The Importance of a Good Office Chair for Productivity and Health

Up to 50% of office workers in the United States experience job-related discomfort throughout their 9-5 working shifts. One study found that 16% reported being in extreme back pain at the end of the day. This problem can be simply solved by upgrading your chair to an ergonomic office chair. It is very important to understand the relationship between your health and being able to remain productive at work. Emphasis must be placed on investing in better office chairs. Continue reading to get clearer insight on the importance of an office chair. 

What is an Ergonomic Chair? 

Ergonomics in the workplace focuses on tailoring the workplace to the worker rather than the other way around. The goal is to eliminate work-related discomfort and injury risk. A good ergonomic chair, for instance, is a chair that has been created to provide the best possible support for your body, considering posture, comfort, support, and health.

Why is an Ergonomic Chair Important? 

As an office worker, you may be forced to sit in your chair at the office all day. Sitting in the wrong office chair can cause major health issues for you. Simply avoid this by investing in an ergonomic chair. A good office chair can bear wonders for your back. It works by improving your posture, reducing unnecessary back pains, and reducing hip pressure. 

Posture

That is one of the flaws that the ergonomic chair corrects back posture. With its full-length design and natural posture support, you can be confident that the chair will help you improve your posture. Its adjustable feature even allows you to have control and customize the various length design to meet your desires.  

Reduced pain

Back and neck pain are common issues faced by office workers each day. Utilizing a modern ergonomic chair offers increased relaxation leading to less body discomfort. 

Hip pressure

By offering adequate seat depth to support the weight of your hips, a good ergonomic chair helps to decrease hip pressure.

An ergonomic chair does not only affect your health. It also has a tremendous impact on your work productivity. Workers that are seated in a good office chair should be able to focus more easily because there are no distractions from discomfort. You must, however, take regular breaks. We can notice a direct link between your health and your job here. According to research, happier employees are indeed more productive and contribute to a healthier and more positive work environment. 

What Features to look for in a Good Office Chair? 

Since you are aware of the importance of an office chair. You may have considered what office chair features you should seek when purchasing an ergonomic chair. If you make the wrong decision, you will suffer from a variety of health problems, including backaches, having to take more days off work, being inefficient, and increasing medical bills. Luckily just for you, we have created a list of features you should look for when deciding to purchase a good office chair. Below are a few techniques to figure out if a chair is good for you.

Seat width and depth

The seat width and depth is an office chair feature that is vital for your comfort. Please pay attention to these factors whenever you decide to upgrade your chair. An ergonomic chair is adjustable to accommodate varying body weights, builds, and forms. It must have enough width and depth to support your body type. An office chair's normal width is between 17 and 20 inches. The seat depth should also be sufficient to allow you to sit with your back against the backrest of your chair. There should be 2 to 4 inches between the back of your knees and the seat of the chair.

Lumbar support

Additionally, proper lumbar support is crucial when selecting a good office chair. This provides support to your lower back. Good office chairs should contain lumbar support features so you can achieve the perfect fit and support for that inward curve of your lower back. As a result, maintaining good posture for hours.

Seat material

Make sure the seat material on the backrest and seat of your chair is breathable and thick enough to allow you to sit for lengthy periods. You should choose the material that is most comfortable for you. 

Adjustability

The ergonomic chair you wish to purchase should be completely adjustable. Adjustability is important because it gives you more control and allows customization to meet your special needs. Some key points to examine are as follows:

• The seat tilt is adjustable.
• Lumbar support can be adjusted
• The headrest can be adjusted
• Height can be adjusted

By now should have seen the difference between a traditional chair and an ergonomic chair. Now let’s look into the possible pros and cons associated with the importance of a good chair.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Good Chair?

Pros

An ergonomic office chair provides comfort to its user. This is as a result of its adjustable feature that can be adapted to each individual. Please see the following advantages of a good chair below:

• Promotes correct posture
• Improves comfort
• Reduces neck/back/hip discomfort
• Reduces the likelihood of neck problems
• Reduces the number of distractions in the workplace
• Increased assistance aids in improving work attention

Cons

Workers who are seated in the traditional chair are not exposed to the advantages mentioned above. Instead, they experience a variety of disadvantages in their office daily. Please see the following disadvantages of a bad chair below:

• Circulation impediment
• Cramping 
• Numbness, stiffness, and ache
• Workplace distractions 

Body pain

In short, the advantages of investing in a good office chair have proven to be very beneficial to your health as well as your efficiency in the office. You should now understand the importance of an office chair. Investing in ergonomic office chairs is an effective approach to ensure that your working hours are never wasted. Purchasing a good office chair, as demonstrated in this article, has many advantages than just comfort. You now understand what features to look for in a good chair. Why keep this valuable information to yourself? Share it with co-workers so they can upgrade from their traditional office chair to an ergonomic office chair!