When we see the label Ergonomic Office Chair what exactly does it mean and what should we expect from an Ergonomic Office Chair? Perhaps we can best answer the question by defining the term Ergonomic. My dictionary defines Ergonomics as follows:
The applied science of equipment design, as for the workplace, intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort
So, as can be seen from the above definition when applied to an Ergonomic Office Chair the term is open to many interpretations. It just doesn't follow that just because an Office Seat is described as an Ergonomic Office Chair that the buyer is getting anything specific or properly specified.
At best, you will indeed get an excellent chair that will be a pleasure to use and give years of comfortable service. At worst, you will get a very poor quality Office Chair possibly having crudely shaped foam in the chair back and claiming to give the user lumbar support. In reality such a chair is more likely to give the user lumbago!
So how can we ensure that when we buy an Office Chair claiming to be an Ergonomic Office Chair that we do in fact end up with a good quality Office Chair, fit for purpose and able to give the user lasting comfort and relief from fatigue?
Well let's begin by ignoring wild claims from manufacturers and consider the essential features needed to ensure that the chair does indeed offer a reduction of fatigue and discomfort and can truly be considered fit for our purpose.
Here's a list of essential features an Ergonomic Office Chair must have.
Gas Lift Height Adjustable Seat
Almost all Office Chairs now come with a gas lift height adjustable seat. You need to make sure you can adjust the height so that your feet are firmly on the floor with your upper legs angled slightly downwards. If you're not very tall you may need to buy a footrest too.
If you are a large framed person make sure that the gas lift rating is suitable, typically they are rated up to 18 - 20 stones. Up rated gas lifts are generally available for better quality Office Seats.
Sliding Seat Depth Adjustment
This feature is not nearly so common on Office Chairs, nonetheless I consider it to be vital for an Ergonomic Office Chair. Humans come in all shapes and sizes and so it makes obvious good sense that the chair user is able to adjust the seat depth to suit their leg length.
When correctly set up the seat depth of your Ergonomic Office Chair should be adjusted so that you are able to place your clenched fist between the edge of the chair's seat pad and the back of your knee.
Height Adjustable Back
An Ergonomic Office Chair should have a height adjustable back and needs to be set up so that it gives the user good support in the lower part of their back. It doesn't need mountainous inbuilt lumbar foam supports, a slightly curved foam back shell is ideal provided the user adjusts it to suit their back. Some Office Chair come with adjustable lumbar supports and the majority are fine if correctly adjusted.
Height Adjustable Arms
Although some users, particularly typists, prefer chairs without arms for the majority of users they are a good thing to have. Properly used, height adjustable chair arms are definitely beneficial particularly for minimising or relieving Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
The user should set up the chair arm height by ensuring that their lower arms are level with their desktop. Keyboard and mouse use should be comfortable and not strained. Visit my website at http://www.officechairinfo.com/?p=25 for more on this topic.
Tension Adjustable Seat
Cheaper Office Chairs come with a fixed tension setting for the seat base. Frequently these are combined with a permanent contact back pad. The way that these Office Chairs work is that the seat and back move in ratio with each other. Great, if you are the correct weight for the mechanism.
However, if you are light framed and move forward in one of these chairs they feel like they are trying to catapult you out of the chair. They are also very difficult to lean back in for those who are light framed. Conversely, if you are large or heavy framed you could find yourself bouncing around all over the place.
So, make sure that the tension on your Office Chair can be adjusted to suit your own weight. I'm not a big fan of permanent contact back chairs and recommend you select a chair that has independent seat and back tension adjustment.
So, to summarise here are the key points to consider when selecting an Ergonomic Office Chair
*Gas lift height adjustable seat to suit your height, with up rated gas lift if required
*Sliding seat depth adjustment to suit your leg length
*Height adjustable back to ensure the lower back is properly supported Height adjustable arms to minimise the chance of RSI and for ease of movement
*Seat tension adjustment to enable the correct pressure for the individual user
By applying the above checklist when considering a new Ergonomic Office Chair you will have an excellent chance of selecting a suitable chair that will give you many years good service and can rightly be described as an Ergonomic Office Chair. It's always a good idea to visit a few office furniture showrooms or speak with a seating specialist and ask to try out suitable chairs to find the model most suitable for you.
Duncan MacIntyre shows you exactly what you should look for when choosing an Office Chair. His 25 years of experience in quality Office Seating will help you get things right first time. Visit http://www.OfficeChairInfo.com for great help, advice and tips on Office Chairs.
