What Makes A Chair Ergonomic

Ever since the world’s first ergonomic chair was introduced, people have been working with comfort during those tiresome hours at the workplace.

It’s that precious gem that saves our spine from unwanted deformities and lets us stand tall, walk tall, and sit tall.

You’re probably excited to know more about it before you take your keys and drive straight to the nearest furniture store. Here on this guide about what makes a chair ergonomic, we discussed everything you need to know.

If you’ve been using a regular office chair, you know you can’t do much with it other than adjust the height and recline to let go of all the stress.

For those of you who haven’t used an ergonomic chair yet, once you sit on such a chair, you’ll indulge yourself in it because of its commendable features while staying reassured your posture won’t be affected!

So, let’s get started!

What Is An Ergonomic Chair?

The term ‘ergonomic’ refers to the science of engineering products so that people can interact with the product with the utmost efficiency.

Hence, an ergonomic chair is designed to give you plenty of adjustabilities, like adjustable lumbar support, seat height, and armrests, which regular chairs can’t.

This type of chair adapts to all body types and allows people who are subject to occupational health problems, like back pain and muscle stiffness to work comfortably for long hours.

What Features Make A Chair Ergonomic?

While a chair might be comfortable to sit on, it can be wrong to be called it ‘ergonomic’ if it doesn’t meet these minimum criteria:

1. Adjustable Seat Height

Like most office chairs, an ergonomic chair allows you to adjust the seat height. Since the proper sitting posture requires you to keep the feet flat on the floor with the knees bent at right angles, this chair lets you do it with ease. Ideally, you can use a footrest if you feel pressure on the back of your thighs.

2. Adjustable Seat Pan Depth

The seat pan of an ergonomic chair slides towards the chair back or moves away from it. This is an important feature to consider because it allows both taller and shorter people to sit comfortably with the backrest supporting their back and the seat taking the pressure off the back of their knees.

3. Adjustable Lumbar Support

Adjustable lumbar support is a common feature people tend to look for first when choosing an ergonomic chair. It allows you to position the lumbar support to fit the natural curve of the spine so that you don’t put unwanted stress on your spine and pelvis.

4. Adjustable Armrests

Regardless of your body type, you should be able to sit on a chair comfortably. It should feature adjustable armrests, which you can slide toward your body and away from it when you need more space. Not only that but also it should be height-adjustable for relieving the stress on your shoulders.

5. Adjustable Backrest

An adjustable backrest lets you adjust the angle for rocking back and forth. The reclining movement will take off the pressure from the spine and muscles and cause you to relax.

6. Adjustable Headrest

Not all ergonomic chairs come with an adjustable headrest, but the ones that do will benefit you in terms of comfort. Think about reclining on your chair and closing your eyes after hours of constant activity.

7. Swivel

Ergonomic chairs can swivel in 360-degrees as well. This feature comes in handy when you need to reach something from different areas of your room without getting up.

Tips For Making Your Chair Ergonomic

Don’t feel like throwing away that uncomfortable chair lying at your desk? Here are some tips you can follow to transform your existing chair into an ergonomic one:

• Check if your chair lets you adjust the height in such a way so that your feet stay flat on the floor and your knees are bent at 90 degrees.

• Lean down a bit to see if the chair has a tilt tension knob and a paddle for adjusting the backrest. If it does, tweak the settings and test the results by reclining until you’ve found a comfortable reclining angle.

• If you’ve been experiencing backache sitting on the chair, the culprit could be lumbar support. In that case, you can buy an external lumbar pillow and position it so that it supports your lower back.

• If it’s the seat that gives you discomfort, you can use an external seat cushion. Using one will help your body weight to be distributed evenly, thus relieving pressure on the hips and tailbone.

• If your chair has hard armrests, there’s no doubt you will feel discomfort when you’re resting your arms. In that case, you can go for armrest pads and cover the armrests of your chair.

Wrapping Up

While an ergonomic chair can contribute to numerous health benefits, you need to keep in mind that the chair alone can’t do all the work.

You’ve guessed it right! How you sit on the chair plays an important factor, because after all, it’s your posture that matters!

 Now that you’ve learned about what makes a chair ergonomic, it’s high time you either get one or change the entire look of your existing chair.

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