How to choose an ergonomic office chair?
The relatively new and constantly growing field of ergonomics has several representatives in the modern office and none of them is as popular as the ergonomic chairs. The studies suggest that the current status of the relationships between office workers, chairs and office are at a turning point.
Nowadays, more than ever, office workers spend hours in a row sitting, most of the time in front of their computers. Today, more than ever, they spend long periods of time in a variety of postures, leaning back or bending forward.
From all these studies carried out so far it is clear that now, more than ever, the ergonomic chairs are necessary to maintain a healthy and productive work environment.
So what exactly do the ergonomic chairs do for their users? They provide comfort, back support, better blood circulation, and as a result, higher efficiency and productivity. The design and engineering teams who develop the best chairs on the market aim mainly at improving the following areas:
I. Comfort
The ergonomic chair serves one main purpose rather than any others - to make you feel comfortable at work. The position, design and pads of the armrests, its seat-height adjustment and mobility functions, are all combined in a way to provide you with comfort. If a chair is not comfortable, then it is not a real ergonomic chair.
II. Back support
Your spine health and comfort, your posture and the prevention of unnecessary pain in the neck are essential for a successful performance at work. A good chair is designed and made so as to provide adequate support for your back at all times and in all positions (regardless of whether you lean forward, lean backwards or sit upright). A chair is not an ergonomic one, if it does not make sure your back is constantly in a healthy and comfortable position.
III. Improved blood circulation
The ergonomic chairs guarantee better blood circulation, which is often underestimated by users. The edges of the chair, which are not very often a subject of interest for designers or engineers, can actually cause a lot of problems to the user, if not made properly.
Hard edges impede your normal blood circulation, which lowers heart and brain functions, and the obvious result is a reduced comfort, health problems and a lower productivity.
Besides this purely biological reason, such edges make the user to move up and down frequently during the day, which again reduces productivity and creates knee problems. The ergonomic chairs solve these problems by offering well designed, flexible and curved edges, both for the seat and the backrest.
IV. Higher productivity
The result of all these innovative solutions and designing, as well as of the additional comfort and support, is the higher pproductivity. In conclusion, it is the productivity and the better performance at work that are the subject of all manner of research and innovation in the field of ergonomic chairs.
The word "ergonomic" itself comes from the Greek ergon (work) and nomos (natural laws). Each detail in a real ergonomic chair contributes to the higher efficiency of your work. Any adjustment shall be such so as to help you do your job better, more easily and more comfortably.
Choosing an ergonomic chair for your office or home should not be difficult. As people differ in weight and shapes, we offer a variety of chairs. The personal taste and preferences play the most important role when choosing your chair. However, there are a few tips that you can follow when buying a new chair for your office:
1. Base
If the mobility is an important feature that your new chair you want to own, choose one with at least 5 pedestal legs! Most chair manufacturers enable you to choose between a base with casters, which will allow the chair to slide smoothly over the floor, or without casters. You should also pay attention to the casters themselves. Depending on the type of the flooring material, you can choose casters suitable for carpets or hard surfaces such as linoleum or parquet flooring.
2. Backrest
When choosing a chair it is absolutely essential to make sure that it provides support for your vertebral column. Sitting on a chair all day long can lead to unwanted tension in the back, pain and discomfort. Many ergonomic chairs have adjustable backrests that enable you to adjust them to the natural curves of your spine.
In addition, make sure that the chair can be adjusted so that your hips are against the backrest and your feet step freely on the floor! The best chairs will move simultaneously with your body and spine, taking care of your comfort during long periods of time in a correct seated posture.
3. Armrests
Your chair should have armrests whose width and height you can easily adjust according to your body. The best option is to choose a chair with wide padded armrests. It would also be good if they can be removed or moved sideward when not needed.
4. Mobility of the seat
The experts recommend to change the posture of your body during the day in order to prevent muscle fatigue and cramp. The chair can help you do this with its seat mobility function. A seat that can tilt forward transfers a part of your weight to the back and thus improves blood circulation in the muscles.
5. Adjustability
When you are looking for the perfect office chair, choose one that can be manually or automatically adjusted according to the characteristics of your body i.e. look for a chair with the greatest adjustability. Whether you can regulate the seat, backrest or armrests, the adjustable chair will allow you to adapt it according to your body so that being seated for too long does not create problems for your health but brings you comfort.
