Ergonomic chairs have become a very important feature of the modern-day office. Many office employees are required to sit more than eight hours per day in order to satisfactorily do their jobs; and during this time it is important that ergonomic chairs be used because they have been shown to help reduce shoulder, back, and neck strain. And even though ergonomic chairs may cost a little more than the standard office chair
, they are worth the investment for the simple reason that they increase productivity while helping to prevent serious injury.
When you select the proper ergonomic office chair, there are several factors you should consider, including but not limited to:
- Chairs with an adjustable seat;
- the proper lumbar support;
- backrest;
- adequate seat depth and width;
- arm rests; and,
- the ability to swivel.
You should also read the instruction manual as well, and ensure that all the adjustment mechanisms function properly. If you find a chair to be defective in any way, you should return it immediately.
Keep in mind when selecting your office chairs that there is really no “one size fits all” for every body type, because what is best for one individual may not be best choice for another. So before buying a chair you should give it a try and see what whether or not it is suitable for you. If it isn’t possible to test the chair, you should insist on a refund in the event of something going wrong.
Before purchasing or using an ergonomic chair it’s best to fully understand proper posture and ergonomics while at work or at home. One of the fundamentals to ergonomics is an exercise which is rather easy to complete. It is to make sure that the seat height of such a chair will allow users’ feet to stay firmly planted on the floor while they occupy the chair. It’s also helpful if the chair provides lumbar support, which means that it should be designed in a way that will fit the inward curve of a user’s lower back area.
There are many new and emerging alternatives being added to the early designs of ergonomic office chairs; and depending on the particular chair an individual chooses, s/he may need to adapt to new and – for all reasonable and relevant purposes – improved positions. Even though they may take a bit of getting used to, however, these chairs are great for those who experience discomfort or chronic back pain while occupying a standard office chair.
Those who sit at their desks for extended periods of time would benefit greatly from ergonomic chairs. Considering that while sitting at a desk, you put your back and upper torso in a cramped position, thereby making yourself a candidate for back pain later on in life, you might want to take a closer look at an ergonomic chair which is specifically designed to provide support to your back as needed. This way you can sit at your desk all day long and know that your back and the rest of your body will not succumb to agonizing pain.