As all office workers know, comfort in the workplace is essential for enjoyment of work. We all have jobs where we find ourselves spinning around all day trying to get comfortable. But if the seat is wrong from the start, there’s no point. You will never find a comfortable corner. When you spend long hours in the office, it is very important that you find a suitable chair to avoid back pain, sore muscles and other posture-related injuries. But what chair is the best?
Executive chair generally have a high, arched back for maximum head support and privacy. The seats and backs tend to be made of thick, padded leather, and there are usually footrests and armrests. However, executive chairs tend to be used to establish a sense of hierarchy in the workspace, so it’s not ideal to give them to all your staff. Instead, keep the executive chair for the superior employee for the best psychological effect.
The standard office chair, or ‘duty chair’, is the most common and cheapest chair found in the workplace. These tend to have coarsely woven fabric padding, a swivel function and maybe some armrests. While this is suitable for short bursts of sitting, the back is very low and offers very little support. There are also often no footrests, and while this can be corrected by adjusting the height, it is not ideal. Incorrect foot position can cause circulatory problems, so a footrest is ideal.
Ergonomic chair becoming increasingly popular. It is based on the shape and posture of real people, so it is the best choice for most offices. The backrest is higher than standard office chairs, and most come standard with armrests for more comfortable typing. They provide better support for the back and shoulders, which makes sitting at a desk all day much more comfortable.
If possible, be sure to avoid hard plastic ‘school chairs’. If you use it in your building, leave it in the kitchen so it’s easy to clean and people won’t be using it for too long. It is very uncomfortable to sit on them for long periods of time, and can cause backaches and trapped nerves when people sit still on plastic incessantly for hours on end.
The comfort of your staff should be paramount when choosing chairs for your office, and don’t buy uncomfortable chairs just for the sake of cost. Your staff will thank you when they feel more comfortable and more productive at work.
Colin Warnock advising business owners on the best furniture and supplies to increase workplace productivity.
