Ergonomic Office Chairs

Ergonomic office chairs are sweeping the country, and for good reason. Americans are spending more and more time at work—more than almost any other country on earth! And much of that time is spent in office environments, where we tend to work at a desk and computer. An ergonomic office hair will give you the support you need to work efficiently and without injury.

In fact, the first ergonomic chairs were designed because people were remaining stationary at their desks so long without any back or arm support that they reported fatigue and even repetitive motion injuries. In prior years these injuries were often referred to as "cramps". For instance, ‘telegrapher's cramp' was reported in some telegraph operators of the 19^th century. Today, we call it carpal tunnel syndrome, but the essence of the condition is the same. A worker is hunched over a telegraph/typewriter/computer keyboard for hours a day, rarely moving anything other than his or her hand, and the body tires and begins to ache.

Ergonomic office chairs can help alleviate some of this discomfort. An ergonomic office chair will be built with lumbar support. The lumbar region of your lower back is where your spine curves inward. Without support for this area on your chair, you will slouch, stretching and straining this area of your back. We've all risen from uncomfortable chairs and had to put our hands on our back and stretch. That's lack of lumbar support right there.

The chair should have a backrest for the rest of your back, as well. In a good ergonomic chair the backrest is adjustable forward and back, with some way to lock the back into position once the user finds the perfect spot.

The seat height must be adjustable. For most people, a seat height between sixteen and twenty-one inches works well, although very short or very tall people may need to look for a broader range of height choices. When sitting, you'll want your feet to be flat on the floor and your thighs parallel with the floor. In a perfect scenario your arms would then be at the same height as your desk.

If your desk height is not adjustable, some modifications may need to be made to either your chair or the desk. Purchasing an ergonomic office chair for a desk that's too high or two low for the user is unlikely to improve a situation. An ergonomic office chair is only one piece of the total workday. The user needs to move about, get up and stretch, and have the proper ergonomic office equipment in order to function at peak production.

The chair should both swivel and roll around on casters, unless there is some sort of a safety issues for the user with either of these functions. The vast majority of office chairs come with armrests, though some are removable if the user prefers. Arms should not rest on the armrest when typing. When using the armrests, the user's shoulders should be relaxed with the arms fully supported.

When care and measurements are taken to select an ergonomic office chair, the list of ‘perfect' chairs will narrow from several thousand to a few hundred. Take into account a favorite manufacturer, if any, color and fabric choices, and seat material choices, and you'll be left with only a few to decide between. Of all the office chairs out there, an ergonomic one is definitely your best choice.