Know Your Office Chair Needs and Options Before Buying

There are thousands of options to choose from when picking your office furniture, from different features and styles to colors. With such a large market, it can be confusing when trying to find and order the chair that best suits your needs. The most important feature to look for in a chair are the ergonomic options. Practicing proper ergonomics can promote a healthy spine and good posture. This will help reduce pain and possible related health problems.

The standard options available on most task office chairs and stools are things like seat height adjustment levers, a tilt mechanism, tilt locking pins, and lumbar support with adjustments on each. Having proper lumbar support and the adjustability of the tilt mechanism are perhaps the most important features for good ergonomics. The lower back is the area affected by the most stress when sitting for a long period of time; extra lumbar support is really effective to help relieve some of the pressure to the lower back. Lumbar support can also be optioned with an adjustment scale to help place the support where needed for the user’s specific body type.

The desired position when seated in your office chair is in a slightly reclined position, therefore a tilt mechanism is needed for proper positioning. This also works to prevent future long term back problems. Some tilt mechanisms also come with locking positions to help the user properly recline into the desired position for the task at hand.

Another feature that is helpful to users but is often found mostly in more expensive models is an option referred to as “synchro-knee tilt.” This allows the user’s feet to stay on the floor while supporting a straight back or in a reclining position. Ergonomics also call for your feet to be placed squarely on the floor at all times to help keep the spine in the correct position. The ratio is approximately 2 degrees for recline in each position or the back support and 1 degree for recline in each position for the seat.

Finally, a headrest can be helpful to the taller user or to the user who spends more time reclining than the average worker. When choosing a high backed model versus a mid or low backed model it seems to be more of a matter of taste than ergonomic needs. Most executive chairs feature a high back while the task chairs are standard in a mid back form. The “Big and Tall” options within office chairs are growing bigger. When choosing the features for a chair where you intend to spend a great deal of your day, keep in mind your body type and individual tasks that need to be performed daily to find the perfect office chair for you.

Author Bio:
Amy Pedersen has worked in the Ergonomics and Office Furniture
industry for over 10 years and is owner of Sit On This Ergonomics,
operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to Office
Chairs and the practice of good Workplace Ergonomics.

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