Are you looking for a new chair for your workspace or office? Are you confused about what ergonomic chair would be right for you? We understand completely! An ergonomic chair can come in several sizes and shapes and price tags. When you shop online, you will find several different features and models, but choosing can be made much easier when you know how to. You should consider getting a good chair, either to go with your standing desk or if you intend on spending lots of time on it.
The best office chair will help you work comfortably while keeping your back relaxed and promoting better lumbar health. We’re going to help you land the perfect one by listing out those features you need to focus on when buying good office chairs.
Height that can be adjusted
It’s called an ergonomic chair because you can adjust all areas on it for a very comfortable fit. One feature that you can edit is the height of the chair so that you can sit on it for longer. Make sure that the chair has this feature. Test the chair out to see if it has an ideal seating height by sitting on it. Your thighs should be level with your hips but slightly lower than your hips. This posture height prevents the risks of back and hip strain when you lower your standing desk to work in a seated position.
- Fixed arms: The arms of the chair stay in one position and can’t be adjusted.
- Adjustable arms: The arms can only move in an up or down position to the required height.
- Fully adjustable arms: The arm can move up, down, inwards, outwards at varying angles.When the chair is too high for you, your body will push forward to keep your feet on the ground. If the chair is too high, then your knees get pushed higher than your hips, creating more pressure on your lower back.
Tilt controls
The seat angle or tilt of the chair needs adjusting. The inclination should permit a ‘slight recline’ in your sitting posture to protect your spine as you stay seated. The seat should tilt back at a 100- or 110-degree angle. Individual ergonomic chairs have tilt controls, either a tilt limiter or tilt tension. These let you recline the chair or lock the position altogether. When you do some research online, you will find specific terms used for describing the tilt feature of the seat:
- Pivot: This type of chair can slide out as you push the backrest back.
- Even back: This type of chair maintains a level height as the seat and around move together.
- Straight Recline: Here, the backrest moves up or down as you move your legs up.
Seat dimensions
The seat of the chair should be big enough to accommodate you. A huge heart will push your body into a slouching mode, a very narrow seat will keep you constrained. The middle has to be deep enough to support upper legs but should not touch the back of your knees. When seated in the appropriate seat pan size, your arms should rest on the armrest without being too stretched out. The width of the seat rest should be at least one inch wider than your hips. When seated, your body should go back, so you reach the backrest. An ergonomic chair will come with a seat slider screw or lever.
Caster wheels
The chair feet should have caster wheels so that you can easily drag around the chair without too much effort. It even makes it easier to move your chair back and forth when you sit or stand at your standing desk. You can enable or disable the swivel or movement of the chairs as per your liking. You should consider if all of the moving parts are of good quality and can last a while. It might be easier to know how good these mobility parts are by reading through online reviews posted about an ergonomic chair that you’re interested in. If you are at an offline store, ask the salesperson if you can test out the durability factor by sitting in the chair.