An office worker spends a lot of time sitting on a chair in front of a computer. On average, a person spends up to 6 – 10 hours a day sitting on an office chair at work. According the statistics provided by Independent, an office worker sits for 1700 hours a year in front of a computer screen.
Sitting on an office chair may have a negative impact on the structures in the spine. That’s why it’s so important to pick a comfortable ergonomic office chair that provides the proper support for back, neck and shoulders.
Give a preference to a chair that will allow you to take the correct position and avoid back problems. In this guide, you’ll find the tips that will help you pick the right ergonomic office chair and adjust it for your needs properly.
Choosing the Right Ergonomic Office Chair
It’s fair to say that ergonomic office chairs have been designed with the comfort in mind. And of course, you have to be very selective when it comes to picking ergonomic office chairs.
Select an office chair that’s adjustable and supportive. You should aim to choose a chair that will provide you with the optimal back support and the maximum comfort.
There is no shortage of ergonomic office chairs available for sale these days. Each type of a chair comes with a set of features. Chairs come in a vast variety of shapes, sizes, materials and prices.
First of all, you have to explore all of your ergonomic office chair options carefully and make the best possible choice. After that, you have to pick the most suitable chair.
Types of Ergonomic Office Chairs
There are many types of ergonomic office chairs available for sale these days. You can pick either a traditional office chair or other types of ergonomic office chairs. Choose an ergonomic office chair that meets your specific needs in the best possible way.
Traditional Ergonomic Office Chairs
This type of ergonomic office chair is good for people, who are looking for a modern office chair. It’s an all-purpose office chair. A chair is adjustable. Such a chair allows you to change positions easily during a day. You can check out our top office chairs here.
Kneeling Ergonomic Office Chair
What is great about this type of an ergonomic office chair is that it provides the spine with a natural position. With such a chair, you’ll find it easy to slide the hips forward. Back, neck and shoulders are aligned easily as well. This type of an ergonomic office chair is a good option for people, who suffer from back pain. You can check out our top kneeling chairs here.
Saddle Ergonomic Office Chair
It’s a good chair for office workers who want to take the position between sitting and standing. Saddle ergonomic office chair solves circulation system problems. Sitting on this type of a chair makes it possible for you to take a stable position. It’s also important to note that sitting on this type of a chair has a positive impact on the muscles of the back.
Recliner Ergonomic Office Chair
The chair is a suitable option for people, who are looking for a relaxing office chair. With a recliner chair, you will find it easy to sit in a reclined position and balance your body. The chair is very comfortable for the back. You can easily customize an office chair for any of your needs when it’s necessary.
Features of an Ergonomic Office Chair
You need to take a closer look at the chair’s features. Make sure that an ergonomic office chair of your choice has everything that’s needed for seating comfort.
Seat Dimensions
When picking an ergonomic office chair, you have to pay close attention to seat height, seat width as well as seat depth.
Seat height
Put your feet on the floor and feel relaxed. The angle between thugs and torso has to be equal or more than 90°.
Seat depth
You shouldn’t feel any pressure in the knees when sitting on an office chair. Make sure that a chair provides your back with the proper support. Buttocks and thighs have to be supported normally as well.
Seat width
You have to pick a chair that’s wide enough. A chair has to provide a person with enough space. When seating on a chair, you have to be able to move freely.
Seat Pan Angle
The angle of the seat pan has to allow you to sit comfortably on a chair. You shouldn’t shift weight and feel any other discomfort when sitting on a chair. Armrests should allow you to sit on a chair in a relaxed position.
Lumbar Support
It’s necessary to analyze height and shape of chair’s lumbar support. You should give a preference to a chair with the firm lumbar support. On the other hand, the support shouldn’t cause localized pressure points.
Arm Support
The performance of an office worker depends a lot on the comfort of his/her chair. Arm support is one of the things that make a chair comfortable.
Consider ergonomic office chairs with adequate arm support. Take a closer look at armrests. It would be better to pick a chair with armrests that make it easy for you to take any posture.
