time. To combat this look for a web tension knob to be included on mesh office and desk chairs. The tension knob allows the user to tighten or loosen the tension of the mesh material. So as time wears on, you can tighten the mesh and keep your office chair supportive.
Ergonomic office chairs aren't the only thing you need to keep comfortable in the workplace. Having the right monitor height and keyboard height are just as important. If you can't find enough stacks of computer paper to raise your monitor to a comfortable height, it may be time for a new monitor. Shop the computer store for monitors, computers and accessories and create an ergonomic work space. And don't forget ergonomic keyboards!
If you're workspace is at home, create a home office that will help you concentrate. Read the home office furniture buying guide for more information on which furniture you need and how to buy home office furniture that you'll love.
