Selection The Right Ergonomic Office Chair

There are a number of features a conventional office chair should incorporate. You will find these benefits particularly valuable if you suffer from back pain or discomfort.

All conventional ergonomic office chairs should incorporate seat height adjust ability. This is usually accomplished by an adjustment lever. The typical range of adjustment should be approximately 16 to 21 inches above the floor for most people. This will allow the sitter to keep their feet flat on the floor with their thighs horizontal and arms parallel with the plane of the desk.

Having adequate seat width and depth is also key. Approximately 17 to 20 inches should be the standard. Regarding seat depth from front to back there should be enough space for the user to sit with his or her back flush against the back rest of the chair. It is also nice to have forward and backward tilt for the seat.

Having adequate lower back support in an ergonomic chair is extremely important. The human body has a lumbar spine with an inward curvature and sitting for extended periods of time without support tends to lead to a slouched posture which flattens out the natural curvature of the spice and strains the lower spine. All ergonomic chairs should have adjustable lumbar supports that function for both depth and height. This way each user can customize the chair to fit their particular body.

The back rest of any ergonomic chair should range between 12 to 19 inches in width. If the back rest is not connected to the seat, it should be height adjustable and angle adjustable. Again it should be able to support the natural curvature of the spine with a particular emphasis on support to the lower back and lumbar area. Having a locking mechanism to keep the chair from hyper extending beyond the desired position is helpful as well.

Padding in the seat and back should be substantial enough to be comfortable and provide adequate support for extended periods of time. Selecting a breathable fabric or mesh covering can also be helpful.

All ergonomic office chairs should provide adjustable arm rests. They should be adjusted to allow the users arms to rest comfortably with shoulders relaxed. The elbow and arms should come to rest lightly on the arm rests and it is a good idea not to support your forearms with the arm rests while typing or data entry functions.

Office chairs should be able to swivel 360 degrees so the user can reach different areas within their work space without experiencing discomfort or strain.

All of these ergonomic features should help increase blood flow which can reduce fatigue and increase user productivity. In many cases the implementation of ergonomic office chairs reduce workers compensation risks to the companies employing thereby providing high value.

The purpose of this article is to provide concise information and rationale to assist users with selecting and ergonomic office chair. Thank you for your time.