Most jobs require constant sitting throughout the workday, so a comfortable and adjustable office chair is essential. With the increasing number of desk jobs comes the increased need for additional office chairs in companies. Before selecting a new office chair for your business, it is important to consider a few factors to ensure that you or your employees can sit comfortably during the workday. The most important chair features to consider when selecting a new office chair are the seat, back, mechanism, and armrests. If these four components are selected with the needs of the individual in mind, a healthy sitting experience is almost guaranteed; however, if one is missed, it can lead to uncomfortable aches and pains. One area where people have the most difficulty determining which will work best for them is seating.
Why is the seat so important?
Arguably, the office chair seat is the second most important part of an office chair, aside from the backrest. This is where you sit throughout the work day, so if your seat isn’t designed to fit your body, you’ll experience discomfort throughout the day. A seat that’s too small for you won’t provide adequate support for your thighs and will cause you to feel fatigued from having to keep adjusting to find a comfortable position. A seat that is too large will cause the front edge of the seat to sink into the back of your knees, not allowing proper circulation between your legs. In this situation with a seat that is too big, many people will lean forward causing them to not use the backrest properly, ultimately causing back pain due to poorly supported back.
Perfect seat size.
The seat panel should be long/deep enough that it does not contact the back of your knees when sitting all the way back in the chair. The width of your seat should be at least an inch wider than the width of your hips, but not wide enough that you can’t rest your arms on the armrests without stretching them out at an awkward angle. The seat is the correct size when the user can fit two fingers between the back of the knees and the front of the seat edge. A seat slider can be used for taller people that allows the user to pull a lever to adjust the depth of the seat in and out while sitting in a chair. A backrest depth adjuster can also increase the depth of the seat by turning a knob that allows the backrest to move in and out instead of the seat. This is a more difficult adjustment and generally requires the user to get out of their chair in order to adjust it.
How to determine the correct seat size
If your current office chair fits you well, it’s best to measure the depth and width of your chair to make sure the next office chair you buy will have the same dimensions. If your chair is too short or too long, you will need to measure yourself or have someone help you measure it. Using a tape measure, measure from the back of your knee to your back to determine how deep you’ll need your seat to be. Once you have this measurement, add about an inch to an inch and a half to allow room between the front of the seat and the back of your knees. This will help you determine the depth of seat that is needed. As mentioned above, you will also need to have the correct seat width if you are going to use armrests on your chair. The width of the chair should be about an inch or two wider than your hips.
All of these factors combined will help you and your employees achieve a comfortable seating experience and help increase productivity by avoiding distractions like back pain that often results from sitting in a chair that is too big or too small for the task. person.