When I first heard of ergonomic office chairs, I just thought it was the name of a manufacturer. I didn’t want to admit how stupid I really was, so I just listened to the salesman and didn’t question him about the true meaning of the brand of chairs. I found out later that many dealers and manufacturers didn’t know themselves; the guy I spoke to was just repeating what he learned from the sales brochure. If I had risked it (and wasn’t afraid to look stupid) and actually asked the salesman, there is a chance that he wouldn’t have been able to answer my questions completely.
So, what is an ergonomic chair? Basically it is a concept. Webster define the word “ergonomic” as “an applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely”. In terms of office chairs, ergonomic is a chair “that has been carefully designed for the user to be able to work productively, efficiently and safely as well as minimizing any feeling of fatigue or discomfort.”
So, based on those descriptions, ergonomic chairs is very beneficial to you and is the perfect chair for your home office. But, what you need to know before running out to buy one is the 5 essential features that come in this type of office chair and how they benefit the user.
Arm Height Adjustment—having adjustable arms is very important for preventing RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). Some individuals choose to have chairs without arms; this is a big mistake especially if doing repetitive tasks, such as working on a computer.
Adjustable Seat Depth—not many office chairs comes with this feature. Adjusting the seat helps with accommodating the length of your legs, and thus continuing to bring comfort to your body while working. This adjustment is meant for the part of the upper body that is actually resting on the seat. The perfect adjustment for your body means that your clenched fist should be able to fit comfortably between your knee and the edge of the seat.
Pneumatic Seat Height Adjustment—this features accommodates the height and weight of the body. Most office chairs come with a gas lift that allows you to control the height so that your legs are able to firmly reach the floor.
Height Adjustable Back—supporting you back is very important when it comes to picking out office chairs. The height adjustable back helps with this by allowing the user to adjust it to support the lower back.
Adjustable Tilt Tension—this feature allows you to set the seat and the back in correct proportion of each other to fit your frame and built. The tension adjustment in any office chair needs to be able to accommodate your weight. Most office chairs come with a preset tension setting that isn’t ideal for all body sizes; making leaning back a nightmare for some people.
Think of these five features when going to purchase your ergonomic chair. Don’t be fooled by regular chairs that have certain ergonomic features. For instance, many chairs are now coming with ergonomic lumbar support. Many may be fooled into thinking that these chairs are ergonomic, but a chair will have to have all five features in order to be classified as ergonomic.
