If you work in an office, you probably spend most, if not all, of your workday sitting. A survey conducted by the corrective lens company Acuvue found that office workers spend 6.5 hours on average sitting. Over the course of a year, that’s approximately 1,700 hours sitting.
Whether you spend more or less time sitting, though, you can protect yourself from joint pain and even increase your productivity by investing in a high-quality office chair. You’ll be able to work more efficiently and without experiencing back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) to which so many office workers are susceptible. Here are 12 important things to consider when choosing an office chair.
#1) Material
The material used in an office chair’s construction will affect its performance. Over the years, manufacturers have begun using a variety of materials to produce their office chairs, each of which has unique characteristics.
Some of the most common materials in which office chairs are made include:
- Genuine Leather: Consisting of tanned cowhide or sheepskin, genuine leather office chairs are soft, cool, stylish, and durable.
- Faux Leather: While faux leather office chairs look and feel like genuine leather, they are usually made of other materials, including either synthetic or organic fabrics.
- Vinyl: Vinyl office chairs are soft and comfortable, and because vinyl is a synthetic fabric, they are naturally resistant to water and other liquids.
- Nylon: Typically used to create mesh backrests, nylon is another material in which office chairs are made. Nylon office chairs are cool, breathable, and lightweight.
- Plastic: The least expensive option, plastic office chairs are generally used in waiting rooms where a large number of chairs are needed.
- Wood: The oldest type of material used to make office chairs is wood. Wood office chairs are sturdy, attractive, and available in countless styles.
#2) Lumbar Support
When choosing an office chair, consider whether it offers lumbar support. Some people assume that back pain only occurs in laborious jobs, such as construction or manufacturing, but it’s often office workers who are most susceptible to this MSD. According to a study of nearly 700 office workers, 27% of office workers experience a new instance of low back pain each year.
To lower your risk of low back pain, choose an office chair with lumbar support. Lumbar support refers to padding or cushioning around the bottom of the backrest that supports the lumbar region of your back (the area of your back between your thoracic and pelvic regions). It stabilizes your lower back, thereby reducing stress and tension on your spine and its supporting structures.
#3) Weight Capacity
All office chairs have a weight capacity, which you should follow for both your safety and the safety of your chair. If you weigh more than the capacity for which your office chair is rated, it could break under the stress of everyday use.
You’ll find most office chairs have a 200 to 250 pound weight capacity. The good news is that some office chairs are designed specifically for heavier workers. Known as big and tall office chairs, they feature a sturdier construction to provide a higher weight capacity. Big and tall office chairs are available in 300-, 400- and 500-pound weight capacities. In addition to a higher weight capacity, some models also feature larger seats and backrests. Choose an office chair with a higher weight capacity than the weight of your body.
#4) Casters
Not all office chairs feature a traditional four-legged design. Some are designed with mounted wheels, known as casters, that allow you to roll around and rotate while sitting in them. If you have an L-shaped desk, for example, you can roll or rotate between the different areas of your desk. If you have a computer on one area of your desk and a writing station on the other area, you can quickly move between these areas without standing up if you choose an office chair with casters.
On its website, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends the use of office chairs with five casters in computer workstations to promote productivity and reduce the risk of injury. You can still use traditional four-legged chairs in conference rooms, waiting rooms and breakrooms. For computer workstations, though, choosing a five-wheeled office chair will improve your productivity while creating a safer workplace in the process.
#5) Size
Space is an invaluable commodity in offices, as well as most other workplaces, which is why it’s important to consider size when choosing an office chair. If you work in a small cubicle, you may not have the luxury of choosing an oversized executive office chair, in which case you’ll need to choose a smaller chair.
Before purchasing an office chair, get the measurements of the area in which you intend to use it. Using these measurements, you can choose an appropriately sized office chair. Remember, you can always fit a small office chair into a large workstation, but you can’t fit a large office chair into a small workstation. When in doubt, choose an office chair that’s at least a few inches smaller than the area in which you intend to use it.
#6) Adjustable Height
Fixed-height office chairs generally have a seat-to-floor height of 17 to 19 inches, allowing most office workers to comfortably to use them in front of desks and workstations. But not all office workers are the same height, and if you’re too tall or short for a fixed-height office chair, it may stress your back or neck when sitting in it.
