Office chair buying guide

 

We offer a wide range of home office chairs, from simple stools for web surfing, to complex ergonomic seats for long hours at your desk. With so much choice, our guide makes buying the perfect chair easy – all you have to do is assess your needs and working style. View our video on Herman Miller office chairs.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the application of scientific information to the design of objects, systems and environment, making them more efficient and comfortable to use.

Ergonomically correct and comfortable seating should provide stable body support in a varietyof postures. In addition, the design of the workplace and furniture should encourage a certain amount of movement and changing of posture.

 

The main requirements for good seating are that:

  • circulation in the thighs is not restricted,
  • the posture requires little muscular effort to maintain,
  • the loading (stress) on the spine is minimised and maintains the natural S-shape of the spine without the need for muscular tension.

 

Choosing your office chair

A good work chair should be:

  • fit for the intended purpose, enabling you to move freely and carry out tasks comfortably and efficiently
  • able to accommodate everyone who intends to use it, regardless of size or shape
  • supportive of your body in a number of comfortable postures
  • suited to your workstation, especially the height of the table or desk and the layout of the equipment on it.

How long will you be using the chair for?

  • occasionally - less than 2 hours a day
  • working part-time between 2 to 4 hours a day
  • more than 4 hours a day - more or less full time

The longer you’re using the chair, the more adjustable features you’ll need. All the adjustments should be within easy reach and you should be able to operate them, while seated, with minimal effort. Lumbar support is essential if you’re going to use the chair for long periods

Will anyone else be using your chair?

If s/he is quite different to you in height, weight and build, then you’ll need a chair which easily adjusts for each of you, and has height-adjustable lumbar support.

 

Features to look out for

Seat height

This is the most important feature. Your feet should rest flat on the floor without compressing the back of your thighs, otherwise you’ll restrict blood supply to your lower legs and feet – resulting in tired and possibly numb legs.

When you’re working at a table which can’t be adjusted in height, adjust your chair according to the height of your table, lowering the chair until your elbows are just above the table top. If your feet still don’t rest flat on the floor, get a footrest.

 

Seat depth

If the seat depth isn’t adjustable, it should at least allow you to sit right at the back of the chair without pressing the backs of your knees. You need to sit right at the back of the chair to use the backrest correctly and support your lumbar.

 

Backrest/Lumbar support

It’s essential that the chair has a backrest with anappropriate size and shape, to support the lower and middle back properly without restricting arm or shoulder movements. The backrest should help you to maintain the natural S-shape of your spine when you’re sitting.

 

Backrest tilt

Tilting the backrest allows you to adopt different postures, e.g. upright, or semi-reclined. When you sit on a work chair, the angle between your thighs and back should be around 95 to 105 degrees so that your abdomen and chest are open and not compressed. Opening up more of the angle between your body and thighs lets you breathe better, sending more oxygen to your muscles.

 

Dynamic sitting

The human body isn’t designed for static postures, especially sitting. The longer you work, the more important the chair movement becomes, such as the ability to recline. It’s better to make small movements in the chair rather than continually fidgeting.

Such chair movements depend on your weight, so office chairs should ideally have auto weight adjustment. If not, you should be able to adjust the tension of the backrest, so that you’re in total balance whether you’re upright or leaning back, and able to maintain good posture without having to exert excessive force.

Armrests

If you’re going to spend some time in the chair, you need to support the weight of your arms. Fixed height armrests are fine for occasional use, but for extended use, they should adjust, at least in height. Height adjustable arms can be lowered to go neatly under the desk when the chair’s not in use.

The best ergonomic chairs will allow you to change the width between armrests to suit your body width, so that they are close to you where you need them.

If the armrests prevent you getting close to the table or desk, you’ll end up sitting at the front edge of seat and not be able to use the backrest correctly, losing lumbar support.

Swivel

This is also a very important feature. When you’re working, you may need to reach other parts of the table or desk. If the chair doesn’t swivel, you may have to frequently twist your back to reach – not good for your back.

Seat surface

The seat, armrest and backrest should be padded firmly enough to support you, but should feel soft enough for you not to feel pressure points, or the hardness of the chair frame, on the base of the two prongs of your pelvis.

The chair covers should be permeable so that the seat can breathe and minimise the build up of heat on the seat.

Remember: even on an ergonomically correct chair, don’t sit for a long time without a break! Get up and do other things, such as a few simple stretching exercises. Short but frequent breaks are much better for you (both physically and mentally) than one long break after a very long time.

Watch a video about Herman Miller desk chairs

 

 

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