Everything you need to know when buying an ergonomic office chair

Buying an office chair is more than simply choosing workspace seating. It’s the comfort and productivity of your team. Knowing what to look for when buying an office chair is key for maximum comfort, back health, and concentration. An ergonomic desk chair is an essential piece of office furniture.

The most important things to keep in mind when buying an office chair are:

• Everything you need to know when buying an ergonomic office chair
• What are ergonomic office chairs?
• Must-have features for everything ergonomic office chair
• Other things to consider when buying an office chair
• How to get most out of your ergonomic office chair

An ergonomic office chair is designed to work with the s-shaped spinal curve and the natural tendencies of the human body for optimal comfort while working. Ergonomic office chairs reduce back pain and improve posture, thanks to carefully designed office chair features. A high-end ergonomic office chair is adjustable so that you can customise it to your body and better control your posture.

When buying office chairs, you need to keep in mind that you will spend a huge portion of your working days in them and consequently, it plays a huge role in your well-being and comfort. With so many options of ergonomic office chairs for sale in South Africa, you need to consider the features that will most impact you. For example, if you spend your time gaming, keep that in mind when looking for an ergonomic office chair. Will its design enable you to move as you need to while still keeping you comfortable? These kinds of questions will help you find the best ergonomic office chair for you.

An ergonomic office chair is only ergonomic if it’s the right height for you when you’re in a seated position and for your workstation, so the best ergonomic office chair is one that has an adjustable height.

The same goes for the backrest angle. The angle of the backrest should be between 90 and 110 degrees, depending on what’s most comfortable for you, to support good posture.

When it comes to backrests there is no one-size-fits-all since not everyone has the same shaped back or spinal curve. You need good lumbar support if you want to avoid lower back pain from sitting so being able to adjust the backrest so that the lumbar support fits as flush as possible against your lower back is essential when buying an ergonomic office chair.

If you’re looking for even more back support, consider a high-back office chair with upper back support and a headrest.

The seat itself also has some important distinctions when it comes to an ergonomic office chair. It should be wide and deep enough for sitting comfortably. A comfy seat does wonders for concentration!

Like chair height, this also depends on how tall you are. Opt for a deeper seat if you are taller, or a shallower seat if you are shorter. The rule of thumb is there should be 2-3 fingers of space between the seat edge and the backs of your knees. This clearance is necessary to avoid compressing the arteries responsible for circulation to your lower legs and feet.

Breathability is an important factor when you spend hours each day in an office chair, whether you’re gaming or working, so look for an office chair with a breathable mesh backrest.

This should go without saying, but a comfortable seat is also essential. Look for desk chairs with High-Density injection moulded foam in the seat itself. The best ergonomic office chairs have this feature because it provides additional support, lasts a long time, and won’t collapse any time soon, ensuring optimal support from the seat for a longer time.

It’s also important that the seat itself has a waterfall edge, where the front of the seat slopes down slightly. This is ideal for good sitting posture and it’s a more comfy design.

Another must-have ergonomic office chair feature is adjustable armrests. Armrests that are the right height take the strain off of your neck and shoulders while you work or game. Like the backrest and seat height, the ideal armrest height depends very much on your height and the length of your arms, which varies from person to person.

A running theme when it comes to ergonomic office chair features is personalisation. Even if a chair has the perfect seat cushion and breathable backrest, it doesn’t matter if it’s all the wrong height for you.

Adjustable chair height, backrest angle, and armrests are key to a good ergonomic office chair, and these features need to be easy to adjust for your sake. If they’re difficult to operate you risk not customising your office chair at all, or worse, adjusting it incorrectly and worsening your back health.

Being able to move around in your chair while you work or game adds some important functionality, so that is another thing to remember while browsing office chairs. Choosing a chair that can swivel can greatly impact your workflow for the better.

Buying an ergonomic office chair is an investment. Our office chairs range from R3900 to R9 900 and there are plenty of options to suit a range of budgets. It’s important to find an office chair that is comfortable both for you and for your wallet.

Nowadays we spend long periods of time sitting while working, gaming, and even chatting with friends. The importance of ergonomics cannot be downplayed. A good quality, ergonomic office chair protects you from musculoskeletal disorders that come with so much time seated and it will ultimately save you money on trips to the physio!

A medically endorsed chair is recommended by professionals for a reason. An office chair with medical endorsements typically ticks all the boxes when it comes to ergonomics and back support, so it’s definitely worth looking out for when buying an office chair. Our NetOne chairs are the first office chairs endorsed by the World Federation of Chiropractic.

A good office chair normally has a 5-year warranty. Ensuring your office chair comes with a decent warranty will protect you from low-quality options.

Similar to a warranty, a comfort guarantee can give you some peace of mind regarding your choice of an office chair. At Ergotherapy, our office chairs come with a 30-day Comfort Guarantee; if our chairs don’t improve your work experience, you get your money back. Comfortable office chairs are an office essential, so whether you opt for a chair with a high back, headrest, or not, you know you’ll be comfy with a comfort guarantee.

The look of your office chair is another important thing to consider when buying an ergonomic office chair. Does it fit in with your workspace setup? Can you see yourself using it? Does it fit into your personal style? We want you to love your chair because it’s comfortable and it looks great at your desk!

So you’ve invested in a high-quality desk chair, fantastic! But that’s not all you need to do. Ergonomic office chairs have several features specially designed to offer correct posture support, but they can’t save you from poor health if you aren’t using them correctly.

To sit correctly:

• Set up your computer screen an arm’s length away from you.
• Try and ensure the top of the monitor is level with your eyes.
• Sit up straight and refrain from slouching.
• Keep your neck relaxed in a neutral position.
• Try and keep your forearms parallel to the floor.
• To optimise blood circulation in your legs, keep both feet flat on the floor, and try not to cross your legs.

At Ergotherapy, we understand the importance of an ergonomic chair combined with using it well, which is why we send specialists to set up our ergonomic office chairs and provide comprehensive ergonomics training.