Ergonomic Seating: Finding Your Perfect Match
A sedentary lifestyle has become more and more common in the US, especially as time spent in an office environment (whether at home or in the workplace) has increased. This means employees spend a lot of time sitting in office room chairs, which places pressure on their spines.
Finding an ergonomic chair that provides the proper support for the spine is important for maintaining optimal wellness and preventing or reducing back problems.
So what is an ergonomic chair, and what should you look for when selecting one? Keep reading to learn more.
What Is an Ergonomic Office Chair?
The term ergonomic refers to furniture used in an office environment to contribute to the health, safety, efficiency and comfort of employees.
Specifically, an ergonomic chair is one that is designed to reduce the pain and discomfort felt from sitting for long periods of time each day. The office room chairs are created to improve posture, provide back support, evenly distribute weight and offer comfort and freedom of movement.
Things to Look for When Selecting a Chair
Ergonomic chairs are more expensive than conventional office seating because they are an investment in your employees’ health. Non-ergonomic chairs have been proven to contribute to a host of health concerns, including musculoskeletal disorders, pressure on the spine due to bad posture and deep vein thrombosis.
Things to look for in a modern office desk chair include the following:
- Seat height and adjustability. When your chair seat is at the proper height, your feet should be flat on the floor, with your knees at a 90-degree angle. This reduces stress on your knees and back and aligns your joints to reduce pressure. A good ergonomic chair will allow the seat height to be adjusted from 15 to 22 inches off the floor, which fits a height range of 5 feet to 6 feet, 4 inches.
- Seat width and depth. The seat should be wide enough that you have one inch on either side of your hips, but not so wide that you must stretch to reach the armrests. The seat should be deep enough for you to sit with your back against the backrest but have space for two to four fingers between the end of the chair and your knees. At least three-fourths of your thighs should be supported by the seat.
- Lumbar support. Lumbar support is a critical piece of the ergonomic chair, supporting good posture. Sitting for long periods of time leads to slouching and strain on the lower spine. The best lumbar support can be adjusted for both height and depth to provide the most support possible for the spine.
- Backrest. The backrest should be 12 to 19 inches wide and support the natural curve of the spine. You should be able to try different postures to relieve some of the weight from your back.
- Armrests. The ideal height of armrests is between 7 and 10 inches above the seat. The armrests should be adjustable and even removable if possible. They should be wide enough to allow your elbows to rest comfortably while typing.
- Seat and backrest materials. The materials the chair is made of should be comfortable for sitting for long periods. The seat should be made of high-quality foam to keep the hips aligned and reduce back pain. Cloth fabric on the seat is preferable, as is a mesh backing. These materials keep air flowing while spreading your weight across a large area.
At Office Gallery, we work with an extensive list of top vendors to make sure we provide you with the best ergonomic furniture available, and we provide office interior design services that are customized to fit your needs.
For a consultation, contact us today.
