Why Is a Good Office Chair Important?
Office chairs come as an integral part of the professional workplace, being your ally through the daily 9 to 5 routine. And it can be the deciding factor between your productivity boost and health impairment. Unfortunately, most of the office chairs are manufactured by armchair designers, having little or no knowledge on health aspects during long, consecutive office hours. For this reason, choosing the right office chair can make the difference between a healthy and pain-free workday, or a life-changing back pain.
Getting a cheap, non-agronomic office chair can significantly hinder your productivity at work and increases the risk of health issues often associated with uncomfortable seating habits. Office chair back pain is one of the top concerns in the working community nowadays, but not the only one.
Studies show that inadequate office chair design and seat ergonomic choices lead to certain health problems and disorders:
- Deepened elbow pain can be a serious health threat, developing further down the line, due to the overusing of elbows in unnatural positions.
- Low back pain is common among workers, usually affecting the lumbar area caused by sitting on a bad office chair.
- It also has an impact on the spinal curvature, leading to serious posture problems in the long run.
- Tightening of the shoulders can elicit stress and create a bottleneck in the process of rendering any task.
- Excessive body posture problems during an 8-hour working day, usually add up to long term issues.
- And finally, office chair back pain can turn into an all-day timewaster.
Many scientific studies have confirmed that quality workspace furniture help increase productivity and turn a workplace into a more friendly and vibrant Many scientific studies have confirmed that quality workspace furniture help increase productivity and turn a workplace into a more friendly and vibrant ambiance that’s conducive to creativity and overall comfort. The best office chair is one where the user has the flexibility to adjust according to his/her built, which can avoid a lot of ailments, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Furthermore, ergonomic office furniture increases productivity, thus preventing fatigue in the workplace, which only leads to poor in-class performance or, worse, absenteeism.
Why Must Businesses Invest in Good Office Chair?
Being a responsible businessperson that you are, you already invested in all the necessary office supplies and décor, and even put in a lot of effort in ensuring a healthy work environment. But what you never really gave a thought about is how well your employees really feel at your workplace. Is the chair that they sit on making them comfortable, is it easy for them to sit for many hours without experiencing any aches and pains, are they able to reach any files and papers that they need for the day easily, are they effectively reaching out to their clients over the phone, and do they sit properly aligned on their chair?
Often, many business owners seem to neglect the fact that a good office chair is a deciding factor in the overall performance of any workplace. Following are some reasons why choosing a good office chair for your business is a necessity:
- Helps Boost Productivity:
Professional office chair with good lumbar support will help ease any tense back muscles, improving your employees’ physical integrity and promoting an effective posture by positioning their hips correctly. It will also help increase their productivity by fighting back pain, allowing them to concentrate on their task more than ever and deliver better results.
- Enhanced Office Decor:
The right product choices help adopt a sense of prosperity and sleekness into your business. Investing in quality office desk items shows that you care about the health and comfort of your employees and further boost their morale. Moreover, it will give them a sense of their well-being in the workplace, hence becoming more willing to work more efficiently. On top of these benefits, they further enhance the look of any space, which is kind of an important thing nowadays.
- Business Relation:
Well-equipped business looks professional. Professional businesses have professional-looking customers, which brings a lot of visitors and potential business. Therefore, an investment in a good office chair is a long-term investment that pays off.
What to Look for In an Office Chair?
There are many determining factors when choosing the perfect office chair for you and your employees. To get the best bang for your buck, always review the following points:
Adjustable Height: One of the most important things to look for in a good office chair will be the adjustments in height. This adjustment will help users optimize their position according to their body, which will greatly improve their posture and comfort while on the chair.
Depth: Depending on the body type, certain chairs will fit you better than the others. The length of the seat is a determining factor in this case. Larger people will need a bigger seat, not only due to their size but also to provide proper support to their body, essentially bottom support that will prevent the pressure to be distributed on the higher parts. Always look for a chair that is more than 18 inches wide.
Lumbar Support: Lumbar support is crucial for a healthy sitting experience because it takes care of the axis of the spine and aligns it effectively. Without it, the upper body will constrict, and the wearers will hunch over the keyboard. This could lead them to a serious back strain during prolonged working hours. Lumbar support can be adjusted between 5 and 25 degrees, meaning you can take up whatever position will suit the wearers the most. Some may prefer to have a little more or pressure; others may want a little less. Read this for more information.
Padding Quality: A good office chair will include thick padding that will not only make the seating experience more diverse and enjoyable, but it will also absorb the pressure from the body weight during the seating hours.
Check out our tips on how to make office chairs more comfortable with respect to the height and lumbar support.
Verdict
Investing in a good office chair is not an activity of last resort. Often businesses will take this decision seriously based on several factors that we already mentioned in our guide, and, ultimately, this will reflect on the well-being of every employee that sits on one of these chairs. This is something we all want to experience at work and is something we must not compromise on. After all, just like the saying goes, “happy employees tend to be more productive.”