Office chairs have become more than just a chair you sit in at the office. People are now wanting their chairs to be ergonomic, comfortable all day, have some lumbar support and more. Additionally, office chairs are not just for the office anymore. Now, with people working from home, from co-working spaces, and more, office chairs have grown in popularity and importance.
While fun colors and fancy features are great, the ability to stay comfortable all day remains the most important part of an office chair.
Regardless of the flashy feature, the expensive price tag or brand name, here are some tips to finding prolonged comfort in your office chair.
1. What is the best type of office chair for long hours?
The best chairs for long hours are models that offer good adjustability to allow the chair to conform to your body, while also letting you move easily and often.
A good tilt mechanism with an adjustable tension such as a synchro-tilt or weight activated is great for that purpose as it allows your back to flex and stretch while keeping your feet grounded. I also recommend mesh type backrest with an adjustable lumbar curve or lumbar support for its breathability, comfort and good support. Multi-directional adjustable armrests are also great if you are working on a fixed height desk.
2. Is an office chair better than a gaming chair for long hours?
I am not a fan of the term “gaming chair”, which is usually used to refer to chairs designed to look like race car seats. Any good task chair can fulfill the needs for long work or gaming sessions just as well if not better than “gaming chairs”, as we’ve seen recently with a lot of big names in the furniture industry who are creating “gaming” variants of their most popular chairs through custom colors or pre-selected adjustments.
My main issue with the racecar seat design is that they are made of upholstered foam with a very deep bucket-like backrest and seat, which lets you nest inside of it, but greatly restricts your freedom of movement and forces you to stay still. Upholstered foam backrests, especially leather-like vinyl fabrics, are also not very breathable so you can run hot easily in the back.
3. How can I sit in a chair all day without pain?
Regular movement is key. Find a chair that you can adjust to your body, yet allows you to move often. Even if you were to mold a chair with a seat and backrest that fits perfectly to your body, you would start to ache after a few hours of standing still.
Use your tilt mechanism to stretch your back and try to vary your work positions. If possible, change your work posture by working standing up every hour or so or by taking short walks. A good chair is only half the battle.
