Which Chair?

Office Chairs are one of the most important furniture items to consider when looking at refurbishing your office. The average office worker spends between 6-8 hours a day sitting on their chair so it is important to get the right chair to prevent problems that could arise in the future. Below are some of the key points to consider when choosing a new chair:

Height adjustable gas lift – This is a common feature in most office chairs. It is important as people are different heights and in order for you to have a good posture, it is important that you have your feet flat on the floor with your body in a comfortable position.

Lumbar/Back support – Adjustable lumbar support is usually built into the chair, however you can get additional attachments to the chair for increased comfort. The idea of the support is to keep a good posture by supporting the right areas of the lower back. 

PCB or Synchro mechanism – PCB (Permanent Contact Back) essentially means that the back of the chair tilts back but the seat remains in the same position. A synchro mechanism means that when the back tilts the seat does also at a ratio of 2:1. This means that the angle between the lower and upper part of your body is at greater than 90 degrees, promoting a more ergonomic sitting position.  

Seat slide – This mechanism moves the seat forward and backwards. This function is good if you have a chair that is use by different people. If you are a shorter person it is advised to slide the seat back and vice versa.Tension control – adjusts the level of force required to recline the back. 

Height adjustable back and arms – Designed to reduce strain on your shoulders arms and wrists while you work.

Fabrics – You may think that this is just for aesthetic purposes; however it is more important than you might think. For example leather is easily cleaned with nothing more than soap and water, which makes it ideal for use in high traffic areas where there is an increased cleaning requirement. 

As well as these points to consider, there are also other things that should be taken into consideration when thinking about purchasing chairs. Some of these are: 

• Who will be using the chair – If there is more than one person using it then you should consider the above points in having a chair that is completely adjustable to meet the needs of the employees 

• How long you will be using the chair – Many cheaper chairs are not designed for 8 hour use. You should make an effort to find out what the recommended usage of the chair is before purchasing. Office reality has separate sections for 24 hour, back care and ergonomic chairs that are designed for up to and over 8 hours use. 

• Where it will be used – It is important to think about the desk or workstation that this chair will be used at. For example, is there enough room to fit the chair under the desk?  Will it fit in with the desk’s layout? Etc…  

Finally it is important to think about ergonomics. An ergonomic chair should provide stable support in a range of different postures. The requirements for an ergonomic chair are that circulation in your thighs is not restricted, there should be little muscular effort to maintain the correct posture and there is minimal stress put onto the spine. 

Checklist for buying office chairs – Below we’ve put together a checklist for you of things to do before you buy your office chair.