How to choose the right office chair for optimal comfort

Employees spend over 9 hours at work every day, so it’s important that they have a chair that’s comfortable for them.

Choosing a new office chair can be overwhelming—no two office chairs are the same. There are hundreds of different office chairs you can choose from depending on what you want and what your price range is.

The good news is that you don’t have to break the bank to find the perfect office chair that provides the right support to keep you comfortable all day. Let’s take a look at what you need to consider when choosing your next office chair.

Is an ergonomic chair worth the investment?

You’ve probably heard of ergonomics before. Ergonomic equipment like chairs, desks, or computers assist with the interaction of humans and work. Put simply, ergonomics keeps your employees comfortable throughout their work day, but they’re definitely an investment in your employees.

Ergonomic chairs are more expensive than the run of the mill office chairs you can get in bulk off of Amazon, but the positive outcomes from ergonomic chairs may outweigh the initial costs.

Ergonomic chairs and furniture can:

• Improve health and wellbeing of your employees: If your equipment is causing headaches, tight muscles, and overall fatigue, your employees will suffer. Ergonomics improves mental focus and shows that you value your employees.

• Lower costs: The equipment itself may be expensive, but if your current equipment is causing workplace injury then it may be a necessary expense. Ergonomic chairs and furniture can also help decrease turnover rates.

• Increase productivity: Employees feel more engaged and produce higher quality work when their equipment is working with them, and not against them.

• Boost employee morale: It’s simple, when your employees are comfortable and healthy, they perform better and are happier overall.

Installing ergonomics in the workplace is crucial for long term success. As you decide on your next office chair, here are 4 things you need to look for:

Make sure the chair is height adjustable

Your employees should be able to adjust the height of their chairs to their own height. For optimal comfort, the height of an office chair should allow the user to sit with their feet flat on the ground so that their thighs are horizontal to the floor and level with the hips. The knees of the user should be at a 90-degree angle.

In general, a seat height that can be adjusted between 15 and 23 inches off of the ground is ideal.

If a chair is too high or too low, employees can experience:

• Poor posture

• Pain in the lower back

• Tight shoulders

• Headaches

• Fatigue

Check for strong lumbar support

Lower back pain is extremely common in the workplace due to the lack of seating options, so having a chair with strong lumbar support is crucial. However, it’s not just back pain that employers need to be concerned about. The lumbar spine also supports the upper body, so sub par lumbar support in an office chair can affect the low back, shoulders, neck, and head.

There are several different options for lumbar support:

• S-shaped adjustable support: This type of backrest can be repositioned to fit the user and is known to help relieve back back. This unique option offers great support for the low back, without forcing the user to tilt or lean uncomfortably.

• Fixed lumbar support: This type of chair offers a neutral seating position that supports the natural curvature of your spine. Fixed lumbar supports are just that, ‘fixed’, so they cannot be modified in any way.

• Dynamic support: Dynamic lumbar support automatically adjusts depth and firmness based on how a person sits.

• External support: Special pillows or cushions can also be added to chairs for optimal support and comfort.

Everyone sits differently (slouched, upright, tilted, etc.), so it’s important to get a chair that supports your unique needs.

Measure seat depth and width (aka seat dimensions)

A seat that’s too narrow will feel constraining and uncomfortable, but one that’s too roomy won’t offer you the support that you need. A chair that’s too deep will also make it uncomfortable to use your chair’s armrests.

The depth of an office chair should be enough that the user can sit with their back against the back of the chair while leaving about 2 inches between the back of the knees and the chair seat.

The average width of an office chair is between 19 and 21 inches while depth averages to be between 15 and 19 inches. There are also petite extra tall/wide chairs to choose from as well!

Consider detachable armrests

Armrests can be a great addition to an office chair because they take weight and stress off of your shoulders.

When adjusting your armrests, they should be positioned so that your wrists are about level with your keyword.

However, because everyone’s body is so different from one another, we recommend using a chair with detachable armrests. Some people find that armrests put too much tension on their shoulders, while others think the exact opposite.

4 seating options to consider as you choose your next office chair

At Furngully, we offer a variety of ergonomic chairs that can help your employees feel more comfortable during their workday. Here are some featured options:

Via Seating

Great things can happen in a chair! Via Seating offers solutions for corporate, government, healthcare, and education with 17 categories of products.

For ergonomic work chairs, you have 17 different options to choose from. The Rise chair is Via Seating’s latest ergonomic task chair that offers a competitive price point without sacrificing comfort or quality. The Rise chair features a molded foam seat, fixed and height adjustable arm options, tilt control, adjustable seat depth, and more.

If you’re interested in furnishing your office with Via Seating, we have demos available on request.

9to5 Seating

9to5 Seating specializes in the design and production of ergonomic office furniture. Knowing the numerous benefits that ergonomics has to offer, 9to5 Seating offers a large selection of products to fit any office space.

9to5’s HÅG SoFi chair was recently awarded the 2022 HiP Honoree award which recognizes the chair’s innovative product design and supreme comfort. Furngully offers the HÅG SoFi chair along with several other leading ergonomic chairs created by 9to5 seating.

Global Furniture Group

Global Furniture Group creates timeless, quality office furniture at competitive prices.

A featured ergonomic chair from Global Furniture Group is The Vion™. This type of chair can be completely customized to the user offering unique features such as: weight sensing synchro-tilter, width and height adjustable arms, adjustable seat depth, memory foam seating, and more.

If you’d like to try out some options from Global Furniture Group, we have access to a local showroom right in Boston by appointment only.

Humanscale

Humanscale products promote a more active way of working to increase productivity in the workplace.

Humanscale created the Path chair which is the world’s most sustainable office chair. The Path chair eliminates controls and springs and provides unparalleled support that adjusts automatically for each person to achieve optimal comfort. Because it’s built with no excess components, the Path chair is better for the user and for the environment.

If you’d like to try out the Path chair, or other furniture from Humanscale, reach out to our team to view their showroom in downtown Boston.

Seating solutions - On time - On trend - On budget

Comfort is vital to the overall health and productivity of your employees. When they can work comfortably long term, you’re setting your organization up for success.

If you’re interested in installing ergonomic chairs, or other furniture in your workplace, reach out to our team for a free design consultation or make an appointment to view a local showroom.