What makes a chair a great chair to sit in for a full workday? Those of us who work at a desk, or who manage a staff need to know how to choose the best office chair from the myriad types of chairs and configuration of features to help ourselves and our employees sit comfortably, safely, and enjoy a productive day.
Office Chair Ergonomics
No matter what the purpose, you want to know about ergonomics to ensure the wellbeing of employees and most excitingly, to boost morale and team performance with the right office chair. Here are the primary things you need to know about ergonomic chairs:
- Adjustability is key – you need to be able to adjust many of the aspects of the chair to prevent damage from cumulative stress that sitting for long periods can create.
- Breathability – make sure the materials remain comfortable after hours of sitting.
- Mobility – make sure that items can be easily reached and that repositioning is supported
- Back Support and chair back width is vital- lumbar support of the spine is so important to health but so is the width of the seat back. We can help with that.
- “Nice to Have” features may enhance some seating situations. Sometimes armrests are a boon and sometimes they cause problems. The same goes for headrests.
Ergonomic Sitting Position
We mentioned how different needs may require different chairs, but for chairs that will be used for sitting for long hours, those features in the ergonomic list are most important. The ideal sitting position is as follows:
- Knees and hips at a 80-90 degree angle
- Feet should be flat on the floor
- There should be a few inches between the edge of the seat and the knees
- Elbows at an 80-90 degree angle and able to comfortably reach all desk items + keyboard
- Align the lumbar support curve of the chair back with the curve of the spine
- Ideally, the seat should recline, swivel, and have wheels to allow shifting and healthy resetting of one’s position in the chair.
No matter how excellent the chair is, regular movement is still preferred for comfort and health. Just getting up for a quick stretch every hour, or taking a walk a few times a day can make all the difference in health and productivity.
Chairs for Tall or Short People
Some people worry about which chair is best for short people and for tall people. In fact, if the sitter’s height is in the typical range any high quality ergonomic chair, like those we sell here at Arizona Corporate Interiors, will accommodate height differences with their adjustable features. In some cases a footstool can be beneficial for shorter people, or table risers for extremely tall people, but for the most part, a good ergonomic chair will suit all sizes.
Other Office Chair Features
What about those “nice to have” features like armrests and head rests? Just like when we discussed the ergonomic features, it is important to know exactly how the office chair will be utilized. Is the primary purpose for that chair to be used while typing on a computer? If so, you may not want armrests since they may increase the distance to the keyboard, but if the work is more variable, armrests can really add comfort and health benefits.
Learn More
With a few quick questions we can direct you to the perfect chair or chairs for your work day. Give us a call at (602) 840-6678 and make an appointment to safely come in for a very pleasant and efficient visit to see the options at our office.