Selecting a good office chair is an important decision. If you intend to spend a lot of time in your office chair, it’s probably the equivalent of purchasing a mattress for your bed. Think about how much time you’ll spend in the chair each day. It could be as much as 8-12 hours. If that’s the case, you definitely want to make an informed decision. Listed below are some general guidelines to assist you in the process of selecting an office chair.
Test it first. The best way to select is good office chair is to test it firsthand. If possible, the person who will be using the chair should take it for a test drive
Check the fit.
Select a chair designed to support your usage requirements. Some office chairs are designed for short-term, infrequent use while others are designed for daily, heavy duty use. Today’s chairs also come with a variety of mechanisms to control the comfort level of each user – height control, tension adjustment, lumbar support, tilt angle control, and several other chair controls. Listed below are some general categories for types of office chairs based on the amount of use. Refer to Types of Chairs to get a general feel for the type of use that will be required of your chair.
Make sure the office chair provides proper back support. Your back should be comfortably supported to maintain an erect posture. Make sure the chair can adjust to different posture positions.
Review the tilt. A good office chair should accommodate a number of different tilt options to accommodate different seating positions throughout the day. Also, check to make sure the tilting tension can be adjusted. Tilting back in an office chair should be easy, but there should be some tension. You’ll need to adjust this based on your height, weight, and needs.
Check out the armrests. If the chair will be used at a desk or computer workstation, then make sure the armrests are designed so that the chair can be pulled up close to the workstation. Adjustable armrests are also a nice option. Some chairs come with armrests that extend 10 inches or less from the back of the seat. These armrests allow you to work close to the workstation while also providing a place to rest your arms.
Make sure the chair wheel casters are appropriate for the flooring they will be used on. Hard wheel casters are appropriate for carpet and some solid surface materials. However, if your chair will be used on hardwood floors or other flooring material that can be damaged, then you should strongly consider soft wheel casters.
Choose the right fabric. The fabric should be one that allows a firm seat with no sliding. It should also be a breathable fabric that allows easy cleanup of spills.