Don’t take your spinal health for granted, you could end up paying for it in the long run! Here’s how to choose the most ergonomic office chair.
70% of people are spending 6 or more hours daily sitting down. Though this may be an innocent statistic sitting all day can be extremely bad for your health.
If you are stuck sitting all day, you have the option of purchasing an ergonomic office chair. This is a chair specially designed to prevent any pain and damage to your lower back. If you’re stuck sitting down all day this may prevent expensive chiropractic and doctor bills in the future.
Unfortunately, a good ergonomic office chair is an expensive investment. But luckily, we’ve created the perfect guide to help you choose the best chair for your back.
Ergonomic Office Chair vs Regular Chair
The best way to explain why ergonomic office chairs are a great option is by contrasting them with regular office chairs. Let’s go over what defines an ergonomic office chair.
Having to sit all-day with improper back support can cause serious problems with your lower lumbar vertebrae. We’ll show you what features you need to distinguish between a regular office chair and an ergonomic one.
Swivel Back
An ergonomic home office chair should have a back that allows for a full range of motion while still offering support. The swivel feature gives you the option to easily move around your office.
Note that this feature doesn’t differ much between regular and ergonomic chairs. This feature isn’t the most important to consider when choosing an office chair.
The only notable difference is that some people experience slight back and lumbar pain with regular swivel office chairs.
Adjustable Armrest Height
Ordinary office chairs have armrests that are fastened to the chair and can’t be moved. While ergonomic chairs have arms that can be adjusted for your comfort. This feature helps decrease strain on your muscles.
With an ergonomic office chair, you can rest your arms more easily and relax your shoulders protecting your upper back. You also have the option to take the arms of completely for convenience. The design also lets you avoid relaxing your forearms on the armrests while you are typing.
Height of the Seat
One of the primary and best elements of getting an ergonomic chair is how customizable each element of the chair is. This is especially true of the chair height That can be adjusted using an air pressured lever called a pneumatic. The ability to adjust the seat is helpful as there are chairs designed for people who are extremely tall or short.
Having an adjustable seat allows you to keep your feet flat on the ground.
Adjustable Lumbar Support
Ergonomic office chairs and regular office chairs both offer support for lumbar vertebrae. The difference between these two is that ergonomic office chairs let you adjust this portion of the chair. Regular office chairs put a lot of pressure on the spine causing you to hunch over while working.
Regular office chairs have a portion of lower back support that contours inward. Leaning on the lumbar the section of the chair can cause a lot of back pain. This is not true for ergonomic chairs that let you
What to Look for in an Ergonomic Chair
Now let’s get to the main attraction. What should you look for in an ergonomic? The list below contains all the tips you need to get the most out of your ergonomic chair.
For the tips, we choose what we felt would help you get the most out of your purchase.
- Look at Chair Adjustability
As we’ve shown earlier having an adjustable chair is crucial for spine health. You need to make sure that you can customize all parts of the chair including the seats and armrest to your body.
- Make Sure It Has a Swivel Base
Having a swivel chair lets you move around the room as you work. You can also reach over for things more easily without straining your back.
- Be Sure It Also Has a Wheel Base
Having a chair that moves can also save you from putting too much pressure on your knees. When choosing a chair make sure you consider the surface that you’ll be working on. If your office has carpet then you’re going to have to ensure that your wheels can handle carpet.
Rolling is important in preventing strain due to reaching across a desk to retrieve items that are out of reach.
- Pick the Right Cushion Material
The material that comprises the chair makes a huge difference in the quality of the chair and how it protects your back. If you choose the wrong material can lead to lower back soreness or asymmetrical hips.
Let’s first discuss what needs to go inside the cushions. Ensure that the padding in the seat cushion contains thick high-density foam. If the foam is too thin or fibrous it will make sitting on the chair regularly uncomfortable.
The material to be on the lookout for is Polyurethane Antimicrobial Foam. This foam is great for seats and mattresses. This material absorbs water and is treated with an antimicrobial material. Meaning it doesn’t grow mildew or mold.
There are also materials like gels, compressed polyester, and dry fast open-cell foam. Note that these materials still need to wrap in a waterproof outer layer like silk.
- Pick the Right External Material
The best material for the outside of the chair cushion is leather. Though ergonomic leather office chairs are usually expensive they are breathable and easy to clean.
The best option to choose for the back is mesh. Having a mesh backrest keeps the chair at a moderate temperature. A mesh back also provides greater flexibility and allows the back of the chair to form to your body.
- Shop Around for Prices
If you work consistently sitting down then you need to think about your ergonomic office chair an investment in your body. The price for a chair can vary wildly between $200 to $2000. If you’re looking for the best affordable ergonomic office chair consider
The highest-rated Ergonomic office chair on Amazon that we found was the Modway Articulate Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair. This offers adjustable armrests and seat cushions at an affordable price.
- Watch Your Warranty
As we’ve said before buying an ergonomic office chair is an investment so knowing how much use you’ll get out of the chair.
- Make Sure the Backrest Offers Support
To pick the right to help your back it needs to have an adjustable backrest. This needs to be able to move between 12 and 19 inches.
It must have a locking feature so that once you adjust it will protect your lower back. Your chair also needs to not move as you sit. You should also consider one that allows you to recline.
This will take a lot of weight off of your upper back and help prevent back pain.
- Know the Structure of the Spine and Why Sitting Causes Back Pain
To understand why the wrong chair can cause so much pain let’s go over spine anatomy. The spine is made up of 34 different bones. These bones are held up by a spinal column which contains 24 different bones.
The spinal column has 5 different sections:
- The Cervical spine: This section consists of 7 vertebrae at the top of the spinal column
- The Thoracic spine: This section consists of the next 12 vertebrae and is in the mid-back
- The Lumbar spine: This section consists of the final 5 vertebrae are located in the lower back (note that these are the most likely to get damaged if you choose the wrong chair
- The Sacrum: This is a wide flat vertebra at the end of the spine
- Coccyx: This is the final part of the spine
Soreness in the lower back usually caused by problems with putting too much weight on the lumbar spine.
One of the main reasons that sitting in a chair causes back pain is due to improper posture. If you’re frequently seated in a hunched or slouched position you could end up putting too much weight on your lower disks.
- Consider Add-Ons to Make Your Chair More Comfortable
Most of the time a simple ergonomic chair will be enough to solve your back discomfort. Sometimes though that won’t be the case.
Luckily, there are options for added ergonomic support. One of the best options is a back and seat cushion that you purchase separately. One cushion that can offer you great lumbar support is Everlasting Comfort memory foam cushion. This cushion contours to your body offering support for your lumbar vertebra.
- Pay Attention to Seat Depth
This is an important factor in protecting your lumbar vertebrae. Your seat should be deep enough so that you can use the backrest while leaving space for two to four fingers.
- Be Sure the Chair Is Stable
In general, the ergonomic chair that you use should have 5 different spokes. This allows you to prevent any tipping or rollovers from happening.
- Make Sure Your Head Is Safe
Be sure that the ergonomic chair that you pick comes with a headrest. This helps prevent any damage to your upper spine.
Want More Advice About Working From Home?
When picking an ergonomic office chair the most important factors to consider are the adjustability, material, price, and warranty. Keeping these different features in mind is key to getting the most out of your office chair.
If you need more advice about how to stay safe comfortable and productive when working from home, then check out other articles on our site today.