How do you feel when you stand up from your office chair by the end of the day? All pumped, full of enthusiasm and eager to go back to the workplace tomorrow? Hardly. Most office workers claim that they suffer from multiple back and neck aches, muscle strain and other pains that practically make them associate their work with a medieval torture machine.

Hardly does it stimulate involvement in the work process and efficiency. However, once you are a business owner, you understand that the success of the whole enterprise fully depends on the enthusiasm and wellbeing of each employer. And an office chair is one of the main parameters that determine how you, your colleagues or subordinates will feel at the workplace.

In this article, we shall discuss why a proper office chair is so important and how should you pick the one that will turn your office into a comfortable, safe and secure place, where people want to return, express themselves and achieve their professional goals.

Ergonomics is the key.

We are used to the idea that the office desk is the centrepiece of the whole workspace. Indeed, your office desk should be functional and comfortable. Moreover, it should be adjusted correctly according to your height and provide optimal wrist support while writing or typing to avoid strain.

However, it does not mean that by investing in a quality office desk, you can get away with a cheap and basic office chair. In fact, according to the latest report of the British Orthopedic Association (BOA), it is the office chair that mainly determines your back’s position while you are sitting behind the desk. And therefore, a proper office chair is even more important for your health and wellbeing at work than the desk.

The principle is pretty simple. Those are lumbar and pelvic support that determine your back’s position while you are sitting. If you have to constantly remind yourself to keep your back straight or take breaks and walk around due to discomfort and pressure in your back and glutes, your problem has nothing to do with the desk adjustment. It is your office chair that prevents you from assuming a comfortable and safe position while seated.

It also explains why ironically, so many office employees who sit all day long appear to have precisely the same health complications as those who otherwise work in a standing position. Those are mostly herniated disks and other advanced back problems.

This fact drew researchers` attention, and after a thorough examination of working conditions and their effect on the musculoskeletal system, BOA came up with a long report that can technically be summarized as “using an improper chair at the office is the same as having no chair at all”.

How an office chair affects your productivity.

Apparently, back pain, which is mistakenly considered as an inevitable curse of all office employees, is not the only complication that appears to influence your efficiency at the workplace and the overall attitude to the office job.

The improper lumbar and pelvic support caused by a faulty office chair leads to infringement of the overall blood circulation and as a result:

• Headaches;
• Fatigue;
• Loss of concentration.

In other words, if someone says that office makes her or him sick, it can be literal. And of course, hardly can you expect enthusiasm and high productivity from a person who suffers from those symptoms on a daily basis.

Moreover, those conditions inevitably lead to anxiety, irritability and other psychological conditions, which create an unhealthy overall atmosphere in the office.

That is how such a seemingly simple and routine piece of furniture as an office chair may play an essential role in the overall perspectives of an enterprise.

How to choose a proper office chair.

Now that we have discussed the treats of having a faulty office chair, let’s see how to spot it and where to get a good one.

Here are some fundamental tips:

• Not all chairs labelled as “office” are office chairs indeed – in most cases, the definition “office” roots from the chair’s exterior only. Make sure to see and test the office chair thoroughly before the purchase;
• Adjustment options – a true office chair should have various options to be adjusted according to your physical peculiarities and needs. Its height, back position as well as armrest and headrest parts should provide several positions for your maximum comfort;
• Materials – your office chair should be made out of high-quality and breathable materials. Not only will it provide a longer lifespan to your office furniture, but it also prevents you from complications like contact dermatitis, rash, etc. They are considered less common but are still pretty typical for office workers.

Last but not least, make sure that you buy your office chair from a credible dealer. Only in this case you are guaranteed to invest your money into a genuine office setup that will become a valuable asset for your business and support you and your team on the way to success.