Whether you are setting up a home office or redesigning an office space for your employees, navigating the world of ergonomic furniture can be overwhelming. The increasing number of products available on the market makes it challenging to narrow your buying options. At ergonofis, we make a living out of making sure we provide you with the best ergonomic furniture available. One key feature of building an ergonomic workspace is choosing the right ergonomic office chair. In this post, we break down what an ergonomic office chair is, why it is worth the investment, and what are the critical criteria to look for when shopping for one. Spoiler alert: not to brag, but after extensive research, we think we’ve found the ultimate affordable ergonomic office chair!
First, let’s look at what the term ergonomic means: the Occupational Safety and Health Organization defines it as the “science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to the capabilities of the working population.” In other words, the field of ergonomics looks at how furniture and objects can be designed to complement the human body, creating safe work environments.
An ergonomic chair, therefore, is one that aims to find a solution to body pains and strains created by using a standard chair for prolonged periods. It is a chair designed to best support the body when sitting at a desk. It considers posture, back support, distribution of weight, comfort, and movement. An ergonomic office chair will have multiple adjustable parts, so it uniquely fits every user and every user can sit comfortably at work.
Yes, we know, ergonomic office chairs are more expensive than your standard office chairs. But think of it as an investment in your or your employees’ health and productivity.
The foremost, and non-negligible, reason to buy an ergonomic desk chair is health. Spending too much time sitting at your desk has been proven to put you at a higher risk of developing a range of serious disorders. More specifically, sitting in a non-ergonomic chair can lead to the development of musculoskeletal disorders, which affects your muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, and nerves from the lack of upper back support. It can negatively impact your posture, causing pressure on your spine and backbone, leading to back pain. It can also restrain blood flow, which can lead to deep vein thrombosis, and complications like cervical spondylosis. The right ergonomic chair will conform to your body shape, support a proper posture, keep your joints and tissues in a neutral position, and allow for proper hip and pelvis alignment. This lowers your risk of injury and strain, will give you more energy, and let you focus without distraction and discomfort.
Ultimately, what you are gaining by investing in an ergonomic chair translates directly into your work. If you are an employer contemplating providing your workers with ergonomic chairs, The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries conducted a convincing study. They examined 4000 users who switched to ergonomic furniture in the office and found that absenteeism was reduced by 75%, error rate by 56%, and time on task was increased by 40%. By making the workplace of your employees safer, you are increasing their engagement and providing a more flexible environment that can uniquely adjust to every worker. And if our predictions are right, workers looking for a job will prioritize more and more offices that value the well-being of their employees. Additionally, ergonomic chairs are often high-quality furniture that will last longer and withstand years of wear and tear.
You will find many chairs on the market that identify as ergonomic, but do not fulfill all the required criteria. If you are going to invest in an ergonomic office chair, make sure you consider the following points to benefit from the best ergonomic support:
What makes a great ergonomic office chair is how you can easily adjust it to your needs. Everybody is different, so every chair needs to be able to adapt to its unique user. Think about who will be using the chair, in what context, and make sure it is adaptable to every function it will serve. Most of the following criteria include the adjustability of a chair’s various parts.
A good ergonomic chair will allow for the seat height to be adjusted from 15 to 22 inches off the floor. This range suits people that are 5’ to 6’4” tall. At the proper height, your feet should be flat on the floor, with your knees at a 90-degree angle. This will reduce stress on your knees and lumbar region. A chair with a pneumatic adjustment is ideal as you can correct the height sitting in the chair, but a chair with a spinning mechanism will work to adjust the seat pan height.
The standard seat size is between 17 and 20 inches wide to provide ample space for thigh support. Each user needs to be sitting comfortably on a quality seat pan, with at least 1 inch on either side of their hips, but not so wide that their arms need to stretch to touch the armrests.
On a right ergonomic office chair, the seat needs to be deep enough for the user to sit with their back against the backrest but leaves a space for 2 to 4 fingers between the end of the chair and the user’s knees. At least ¾ of the thighs need to be supported by the seat. Look for chairs with a seat that slides, which lets the user slide the seat in and out while sitting in the chair.
The presence of good lumbar support, and its adjustability, is a critical criterion. The lumbar spine supports and stabilizes the upper body, including the neck and head. The chair backrest allows for truncal movement, protects the spinal cord, and controls leg movements. Its concave curve helps to even weight distribution, which reduces the concentration of stress. Sitting in a chair without lumbar support tends to flatten that curve, which leads to lower back pain.
A typical backrest is between 12 and 19 inches wide. It needs to support the natural curve of the spine. An ergonomic office chair should promote dynamic sitting rather than static posture to increase blood flow. It should, therefore, allow its user to try different recline postures to relieve some weight from their lower backs. Pressure on the lumbar discs and muscle activity are at their lowest with a reclining degree that is between 110 and 130, depending on the body type.
