EmailYour personal comfort is the most important factor when selecting a chair. In addition to finding a chair with a seat height and depth that best fits your body type, look at the chair's adjustable comfort features that are important to you (arms, back, lumbar support). Also consider how skilled you are at putting things together and whether ease of assembly is important to you.
Here are other important considerations when chair-shopping:
- Take your time -- take chairs for a test drive. Experts agree that you have to try a chair for more than a few minutes in the store. To know if the chair you're considering is right for you, have it delivered to your office and work in it for several days. If it turns out that you're not comfortable in it, don't be afraid to send it back. Check with the retailer on their return policy. When equipping an entire company with chairs, it's impractical to custom-fit each employee. Rather, you'll want a chair that's adjustable enough to fit most of your workers.
- How do you use your desk? Do you lean forward a lot, working on paperwork or a computer? If so, you need what's referred to today as a task chair, which is what we've addressed in this report. Executives who lean back a lot, while talking on the phone, for example, will benefit from a different kind of chair.
- Consider the adjustability you need. If you work with both hands on a keyboard all day, you may adjust different aspects of the chair than someone whose primary motion is using a mouse. Adjustable features, which are best when you can operate them while seated, often include chair tilt, backrest height and angle, seat height and depth, armrest height and angle and lumbar support.
- Allow for proper blood circulation. Look for a seat with a rounded front edge, which helps blood circulation in the legs. Look for a good proportion -- your feet should be firmly planted on the floor. An improperly proportioned chair will stop just behind the knees and cut off circulation. Make sure there's at least one extra inch of chair extending beyond your hips for comfort and thigh support.
- Will the chair roll around on carpet or a hard floor? The casters can be different for each. Also, the overall seat height with casters should ensure that your feet are always flat on the floor.
- Upholstered or vinyl? With a few models, like the Aeron, this won't be a factor, but for others you may have to choose. Vinyl and leather clean easily, but they can trap heat because they don't breathe well. Cloth is usually more comfortable, but if you eat at your desk a lot, spills will eventually show.