Ergonomic Computer Chairs

Ergonomic specialists and physiotherapists often say humorously that the best ergonomic computer chair would be one with upturned pins in it to stop you sitting there for long!

Seriously, the chair shouldn’t be the comfiest chair you have ever sat on because you need to get up and move your body around regularly to stop muscle and tendon fatigue. Being on the firmer side is good as it will encourage you to move about and stand up more. ergonomical-workstation

Your computer chair has a job to do and it needs to have certain features as a minimum:-

It should accommodate your size and weight fully without any squeezing
The seat and back rest should be padded with rounded edges where it touches your back and thighs
Adjustable height – many are too low!
Adjustable rake/tilt so that you can recline the back by 10 to 20 degrees from vertical and unlock/lock it
Lumbar support

Arm and head rests

We’re not so keen on armrests as they can causes shoulder shrugging leading to tension in the neck and shoulders and potential RSI issues. On the other hand, armrests can support the arm whilst using the mouse.

You need your body to be close to your desk with so reaching out. Armrests and headrests can be a hindrance in this respect but if you like an armrest we suggest you pay attention to these points:-

armrests which are fixed to the seat base may prevent you getting as close to your desk as you need to be
similarly, armrests that are oval in shape which connect to the back and seat may prevent you getting as close to your desk as you need to be
armrests connected to the back of the seat/bottom of the back which flip up are often the most flexible as you can push them out of the way. Be aware however that you might not get height adjustment.

If you want a headrest, it should be height adjustable otherwise you may well find that it is too high or low for you.

Chair back height and material covering

To some extent the back height and how the chair is covered is a matter of personal taste. However, remember that this is a functional chair. Firm lumbar and seat support is important and all the better if you have to get out of the chair more often.

Adjusting levers and knobs

You might have one or more levers on your chair and possibly a large knob underneath the seat. Sometimes levers do more than one task. These are typical:-

Pneumatic Seat Height Adjustment
Usually a lever underneath the left or right of the chair which controls the height of the seat
Back rest height knob
Usually on the left or right of a pillar supporting the back
Tilt tension adjustment – controls the angle of the back to the seat.
It may be a large round knob underneath the seat toward the front of the chair. Alternatively a lever underneath.

The seats below have key minimum features we would look for so these are a good place to start but chairs are one’s personal taste of course, just remember the issues to look for which we’ve discussed above.