Choosing the Right Ergonomic Office Chair

Cape Town: Working in an office typically involves spending a great deal of time sitting in an office chair – a position that adds stress to the structures in the spine. Therefore, to avoid developing or compounding back problems, it’s important to have an office chair that’s ergonomic and that supports the lower back and promotes good posture.

The quality and comfort of your office chair affects your health and productivity. With so many options, though, picking the right one for you isn’t easy. This graphic from Office Chairs Unlimited can help.

Most of the pointers are ones we’ve noted before in our guide to ergonomically optimizing your workspace: Arm rests should keep your elbows bent 90 degrees, seat height and back rest height should be adjustable, etc. The graphic lays it all out visually so you can see what you need to look for in an office chair at a glance (or even print this out and take with you when chair shopping).

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What Kind of Ergonomic Office Chair is Best?

There are many types of ergonomic chairs available for use in the office. No one type of office chair is necessarily the best, but there are some things that are very important to look for in a good ergonomic office chair. These things will allow the individual user to make the chair work well for his or her specific needs.

What Features Should a Good Ergonomic Office Chair Possess?

In first considering the “conventional” style of office chair, there are a number of things an ergonomic chair should have, including:

Seat height. Office chair seat height should be easily adjustable. A pneumatic adjustment lever is the easiest way to do this. A seat height that ranges from about 16 to 21 inches off the floor should work for most people. This allows the user to have his or her feet flat on the floor, with thighs horizontal and arms even with the height of the desk.
Seat width and depth. The seat should have enough width and depth to support any user comfortably. Usually 17-20 inches wide is the standard. The depth (from front to back of the seat) needs to be enough so that the user can sit with his or her back against the backrest of the ergonomic office chair while leaving approximately 2 to 4 inches between the back of the knees and the seat of the chair. The forward or backward tilt of the seat should be adjustable.
Lumbar support. Lower back support in an ergonomic chair is very important. The lumbar spine has an inward curve, and sitting for long periods without support for this curve tends to lead to slouching (which flattens the natural curve) and strains the structures in the lower spine. An ergonomic chair should have a lumbar adjustment (both height and depth) so each user can get the proper fit to support the inward curve of the lower back.
Backrest. The backrest of an ergonomic office chair should be 12 to 19 inches wide. If the backrest is separate from the seat, it should be adjustable in height and angle. It should be able to support the natural curve of the spine, again with special attention paid to proper support of the lumbar region. If the office chair has the seat and backrest together as one piece, the backrest should be adjustable in forward and back angles, with a locking mechanism to secure it from going too far backward once the user has determined the appropriate angle.
Seat material. The material on the office chair seat and back should have enough padding to be comfortable to sit on for extended periods of time. Having a cloth fabric that breathes is preferable to a harder surface.

What is ergonomics

Desking

Seating

What is ergonomics

Desking

Seating

Choosing the Right Ergonomic Office Chair

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