A properly ergonomic chair will allow you to maintain good posture. It is key for any sort of work or play where you will be seated for long periods of time. This guide will help you choose a chair that fits your needs.
If you are reading this, its probably because you are spending a lot of time in your desk chair, 7 or more hours a day, 5 or more days a week. You might even be experiencing some discomfort or outright pain after these sessions.
The most common problem I have experienced from a variety of chairs is lower back pain. The chair is not a new thing and human beings have been around for a while. So why do so many chairs feel poorly designed for our backs?
Ultimately its because chairs are a lot like shoes. There is no one size fits all. People come in all shapes and sizes and so do chairs. This is why most chairs are uncomfortable. They are built for the average human being, who doesn’t really exist.
Here are the recommendations provided by the Canadian and US Centers for Occupational Health and Safety. They provide a fairly comprehensive set of criteria to look for in your chair. But I will go over the key points for you here to help you choose a chair that fits your ergonomic needs.
Adjustability
Adjustability is similar to having a one size fits all. The more degrees of adjustability a chair the more likely you will be able to get a good, comfortable fit. Even if the chair was designed for someone of your height range, two different people in that range will have different leg and arm lengths.
Ideally the height of the chair can be adjusted up and down to suit your leg length. If the chair needs to sit really high in order to align with the desk properly or if you are a little on the short side, using a footrest to make sure you maintain good posture is perfectly fine.
You want a chair that can support neutral positions for your body. This means the seat will need to be able to tilt backwards and forwards slightly, and the backrest should be able to recline.
You will want a backrest that provides proper lumbar support. Our spines are not naturally straight, but instead have a curvature to them. Getting a chair that has an adjustable lumbar is ideal, but finding one with a backrest pillow that fits your back correctly or a backrest that conforms to it is another option.
The lumbar support may need to be able to move up and down to position correctly against your back. For a while I had an aftermarket lumbar support that improved a poor chair somewhat but did not do the job nearly as well as a chair designed with one. In my opinion this is the most essential piece for managing lower back discomfort.
Your backrest may also need to adjust forward and back to give you more or less depth to your seat depending on how tall you are and how long your thighs are. Armrests should adjust width, rotation, and height. You want to be able to rest your arms on the armrests at about a 90 angle so that your wrist and hand can lay straight onto the desk without coming in at a weird angle. This will reduce your risk of a repetitive use injury suck as carpal tunnel.
Stability
No one want to fall out of their chair. Its embarrassing and can lead to injury. Make sure you get a chair that won’t topple if you lean a little to the side to pick up that pen you just dropped or to get something out of a bag. A 5 more point base should provide you with enough stability. Also heavier chairs may be harder to tip over.
Locking Changes
Make sure all these adjustable features can be locked in. One of the most annoying chairs I have ever used had an issue where the armrests rotated automatically when leaning on them. Another was one that tilted forward automatically if you sat forward a bit too much.
Additional Notes
Make sure you choose a material that is comfortable and breathable. If you live in an area that has hot summers or have a place without air conditioning, something like leather could have you sweating uncomfortably.
Most office chairs are going to be on casters (those little wheels you can move them around on). You may need casters that can be locked so the chair does not roll freely. You may also need different casters for different floor surfaces. Alternatively you can get a small rug or plastic surface to put under your chair to match up with the casters it comes with.
No matter how good your chair is, you do need to stand up and move around on a regular basis. The minimum recommendation is to stand up or move for at least 2 minutes out of every 30 minute interval. This works well with a time management practice called the Pomodoro technique where you work for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break.