Look for materials that are comfortable for extended periods.
Make sure the seat pan padding is made of high-quality foam. On most ergonomic chairs, insufficient padding and low-quality foam can lead to misalignment in the hips, imbalance, back pain, fatigue, and discomfort.
Avoid unbreathable synthetic materials. Cloth fabric on the seat is comfortable and breathable, and leather is easy to clean
A mesh backrest keeps its users cool by keeping the air flowing, and comfortably contours the body while spreading the weight across a large area.
The armrests need to be adjustable and even removable if possible. The ideal height of armrests is from 7” to 10” above the seat pan height. They should be broad and comfortable so that the elbows and forearms can rest lightly on them while typing.
The chair needs to move and rotate easily so that its user can reach anything on their desk without straining. A chair that allows for movement also promotes a dynamic position and increases blood flow. Additionally, it needs to be stable. For this, an ergonomic office chair needs to have at least 5 spokes. And make sure the wheels are of high quality, so no damage is done to the floor surface. Also, check its weight capacity to validate it’s appropriate for its user.
Your ergonomic office chair will go through years of wear and tear, so make sure it comes with a good warranty. You might also want to check where it is made (the closer to home the better!), how sustainable it is, and any certifications it may have.
Ergonomic office chair prices range from $200 to $2,000.
After extensive research, we believe we have found an affordable ergonomic office chair that brilliantly fulfills the above criteria. We have partnered with Allseating to offer you the YouToo ergonomic office chair. Easy to install and adapt, and with a 10-year warranty, the YouToo chair delivers on adjustability at an affordable price. It has exceptional lumbar support, fits the curve of your spine, and encourages movement. With a simple and elegant look, you can choose from a variety of quality materials and colors. Plus, it is made locally and sustainably! Here are the characteristics that convinced us:
Seat height
Adjustable from 17.75” to 21.25”
Pneumatic adjustment system
Seat width
and depth
Standard size: 20.25” x 18.5”
Smaller size available upon request: 19” x 16”
Seat slider to adjust depth available as an option
Lumbar support
Ergonomic lumbar support with tension adjustment
Backrest
22” in height x 18.5’ in width
Back height adjustment available as an option
Reclining with a lockable feature
Materials
Nylon frame
Upholstered seat pan chair covering: Available in fabric (colors: limestone, slate or mariana), in leather (colors: steel, honey, black, bone, cobblestone)
Back: Elastomeric back mesh, available in deep gray, iron of platinum
More colors and materials available if you order more than 3
Armrests
Adjustable and removable armrests
Movement and stability
5 hard-surface casters (protect hard floors including hardwood floors) for smooth chair mobility and stability
Weight limit: 325 lbs.
Manufacturing and warranties
Made in Mississauga, ON, Canada
10-year comprehensive warranty on parts and labor
Certifications:
- ANSI BIFMA Certification
- ISO 14001 Certification
- Greenguard Certification
Price
From $745 to $1045 CAD
Tip : It pays to buy in bulk! We offer discounts on bulk orders, so give us a call, and we’ll send you a quote. Moreover, if you order more than 3 chairs, you can have access to additional materials and colors.
By now, you’ll understand that we are passionate about ergonomic office furniture. We believe that working in a healthy environment promotes well-being, productivity, and fulfillment. And since we spend so much time in it, an ergonomic office chair is often the gateway item into the world of ergonomics. It helps sustain us throughout the workday and reduces, even eliminates back pain. We hope this information will allow you to make an informed choice. If you want more tips on how to set up an ergonomic workspace, click here. And if you’re buying an ergonomic office chair as you are acclimating to working from home, we have a few tips for that as well. But most importantly, we are here to help! If you have any questions or interrogations, contact us or book a virtual or in-person appointment with us.
References
https://www.spine-health.com/wellness/ergonomics/office-chair-choosing-right-ergonomic-office-chair
https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spine-anatomy/lumbar-spine-anatomy-and-pain
https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-an-Ergonomic-Office-Chair
https://www.thehumansolution.com/how-to-choose-the-best-ergonomic-chair.html
https://www.ehs.pitt.edu/workplace/ergonomics/chair
https://osha.oregon.gov/OSHAPubs/ergo/ergoadvantages.pdf
https://www.conceptseating.com/benefits-of-ergonomic-seating
http://www.safecomputingtips.com/what-is-an-ergonomic-chair/
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/chair.html
https://www.chairoffice.co.uk/blog/the-ergonomics-of-a-chair-explained/
Ergonomics is the scientific study of people in the workplace, with the aim of improving efficiency and productivity.
