Tuesday 6 January 2015

Choosing the Best Ergonomic Office Chair

Ergonomic office chairs are the best option for reducing bodily stress and to alleviate back pain while seated. If you suffer from poor posture, lower back aches, or simply want to prevent strain or injury while stationary for prolonged periods at your desk, ergonomic office chairs are the best option.

There are several things you need to consider before purchasing executive office chairs. Finding the right model will ensure your comfort for long hours at your desk, and that’s the goal if you are suffering from back pain or other discomforts.

Standard options for ergonomic models are height/seat and arm adjustment controls.  To make the chair much more custom, purchase one with a seat slide adjustment so the seat pan can accommodate the length of your legs. You may also consider tilt and tilt lock functions. Some chairs have headrests and adjustable lumbar supports so as to fully customize for your seating comfort.

Choosing an Ergonomic Chair:

Before you go about determining the details of your ergonomic chair, decide which style of ergonomic office chair you want. The majority of office chairs today are still the traditional swivel chairs you see everywhere, but you can also find knee chairs, saddle chairs and divided back chairs, each of which is designed to keep your back supported in a different way. While these alternative designs aren't for everyone, you may find that a kneeling chair or a saddle chair helps relieve lower back pain.

Seat Height Adjustment

For optimal flexibility, the height range of the seat should include heights both slightly lower and slightly higher than your ideal setting. To give you some idea of where your seat height should be in relation to how tall you are; seated heights from 15" - 22" will accommodate users from 5'0" tall to 6'4" tall. Few chairs offer this large a seat height range so pay careful attention to the seated height range of any chair you are considering. Many chairs offer a choice of height cylinders so the chair can be ordered with the correct height range for the individual. The seat should have pneumatic height adjustment so you can adjust the seat pan height while you sit on the chair.

Seat Pan Size

The seat pan should be deep enough to not contact the back of your knees when you sit back in your chair. The width of the seat should be at least one inch wider than your hips. Conversely it should not be so wide that the user cannot rest his arms on the armrests without stretching them out to the side.Note for larger users, weight capacity is not a good gauge when choosing a chair as this is a safety measurement. Seat size and weight capacity must both be appropriate for the user.

Lumbar Support

Whether or not you have the tendency to slouch, lower lumbar support is necessary when selecting executive chairs. With proper lumber support placed at the curve of the spine, your body will experience less strain and discomfort, which can take their toll over time.

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