How To Find Your Next Office Chair

“Whether you’re simply upgrading your current home office setup, or redesigning a larger office space, choosing a suitable office chair can be difficult. With so many different types of office chairs available, you might be unsure where to begin. To make the process less overwhelming, we’ve put together this detailed guide that will answer all of your questions on how to choose your next office chair.

What is an Ergonomic Office Chair?
The term ergonomic refers to something that is designed to fit a workplace user’s needs, increase efficiency, promote good posture and reduce discomfort. Ergonomics should therefore be a key consideration when choosing your next office chair.

Things to look for when choosing your next office chair
There are many factors to consider when looking for an office chair that will suit your requirements. It is important to consider these factors when choosing your next office chair.
1. Lumbar Support
To support the natural curve of your spine and keep the lower part of your back comfortable, a good office chair will have lumbar back support. The support may be built into the chair itself or come as an attachment. To benefit from lumbar support on an office chair, it is important to ensure that you sit at the back of your seat and that you are upright – not slouching.
Lumbar support is a key feature to consider when looking for the best office chair for lower back pain.
2. Backrest
Ideally, the backrest of your office chair should finish just above the height of your shoulders. Whilst some office chairs feature backrests which are adjustable in height, many are simply oversized to ensure they suit as many people as possible. In this case, you need to ensure that the lumbar back support is in the right place.

3. Adjustability
Height adjustability is a key feature to look for when choosing your next office chair. It is important that you can alter the height of the chair so that you can sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor and your upper legs flat on the seat pan. The seat pan should be level with your knees when standing.
4. Armrests
Armrests are great for good posture when sitting for long periods at a desk, however, they must be fully adjustable. As a general rule, armrests should be around 2-3cm higher than the level of your desk to allow for ergonomic positioning.
Armrests are particularly good if you are tall and require more elbow room to work comfortably.
5. Swivel
A swivel chair with a set of wheels will make it easier to move around throughout your working day, whilst being seated. A chair with movement will allow you to slide in and out of your desk, turn to speak to a colleague and reach everything on your desk without straining. Being able to move your chair around freely will also encourage blood flow, which is good for your health and concentration.
A stable office chair will have a minimum of 5 spokes at the base. To ensure your floor is not damaged by your new office chair, you will also want to make sure that the wheels are made of high-quality material.

6. Head Support
A headrest on an office chair isn’t essential but can have a great impact on the comfort of the user, particularly if you suffer from neck or back pain. When purchasing a chair with a headrest, you should ensure that the support is adjustable in height.
If you find that you are frequently experiencing back or neck pain after being seated for a long period of time, it is likely that your office chair is not providing suitable support, resulting in bad posture. A new, ergonomic office chair can often help ease these issues.
If you need help choosing a new office chair, we can help. Contact us with your requirements today.”

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