“The number of employees suffering from back, neck and shoulder complaints caused by sitting and postural-related issues has continued to rise”
Mark Barrell and Levent Caglar, Boss Design
When it comes to chairs, one size does not fit all. Ergonomic chairs are often ordered to an individual’s specification, and allow a high level of adjustability to help support the task at hand. This often includes an intelligent mechanism designed to encourage more movement during your working day, fully adjustable arms, seat height adjustment and adjustable or inflatable lumbar support.
Ergonomic chairs are built to support the body, promote good posture, and prevent discomfort.
Ergonomists observe how people interact with their work environment, and then work closely with designers to create seating solutions that fix common workplace issues. An ergonomic chair takes in to account all of these principles to help you work as effectively and comfortably as possible.
When set-up correctly, this means that the chair can actually help you to adopt and maintain a better working posture, protect the user from painful posture-related issues associated with unfit seating and be more productive throughout your working day.
It is broadly acknowledged that giving people more sophisticated chairs with a greater number of manual adjustments is improving the ergonomic quality of the workplace
Mark Barrell and Levent Caglar, Boss Design
Adjusting the depth of your chair will determine how much support your thighs receive. To check the depth of your seat, sit as far back as possible in your chair. The space you need between the chair and the back of your knees is roughly three fingers wide. An ergonomic chair will have a seat slider so that you can achieve this easily. Ergonomic chairs are often built to order and your DSE assessor might suggest a different sized seat pad width so that you can sit comfortably. In the same vein, your assessor might specify additions like a coccyx cut out or memory foam seat to reduce pressure on the base of the spine.
An ergonomic chair will have a gas lift so that you can adjust the height you are sitting at. The right height means that your forearms are in-line with your desk; if your feet do not remain flat on the floor in this position then you will need a footrest.
Armrests support the shoulders and prevent strain throughout the arm. They should be adjusted so that there is a comfortable 90° angle through the forearm when the shoulders are relaxed. Ergonomic armrests usually have width adjustment so that they can remain close to the body. The top of the armrest might also swivel so that you can sit as close to the desk as possible.
If you are in an office of 5 or more screen users, DSE regulations state that office chairs must have a five-star base. Usually made in high-grade plastic or polished aluminium, these prevent the chair from tipping and keep your feet safely on the ground when you adjust your posture. The castors on the base will vary based on your job specification and environment: If your office has carpet, soft floor castors will compensate for this and if you are on a tall lab stool you will most likely have a chair with break loaded castors to stop the chair from slipping away from you.
The back support of an ergonomic chair is height adjustable so that it can offer maximum support to the lumbar region of the spine. The shape and fabric can vary based on the ergonomic principle that it is trying to achieve but all offer a good level of support to match the contours of the spine. If the chair has a mechanism built in such as a tilt mechanism, this also means your spine remains supported whilst you move throughout the day.
HSE specifications note that the seat, armrests and backrests should be well padded to ensure that the worker’s body does not press uncomfortably on the frame of the chair. Padding needs to be firm rather than soft and of good quality to ensure that the chair remains comfortable for a reasonable time.
Once you’ve found an ergonomic chair that you like, you then should learn how to sit on your chair correctly and set up your workstation.
An ergonomic chair can help to improve posture, reduce back and neck pain, boost productivity and make working at a desk much more comfortable. But if you are not sitting correctly in that chair, you probably won’t experience the benefits of an ergonomic chair.
Follow our ‘How to sit correctly’ checklist to make sure you’re getting the most out of your ergonomic chair.
When you sit down, make sure your backside is as far back on the chair as possible.
Relax your shoulders and bend your arms at the elbow so that your forearms are in-line with the desk.
When you’re sitting as far back as possible there should be a 2-3 finger gap between the back of knee and the seat of the chair. Use the seat slide to alter if necessary.
When you are sitting at the right height, if your feet are not solidly flat on the floor then you will need a footrest.
Your eyebrows should be in line with the top of your screen.
When sitting correctly in the chair, hold your arms out in front of you. Your arms should be able to touch your screen.
Don’t stretch for your keyboard or mouse. Elbows should stay in-line with your sides.
It’s important you have your workstation set up right for you. This means having your monitor, desk and chair at the right height and use the three work zones to set up your desk equipment properly and make sure everything is in the right place.
Jo, our expert workstation assessor, shows us how to set up your workstation in under 60 seconds in the YouTube video below.
To make sure you are legally providing the correct seating you can view the full HSE specifications for seating at work here or read our breakdown guide to Display Screen Equipment regulations.
It’s tricky to know exactly what chair you need when you’re picking one for yourself. If you need some advice, book an appointment at our Brighton based showroom so we can help you pick your perfect chair.
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