OSHA recommends choosing an office chair with an adjustable height of 15 to 22 inches, meaning you should be able to lower the seat to just 15 inches off the floor or raise the seat to 22 inches off the floor. Whether you are short, tall or average height, this will allow you to comfortably use your desk or workstation. Most office chairs do not go down to 15 inches though so you may have to settle for 17 to 21 inches. Just an FYI, this measurement is typically measured from the floor to the top of the seat cushion. And, while we are on the topic of adjustments, if would also benefit you tremendously to choose an office chair with multiple ergonomic adjustments.
#7) Style
The style of an office chair won’t affect its functionality or performance, but it will affect the chair’s aesthetics and, therefore, your office’s décor. You can find office chairs in countless styles, ranging from traditional all-black executive styles to colorful modern and contemporary styles.
So, what style of office chair should you choose? If you’re choosing an office chair for a large office, stick with a familiar style to create a cohesive décor. If your office currently uses traditional all-black executive office chairs, for example, choose a similar all-black executive style. If your office uses brown leather office chairs, on the other hand, choose a brown leather style. Using a consistent style with your office chairs will enhance your office’s décor by creating a cohesive interior.
#8) Breathability
Some office chairs are more breathable than others, making them ideal for office workers who get uncomfortably hot during the workday. Known as mesh office chairs, they are characterized by a backrest made of permeable mesh fabric.
By definition, the term “mesh” refers to strands of fabric that are connected together to form the appearance of a web. Mesh office chairs don’t have a solid backrest. Instead, they have a partially open backrest. As a result, you’ll stay cooler and more comfortable when sitting in a mesh office chair. The mesh backrest allows heat from your body to escape, essentially ventilating your body while you work.
If you work in a cool office where the temperature is consistently 68 degrees Fahrenheit or below – or if you typically stay cool during the workday – you may not need a mesh office chair. However, if you find yourself getting hot frequently when working, a mesh office chair is a smart investment. Its permeable backrest will allow heat to escape your body, keeping you cool and comfortable.
#9) Armrests
Armrests allow you to rest your forearms while sitting in front of a desk or workstation. Without armrests, you won’t have anywhere to rest your forearms, resulting in increased fatigue as well as a higher risk of MSDs. For desks and workstations, armrests are a must-have feature for office chairs. In other areas of the office, including breakrooms and waiting rooms, armrests are optional.
According to OSHA, office chair armrests should have the following features:
- Soft padded material
- Long and wide enough to adequately support your forearms
- Adjustable height of 7 to 10.5 inches from the seat
- Removable (ability to raise or lower them)
#10) Reclining
There are both reclining and non-reclining office chairs. For maximum comfort, the former type is recommended because it allows you to lean forward or backward depending on your needs. In its guide to choosing an ergonomic office chair, the General Services Administration (GSA) – a government organization designed to support other federal agencies – says office chairs with a reclining backrest reduce stress on the back and thighs.
With a reclining backrest, you can stretch periodically during the workday without standing up. Some office chairs even allow you to lock the backrest into your desired reclined position. Just unlock the backrest, recline it back until you find the perfect position for maximum comfort and then relock it. Once locked, it won’t tilt forward or backward, allowing you to use your office chair in its current position for as long as you desire.
#11) Warranty
Don’t forget to check the warranty when shopping for a new office chair. Of course, not all office chairs are backed by a warranty, which is a red flag indicating that the manufacturer is not confident in the performance of its product. If a manufacturer doesn’t offer a warranty with an office chair – or if the manufacturer offers a subpar warranty – you should choose a different office chair.
It’s not uncommon for reputable office chair manufacturers to offer a multi-year warranty with their products. Boss office chairs are backed by a six-year manufacturer warranty, while ERA and HON office chairs are backed by a limited lifetime manufacturer warranty. If a component covered under the chair’s warranty fails within the warranty period, the manufacturer will pay to repair or replace it.
If you choose a high-quality office chair from a reputable manufacturer, you probably won’t need to file a warranty claim. Nonetheless, a warranty provides peace of mind knowing that if something happens to your office chair within the warranty period, the manufacturer will repair or replace it at no charge.
