Ask the Ergonomist: What Should I Look For In A Good Ergonomic Chair?
What makes a good ergonomic chair?
Working in an office (or home office) typically involves spending a lot of time sitting in front of a computer. It has been well documented that sitting in a static, unhealthy forward-slumping posture for long periods of time is detrimental to our health and can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
This is why it’s important to select an ergonomic chair to help eliminate back injuries and workers’ comp claims. However, a good ergonomic chair is not enough — the chair and the desk need to work together in harmony in order to establish a complete ergonomic system.
Below, certified professional ergonomist and licensed physical therapist Marc A. Turina details the 5+ main features of a good ergonomic chair — and why even though having one is a good starting point, it may not be enough.
Interested in learning how to establish a complete ergonomic system? Contact us today for a complimentary ergonomic consultation.
What Makes a Good Ergonomic Chair?
Before considering the aesthetic design of an office chair, there are multiple features an ergonomic chair should possess, including:
Easily Adjustable Seat Height
One of the most important attributes of a good ergonomic chair is an adjustable seat height feature with a pneumatic adjustment lever. Typically, a seat height that ranges from 16 to 21 inches off the floor in order to accommodate the heights of most people, from the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile male.
This height adjustable range allows you to keep your feet solidly on the floor, with your thighs horizontal to the floor and arms even with the height of the desk.
Interested in learning how to establish a complete ergonomic system? Contact us today for a complimentary ergonomic consultation.
Seat Width and Depth
An office chair that doesn’t have enough width and height to support your seating is not healthy for your body. Your seat should have a width of at least 17 to 20 inches. Additionally, the depth (the front to back of your chair) must be deep enough so that your back rests flat against the backrest.
Additionally, the depth shouldn’t be too deep in a way that puts pressure on the back of the knees. There needs to be at least 2 inches between the back of your knees and your seat.
Lumbar Support
A critical feature of any ergonomic office chair is lumbar. Our spine’s lumbar region has an inward curve. This makes sitting for long periods, or the inability to read text on the monitor and to reach the keyboard, eventually leads to forward sitting.
This type of sitting causes forward head, rounded shoulder (FHRS) postures. Over time, this posture has a detrimental effect on both the lower and upper regions of the spine (called kyphosis).
This is why a solid ergonomic chair has a lumbar adjustment (height and depth). This is so each user can receive the proper fit to support your back’s inward curvature.
Interested in learning how to establish a complete ergonomic system? Contact us today for a complimentary ergonomic consultation.
Backrest
The width of your ergonomic chair’s backrest should range between 14 to 19 inches. It also should have the ability to tilt rearward. This is to promote healthy reclined positions, which help to restore the natural curve of our spine. These postures transfer body weight to the backrest, which can remove up to 20% of pressure off the lumbar region.
Additionally, this chair should feature a knee tilt which pivots the seat downward, behind the knees during recline, or a synchronous tilt which automatically tilts both the back and seat together for optimum total body support.
Padded Seat Material
The material on an office chair seat should be properly contoured and padded, or designed with a flexible membrane material to eliminate pressure points and ensure constant blood flow in this region of the body, not to mention providing you with excellent seated comfort for extended periods of time.
Interested in learning how to establish a complete ergonomic system? Contact us today for a complimentary ergonomic consultation.
Arm Support & Swivel
Adjustable armrests can relax the muscles in the shoulders, neck, arms, hands and wrists. To achieve a good width and height for you, adjust the armrests so that your elbows are directly at your sides and directly under your shoulders.
The height of the armrests should be set to ensure that your forearms and wrists are straight when working at the keyboard. The arm pad should be soft and forgiving to eliminate pressure points under the elbows while ensuring maximum comfort.
Additionally, an ergonomic chair should easily swivel so that you can reach different areas of your desk without straining your neck or forearms.
An Ergonomic Chair is Not Enough; You Need a Complete Ergonomic System
“Desk chair technology has improved dramatically over the past couple of decades. At the very least, you want your chair to be adjustable in terms of seat pan height and fluid backrest angle. There are a lot more adjustable features that are available out there, but you want to make sure that the height and the fluid backrest angle are adjustable for the chair that you choose.” - Marc A. Turina, MPT, CPE
While seeking an office chair with these features is a great starting point and one half of the equation, you truly do need a complete ergonomic system to prevent spine, neck and shoulder strain and to significantly improve comfort.
A good ergonomic chair alone is not enough, the chair and desk must work together as one to ensure exact eye-to-monitor and hand-to-input distance, no matter the posture. Even the best ergonomic chair alone will not counteract static, forward-slumping postures which prevail today.
Learn more about how NEXposture is revolutionizing the desk and chair relationship and take 15% off your first order + free shipping with promo code NEXPOSTURE15! We offer a complimentary ergonomic consultation with every purchase, and a free 30-day return policy.
Interested in learning how to establish a complete ergonomic system? Contact us today for a complimentary ergonomic consultation.