Picking Your Office Chair

Think of how many hours you spend at your chair at work. Is it six, seven, ten hours? Is it more hours then you spend in your bed? People will spend thousands of dollars and weeks of research on finding the right mattress (which is incredibly important as well) but they spend their entire workday in a $50 office chair that doesn’t fit them.

It’s nearly impossible to have a one-size fits all chair. People just don’t work that way. So when shopping for the best ergonomic chair, there are a few things that you should look for specific to you.

Here are a few things for you to consider as you make your selection:

1.     Seat pan comfort and shape

When you sit in the chair the seat pan should be at least one inch wider than your hips and thighs on either side. The seat pan should not be too long for your legs otherwise it will either catch you behind the knees or it will prevent you from leaning fully back against the lumbar support. Most ergonomic chairs have a seat pan with a waterfall front that prevents the seat from catching you behind the knees. The seat pan should also be contoured to allow even weight distribution and it should be comfortable to sit on.

2.     Think adjustable

Always ensure that your chair is adjustable so that you can adjust seat pan height while you are sitting on the chair. You should be able to adjust the height of the seat pan so that the front of your knees is level or slightly below level and your feet are firmly on the ground

3.     Lumbar support is key

Many chairs have cushioned lumbar supports that can be adjusted up and down and forwards and backwards to best fit your shape. If the chair will be used by multiple users then this level of adjustment may be required. However if you are the primary user of the chair then a fixed lumbar support may be acceptable, if it feels comfortable.

4.     Don’t forget about the hips

A chair that doesn’t provide enough hip room can make you sit too far forwards on the seat pan, which doesn’t provide so that you will not have enough thigh support.

5.     Have a long-term strategy

Think about how the chair will feel after one or two hours. Low-density foam seat pans can become permanently deformed after long term use which can affect cushioned support leading to discomfort, imbalance and hip and back fatigue.

Other things to consider for those of us not “height-blessed” is whether your feet touch the floor. It is incredibly important to invest in an adjustable chair, but if the desk is too high, then a footrest may be inevitable. Consider whether you can sit back comfortably in your chair without having your feet dangle. If you can’t, then think about investing in a foot support that allows your feet to rest comfortably upon it, preventing strain on the legs and the back.

Resources

Your Back Health:  http://www.yourback-health.com/work/top-5-tips-for-selecting-an-office-chair/ June 11, 2013