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Sizing up the chair

It is a well known and undisputable fact that people come in many different shapes and sizes, a fact which cannot be understated more; but used here it emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions about office chairs before making a decision to purchase one. First you should decide how you plan to use the chair, as this will be the determining factor in the degree of comfort you can expect to get from such use.

Keep in mind that almost all office chairs come with a variety of mechanisms designed to control features like, tilting angle, tension tightness and other parts of the chair, so it may be helpful to take a look at the various types of office chairs and their benefits, including those described in the following paragraphs.

Heavy use & moderate

Heavy use chair – These types of chairs are for those who plan on sitting at their desk for long periods of time. If this this sounds like you should it may be necessary to look for a chair with a tilting mechanism as well as a fatigue reducing device on the bottom of the chair seat. Because of this device, moving forward or backward will enable the chair to move with you in order to provide support. This will also help to support your back at all times.

Moderate use chair – If you are a typical assistant manager, or you run back and forth between your desk and other areas throughout the office on any given day, you should consider getting an office chair with a knee-tilt mechanism. This allows you to lean back in the chair, while keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground. Chairs that do not have this mechanism will typically cause your feet to lift off the ground when you lean back and forth, an action which could ultimately lead to discomfort over time. Best of all, these chairs are normally more stylish than the average task chair.

A chair for the executive

Executive office chair – These types of office chairs normally have the same types of mechanical features as moderate use chairs, although they are normally larger, more comfortable, and offer more style for the executive. They are designed for the average executive who is busy running about and spends a good deal of time either on the phone or on a computer. Comfort, style, and status are the key features when deciding to buy one of these types of office chairs.

If you want average level of security, an office chair that offers the ultimate in comfort may be an ideal purchase. You can purchase a heavy use chair, as you will probably spend a good amount of time at a desk; but if you move around a bit more than normal, you may want to go with a moderate use chair, as it will provide the comfort you need when you return to your desk.

General rules for the office chair

You should make sure your feet rest comfortably on the floor, and your thighs fully supported and placed square with the floor.
Your back should be comfortably supported. The angle that is formed by your upper legs and torso should be between 90 and 105 degrees.
When you tilt back it should be easy, although it should not be so easy that you are in danger of falling every time you lean back.
The desk chair should be customized to permit frequent changes in posture.

know your chair

While it is essential to have office chairs and other such furniture around an office, it may be just as important that the occupants of that office have a full working knowledge of how to use office furniture to its fullest extent, because there are many features on any given piece of office furniture, especially office chairs which offer comfortability, relaxation and reduced incidents of back injury for people of all sizes. Adjusting an office chair is therefore something we should all know how to do.

For example, users of office chairs should know how to adjust the height of their chairs so that their feet are able to rest comfortably on the floor, and their thighs are horizontal in relation to the floor. If a user’s feet cannot comfortably rest on the floor, they will obviously need a footrest, but footrests should not be necessary in an office environment, so the height must be properly adjusted.

Pneumatic adjustment

If an office chair has pneumatic level capability, height adjustment can be accomplished from a seated position; whereas with older office chairs the user will need to stand in front of the chair and rotate the seat clockwise or counter clockwise in order to raise or lower the height. Under the old scenario, the only way to know when the adjustment is made correctly is when the seat pan height is just below the height of that user’s knee caps.

If your job requires that you use office chairs, you should always avoid situations where your feet dangle, as this will compress the tissue in back of your thighs and behind your knees, which could also result in aches and discomfort in your lower legs. There really should be a space about the width of a clenched fist between the back of the knees and front of the chair. If there isn’t, lower the chair slightly.

On the other hand, if your chair has a “tilt” feature, tilt the seat pan forward to slightly relieve any pressure you may be experiencing. The last resor is you may need a foot rest is there is still discomfort. Keep in mind that the rounded edge on many office chairs will also help to prevent uncomfortable pressure behind the knees. Another thing you must be aware of when seated at your desk, is that your office chair should be adjusted to accommodate the working surface. What this means is that your chair should be raised high enough to keep you sitting comfortably at your desk.

Backrest adjusting

Backrests on office chairs should should be adjusted so that they support the lumbar areas of a users’ lower back, since this is the most important contact point between the user and that piece of furniture. Obviously anything a user can do to take care of his/her lower back is should be done based on the importance of this area to effectively doing his/her job.

In most situations, and especially where your job requires you to sit in your chair for an extended period of time, your backrest will need to have an adjustable height so that you can get the maximum amount of support for your back. There are some backrests that can even be moved forward or backward. If the seat pan is deep, these features can be even more useful; but whatever you do, never sit in a chair for a long period of time without back support. You should adjust the chair instead, as this will protect your back while you work.

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