Armrests have to support forearms, so you shouldn’t lift the shoulders when sitting on a chair. Excessive positioning of the elbows has to be avoided as well.
And of course, you need to measure the distance between armrests in advance. It’s important to ensure that you will find it easy to enter and exit the chair. So, fitting hips between the armrests shouldn’t be hard.
Armrest height
Armrests have to provide the adequate support for arms. So, an ergonomic office chair has to come with armrests of the right height. Armrests don’t have to be either too high or too low.
Armrest length
The length of armrest also matters. On the one hand, a chair has to provide you with an easy access to the work surface. On the other hand, you should be able to maintain the contact with backrest.
Back Support
You should select an office chair with back support that allows you to sit in your favorite positions for a long period of time. When sitting on a chair, make sure that the torso-to-thigh angle is at least 90°. You’ll have to change your postures several times during a day. In this case, seat and backrest angles have to be adjusted depending on the position that you take.
Seat backrest height
A seat has to provide you with the proper back support as well as support for the shoulder blades. You need to select an office chair with your posture preferences in mind. Let’s say that a reclining posture is more to your liking. In this case, you should pick a chair that can provide you with more upper back support.
Backrest width
The curvature of the back also has to be supported properly. So, take into account the width of the backrest when selecting an office chair.
Seat Materials
The comfort and durability of a chair depends a lot on materials. Among the most popular seat materials are fabrics and leather. There are natural and synthetic fabrics.
Select a chair that has enough padding. Plus, it would be better to consider a chair with seat that’s made of breathable fabric. So, you’ll find it comfortable to sit on such a chair for a long period of time.
Swivel
Sometimes, a need to swivel a chair arises. When sitting on the chair, you should be able to rotate easily. Make sure that you’ll not find it hard to reach different areas of your desk.
Adjusting an Ergonomic Office Chair
Once the choice is made, you have to adjust ergonomic office chair for your needs. You have to adjust chair’s seat depth, arm rests as well as recline and tilt tension. Now, let’s dig deeper into these types of adjustments.
Arm and Height Adjustment
It is incredibly important to adjust the height of your office chair. You should keep your feet flat on the floor. Avoid keeping your legs crossed. The legs should be bent at 90 degrees. Make sure that your thighs are parallel to the floor. You should feel comfortable when sitting on an office chair.
Seat Depth Adjustment
Sometimes, it’s necessary to adjust the depth of the seat. When doing this type of adjustment, you have to sit on the chair and slide the seat forward or back. Take advantage of either the button underneath the seat or a knob on the side to adjust seat depth.
Adjusting the Tilt on an Ergonomic Office Chair
You need to adjust an office chair in the way that minimizes the load on your spine. If you spend a lot of time sitting on an office chair, then you’ll have to change your positions multiple times throughout a day.
You should be able to lean back normally. Make sure that you don’t need to make a push to take the necessary position. Loosen the tension when such a need arises.
Reclining a chair will allow you to find the optimal angle between thigh and torso. Unlock your chair’s recline to take the necessary position. Make sure that you’ll find it comfortable to do keyboard and mouse tasks.
Computer Screen at Eye Level
It is strongly recommended to adjust the height of the computer monitor. Make sure that the top line of the screen is at your eye level.
Keyboard in Easy Reach
When it comes to typing, you should keep in mind that there is a proper typing posture that can help you avoid stress on your joints and muscles. As a result, you will not feel pain after working in front of a computer all day. Adjust a chair in the way that allows you to sit with a straight neck and back. Place the keyboard below the elbow level. Avoid leaning forward to the computer keyboard. Remember that your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for reading this article. We’ve just described the factors that you need to consider when searching for an ergonomic office chair. So, hopefully now you know what to look for in an office chair.
Analyze all ergonomic office chairs carefully. Make sure that a chair of your choice has all the necessary features. Follow our tips to pick the right type of a chair and enjoy your work at office.