Be wary of stores and vendors that sell office chairs without a warranty. You might get lucky and find a high-quality office chair, but there’s usually a reason some manufacturers don’t back their products with a warranty – and that’s because their products fail prematurely. To avoid this headache, choose an office chair with a strong manufacturer warranty.
#12) Price
How much money are looking to spend on your new office chair? Like other office furniture, the cost of office chairs varies depending on its brand, model and the store from which you purchase it. Low-end office chairs cost as little as $100, while high-end office chairs can cost $600 or more.
Even the right low-end office chair can last for years. However, if you’re looking for the highest level of support, comfort, and protection from MSDs, choose a mid- or high-end model. You’ll get better value, over time, from a mid- or high-end office chair than a low-end office chair.
When shopping for an office chair, consider its total cost. Some stores charge shipping and handling fees, which can add 10% or more to the total cost of an office chair. If you purchase a $500 office chair, for instance, you may spend an additional $50 on shipping and handling fees. Furthermore, you may have to pay sales tax on an office chair. If you purchase an office chair locally, the store will likely sales tax based on the state’s designated rate, which ranges from 3% to 7% on average.
You can avoid shipping and handling fees by purchasing your office chair from Office Chairs Unlimited, as we offer free shipping on all products. And unless you live in the state of Pennsylvania, you won’t be charged sales tax either.
President at Office Chairs Unlimited – I have been in the furniture industry for over 20 years, and I’m an expert (just ask me) on all things furniture. I know a thing or two because I’ve seen a thing or two.
How to Make Your Cheap Office Chair More Comfortable
I have three office chairs, a situation that comes with the territory when you write about home-office products for a living. Two of them are Wirecutter’s picks for the best office chair—the Steelcase Gesture and the Herman Miller Aeron—and the other is a no-name, $50 chair that’s not much more comfortable than your average dining table chair.
Guess which one I use most often?
Although high-end chairs are definitely higher quality than your run-of-the-mill model from Staples or Wayfair—built with more premium materials, sturdier frames, and a much wider range of ergonomic adjustments—a cheap chair could still offer the best fit if you make some smart modifications. In most cases, all you need are a couple of inexpensive cushions to create a more supportive and comfortable seating position—and possibly a few tweaks to your keyboard and monitor so that your other gear sits ergonomically in line with your “new” office chair.
Remember, it’s not just about the chair
Getting the right ergonomic fit while sitting at your desk requires balancing a lot of different factors. The height of your chair has to be just right to match the height of your desk and keyboard, and the height of your monitor has to be set so that you’re not craning your neck. If one thing is off, your workstation—and, by extension, your entire body—is out of alignment. Even though it seems like the process should be simple, it’s surprisingly hard to know how to sit in a chair so that it doesn’t break your back after a few hours.
The biggest problem is that most office furniture is advertised as one-size-fits-all, whereas in reality designs are skewed heavily toward people of taller stature. The average 29-inch-high desk, for example, is designed to best fit a 6-foot-tall person. Similarly, many of the office chairs we’ve tested don’t lower enough to let people under 5-foot-6 sit comfortably, with their feet on the floor. After years of testing and interviews with ergonomic experts, we’ve realized that the solution to such problems can be surprisingly straightforward and cost-effective.
Adjust your seating position
To begin, use your chair’s built-in adjustments (if it has any) to lower or raise your seat so that your feet are flat on the floor, your knees are level with your hips or slightly below, and you can sit comfortably against the back of the chair. If you can’t achieve an ideal sitting position, you can try some modifications:
- If your feet are dangling even at the lowest chair height, a footrest will work wonders. Anything will do, including a foam roller or a cardboard box, but it’s worth investing about $30 to $40 in something that’s soft, stable, and designed to encourage your feet to move.
- If you find that your knees are resting higher than your thighs even at the chair’s highest setting, a seat cushion can help by raising your butt an extra inch or two. Some of my long-legged friends stretch their feet out under their desks because many chairs are too short for them, but that isn’t the best position to keep for hours at a time.
- And if you’re not able to sit comfortably against the back of your chair, get a lumbar support pillow. I’m 5-foot-2, and most chairs have seat depths that are too long for me, so I tend to perch at the edge of the seat. A lumbar support pillow gently encourages me to lean back and maintain proper posture at my keyboard.
