The Importance of a Good Office Chair

A good office chair is an important part of your home office, study area or work place. If you spend a lot of time at your desk and unknowingly sit wrong in your office chair, you could be causing severe harm to your body. Don't be the one to harm your body while doing nothing more than sitting in your office chair!

Some office chairs are designed to provide the right kind of support to our backbones so that we are able to maintain a natural posture when we are sitting in our office chair for hours upon end. Sitting in an office chair for long periods of time can result in low back pain because sitting in an office chair in a static posture with not much movement increases stress in the back, neck, shoulders, arms and legs.

There are several steps you can take when looking for the perfect office chair:

1. Seat height should be easily adjustable. For most people, a seat height should range from about 16"-21" off the floor which allows the user to have his or her feet flat on the floor with thighs horizontal and arms on the level of the height of the desk.
2. The office chair should have enough width and depth to support any user comfortably. Generally, the standard seat width is 17"-20" wide. The depth from front to back of the seat must be big enough for each person to sit with his or her back against the backrest of the office chair while leaving about 2"-4" between the back of the knees and the seat of the office chair.
3. Lower back support or lumbar support in an office chair is very essential. Sitting for long periods without support the lumbar spine curve tends to lead to slouching and strains the structures in the lower spine. An office chair should have a lumbar adjustment for both height and depth so each user can get the proper fit to support the inward curve of the lower back.
4. The backrest of an office chair should be 12"-19" wide. If the backrest is separate from the seat, it should be adjustable in height and angle. It should be able to support the natural curve of each person's spine curve and the lumbar region. If the office chair seat and backrest is not just one piece, the backrest should be adjustable in forward and back angles, with a locking system to keep it from going too far backward once the user has determined the suitable angle.
5. Office chair armrests should be able to adjust. They should allow the user's arms and shoulders to rest comfortably. The elbows and lower arms should rest lightly, and the forearm should not be on the armrest while typing.

Do not go one more day at work sitting in a chair that is making you unhealthy or is not suiting your needs. Instead, look into more modern options that will keep your office looking good, while also allowing you to stay healthy and comfortable.