If you have an office based job, you’ll know that you spend a lot of time in your office desk chair. As such, if you’re choosing an office chair, you’ll want to know that you’re buying the best for your needs and your budget, to offer maximum comfort for those long working weeks spent sat down. With this in mind, here’s how to choose an office chair…
1. Set a budget
First things first, as with everything we purchase, you need to go into choosing an office chair knowing what budget you have. This may be determined by exactly how much time you spend at your desk.
If you are at your desk for 40 hours a week, then you may wish to invest a little more money on an office desk chair than if you are only sporadically at your desk, or if you work part time hours or sit and stand throughout the day.
Having said that, even if you are part time or your work is flexible and sometimes undertaken away from your desk, you deserve to be comfortable. It’s important to set a budget but also bear in mind that regardless of budget, there are certain things that you can look for to aid your comfort, no matter how long you spend sitting down.
2. Decide on the style of chair
Choosing an office chair may also depend on your style and that of your office. If you are furnishing a large corporate office, you will want all of the chairs to look the same and offer the same level of comfort to all employees, and therefore budget may come back into your decision.
If you’re furnishing an executive office, then you may wish to go for something with a little bit more style about it. There are a wide range of executive office chairs available which have a professional look and feel to them, as well as offering premium comfort.
And if you’re choosing an office chair for your home office, you could look towards the executive range if you need it to fit in with your home’s décor, or you may be content with a standard office chair if you have a dedicated home office space which can be closed off from the rest of your home.
3. Choose an office chair for comfort
One of the most important aspects of choosing an office chair is comfort. Regardless of how much time you spend in your office chair, you deserve to be at ease. Not only that, but one of the many benefits of an ergonomic office chair is to help you maximise productivity, as well as protecting your back health.
So what to look for in an ergonomic office chair? Here are several aspects you should look for to ensure comfort:
- Height adjustable: Any good office chair should be height adjustable to optimise comfort.
- Lumbar support: Choose an office chair that matches the natural contour of your spine for good lumbar support, as this will help to support your lower back in a way that helps to stop you from slumping during the day.
- Adjustable backrests: Just as the height should be adjustable, an adjustable backrest will help you to position yourself to suit your work tasks.
- Check seat depth and width: If you are tall, a deeper seat will suit you better than a shallower seat, and vice versa if you’re short. Ideally, you should sit with your back against the backrest and have approximately 2 – 4 inches between the seat of your chair and the back of your knees.
- Choose armrests: Armrests help to reduce the strain on your shoulders which helps to cut down neck pain.
- Choose breathable material: Breathable material is always more comfortable when sitting for long periods of time, especially in hot weather.
- Sufficient padding: A biggie, choose a chair with sufficient padding – not too hard and not too soft – to ensure that it’s comfortable for long periods of sitting!
There is no right or wrong choice in all of the above, so it’s worth doing your research and knowing what you need in terms of height and comfort. If you get the combination of the various factors right, you’ll have chosen well for comfort.
4. Remember movement
The movement of the chair is also important, so choose a chair with swivel casters for easy movement. Being able to rotate your chair so that you can reach different areas of your desk or your office aids maximum efficiency.
However, when choosing an office chair, consider your flooring, and choose a chair with casters designed for your particular type of floor, whether that is a hard floor or carpet, or perhaps even a combination of the two.
Ready to choose an office desk chair? Contact ADD office.
As UK-wide suppliers of premium office furniture, we have a huge range of office desk chairs available. If you’re struggling with how to choose an office chair, get in touch. We can help you to consider all of the options, from comfort through to style.
