A Quick Guide to Choosing an Office Chair

How much time do you think you spend working in front of the computer these days? Especially in this particular moment where home-based work has rocketed around the world? Let's say for about three hours? Five? Too far. The answer is an average of seven hours.

Recent studies made by a contact lens manufacture in Europe indicate that the average office worker spends an impressive amount of 1,700 hours a year in front of a computer screen. That is for sure more than the number of sleep hours most of us have managed to have recently. It is like travelling from London to Paris and then coming back more than 350 times every year. A lot of sitting.

So why do we neglect so much the importance of the office chair we are sitting on? More importantly, why when we do come to consider this important, we end up neglecting another essential feature: the design. Consequently, should we buy the ugliest chair available just because it's comfortable?

The truth is that we underestimate the benefits of choosing the right office chair. Making proper furniture available for office workers who spend a considerable part of their life in a sitting position could make a positive impact on their productivity, generating a more optimistic work environment.

Luckily, the purchase of office chairs is often a decision made by people to benefit other people. So this is a quick guide for you to rely on when deciding for your staff, for example, or if you want to know how to get yourself the right chair for your home office and give it a rest to your knackered back.

What Do You Have To Have In Mind When Looking For An Office Chair?

If you are going to spend that much time sitting in a chair it has to have good lumbar support. A good office chair will have aid for the person's lower back so it guarantees that complications caused for continuous back strain won't be a case. This type of injury can rapidly evolve to serious conditions like sciatica. Some better chair models are also equipped with adjustable lumbar support. Keep an eye on those.

Be aware that are an infinity of office chair models available on the market and plenty of then are in line with the most recent design trends. Hence it is not too difficult to find a beautiful model within an affordable price range. It is advisable, though, that you keep an eye on the relation between design and functionality. A beautiful and uncomfortable chair would only serve you as an expensive coat hanger.

The most important type of adjustability you are looking for when choosing for a good office chair is a lumbar, height and arm height and width adjustments. Different types of office chair will also offer tension control and seat and back angle adjustments which can be handy when you are sitting for long periods and what to give your back a good stretch. Pay attention to these models. If the backseat comes up to the shoulder blades is good. Over the shoulder blades is even better. Some models of office chairs would offer a head restraint which would be a bonus.

Watch out closely for this topic if your office is carpeted. You have to have in mind that the wheels should be specifically made for this surface otherwise you could end up with a beautiful chair standing over a ripped carpet.

No one wants to spend seven hours a day in contact with a hot, sweaty or scratchy surface. Choose the fabric of your chair wisely. Ideally, a good office chair fabric has to combine durability and easiness on the cleaning process. Some models could also be equipped with stain resistance or have a water repellent fabric.

Therefore, another important aspect to consider is the quality of the cushion you will be sitting on. The cushion has to support the person properly, avoiding contact with the base of the chair through it. That could make a huge difference in guaranteeing comfort for hours in a row. Stay alert for memory foam cushion. They can prolong the chair's life as they usually take way more time than standard cushions to wear out.

After you pondered the points above there is also a quick list of things to have in mind if you want to make the best use of an office chair.
Always observe that the backrest should be adjustable and support the curve on the lower back. The most ergonomic backrests normally follow the movement of the spine. To be considered a comfortable position the feet should rest flat on the floor. That will help to keep the spine in the right position while sitting in the chair for long periods. The whole point of armrests is to give relaxation to your shoulders. Adjust the height of the armrest accordingly for a more relaxed posture.

If the backseat comes up to the shoulder blades is good. Over the shoulder blades is even better. Some models of office chairs would offer a head restraint which would be a bonus.

Choosing a good office chair is always a good decision to be made. It can bring benefits to you and your whole staff by helping to avoid the incidence of back injury and related issues in the workplace. As a result, tiredness and discomfort could be prevented on a day to day basis meaning collaborators who feel more comfortable will be more productive although having to sit in their chairs for long chunks of time a day. The other way of looking at this is realizing that investing in quality furniture can be also beneficial for the company results in the long term.

So if you are thinking of replacing the chairs in your workspace to follow these recommendations have in mind that are companies able to design solutions to fulfil the needs of your project. Techno Furniture is a good example of a company which prioritise, beautiful, ergonomic and durable products for a reasonable price.