Besides providing a better fit, cushions can make sitting on a cheap chair more pleasant. A great ergonomic seat cushion, for example, not only lifts you up but can also compensate for a saggy or too-stiff seat.
Pillows can’t make cheap office chairs less squeaky, wobbly, or unattractive—and they can’t help with major flaws such as an inability to recline—but they are an inexpensive option for making even a cheap office chair fit just right. Pillows are your body’s best friend.
Next, look at your keyboard and desk
The best position for your forearms and wrists is parallel to the ground or angled down, as if you were typing with the keyboard on your lap. For many people with fixed-height desks, this isn’t possible when you’re also striving to keep your feet flat on the floor.
- If your keyboard is too high, the solution is once again to raise your chair and get a footrest. An under-desk keyboard tray can also lower the keyboard so that you’re not straining your arms or shoulders.
- I have yet to encounter a desk that’s so low, people have to strain or hunch over when they type. But if you find yourself in this situation, it’s not your chair’s fault. You just need a taller desk.
Finally, check the height of your monitor or laptop screen
Position your monitor such that eye level is about 2 to 3 inches below the top of the monitor, so you’re not craning your neck either up or down.
- If the monitor causes you to bend your head down, which is common if you work on a laptop, you have a few options: Laptop owners can get a laptop stand or a height-adjustable external monitor, while desktop computer owners who find that their external monitor’s adjustment range isn’t flexible enough for comfortable viewing can try a monitor arm.
- If your monitor is so high that you feel like you’re craning your neck to see it clearly, try arranging your application windows so that they’re more centered in your direct sight line. And here’s a bonus productivity tip: Put the distracting windows (such as Slack or Twitter) outside that central zone.
One day, a better-quality office chair may be in your future. But until then, these tips should help you make do with whatever you already have.
Eames Plastic Chair: Create your own design icon and get a free Vitra tote bag
"Getting the most of the best to the greatest number of people for the least": This is how Charles and Ray Eames described one of their main aims as furniture designers. The Eames Plastic Chairs are among the products that come very close to achieving this goal.
The plastic chair collection, launched in 1950, introduced a new furniture typology, which has since become widespread in the industry: the multifunctional Eames Plastic chair offers a variety of base options, as well as shell and upholstery colours.
Initially made of polyester reinforced with fibreglass, the Plastic chair offered a high level of comfort, both as a dining and office chair. Vitra discontinued the fibreglass models in 1993 for ecological reasons, and nowadays the original Eames Plastic Chairs from Vitra come with polypropylene shells, which are more environmentally friendly.
Today you can specify the most optimal combination for your perfect chair, so it can be used in a dining room, home office, or sitting room, depending on your needs. And the best thing is that your Eames Plastic chair won't go out of fashion any time soon, because the chairs from the Eames collection are true design icons, and as such, they have acquired timeless aesthetic value.
With two types of shell (side chair or armchair), over 5 types of base, 14 shell colours, and 28 upholstery colours (for a seat-only or full inner shell upholstery), the combinations available for the Eames Plastic Chairs are virtually endless. To highlight this abundance of choice, Vitra are introducing an updated version of their product configurator, which helps you specify your very own personal Eames Plastic Chair design and check how it will look before you order.
How does the campaign work?
- Enter the world of the Eames Plastic Chair at your favourite dealer (our showroom is very conveniently located near London Waterloo! ;))
- Choose the colour, seat shell, base and upholstery for your perfect chair
- Enjoy your original Eames Plastic Chair in your home
- Get a free Vitra tote bag as a complimentary gift with each purchase of an Eames Plastic Chair (free gift available while stocks last, one bag per customer)
Vitra tote bag (front and back)
Did you know that the names of the different Eames Plastic chairs can provide some clues about the base and shell type?
DSR = Dining height Side chair, Rod base
DSW = Dining height Side chair, Wooden base
DAX = Dining height Armchair, X-base
DAL = Dining height Armchair, La Fonda base
PSCC = Pivot Side chair, Cast base on Castors
Not sure where to start? Just play around with the Vitra Configurator, or search for the hashtag #VitraOriginal on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to get inspired by other users' configurations and how they look in situ in their homes. Or why don't you pop into our London showroom, and we would be happy to help you with your choice and provide you with advice and inspiration.
The Eames DSR, DSW and DSX are all part of the Eames Plastic Chair collection
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