Collection: Chairs

Everything you ever needed to know about office chairs

Office culture has shifted over the last few decades, with the dynamic shifting towards flexibility and oriented around wellness to increase productivity, but we still spend a lot of our time at our desks; whether we work in an office, from home, or a mixture of the two, our chairs play a crucial role in the longevity of our health. 

What does it mean if a chair is ergonomic?

Ergonomics is the discipline concerning human interactions within a system, namely the work environment. The aim is to reduce, or entirely avoid, pain and increase efficiency and comfort. An ergonomic chair is designed to adapt to your body, offering alterations to fit the individual worker’s needs. It should encourage and support a good, neutral posture, while discouraging slouching and slumping, which can cause long-term issues.

Everyone is talking about lumbar support, what is it?

Your lumbar spine is your lower back, where your back curves towards your belly button. Supporting this natural curvature is essential for long-term comfort and focus; lumbar support prevents your lower back from flattening or reversing its natural curve. The chair should fill the gap between your lower back and your seat but shouldn’t push you forwards. 

What key features should I look for in an ergonomic chair?

When you’re looking for a new chair, there’s always an element of Goldilocks about ergonomics. What we recommend you look for are the features that make a chair fully customisable, you’re looking for adjustable: seat height, seat depth, lumbar support, armrests, and backrest tilt; cushioning that’s just right (Goldilocks prevails!), and smooth-rolling castors. 

Seat height and depth. Fine-tuning these so that your feet sit flat on the floor help distribute your weight evenly and reduce stress on the spine.

Cushioning. If it’s too firm, you’ll squirm, but if it’s too soft, you’ll end up slouching. 

Castors. Your wheels reduce the need to twist or strain while working, staving off those inevitable twinges when you lean down to pick up the pen you dropped.  

I already have a chair, why should I consider a new one? Mine hasn’t given out yet!

Your chair might not have given out, but your back might! We put our bodies under a lot of strain parking ourselves at desks for long stretches of time, so giving ourselves the best chance with the right chair can only serve to increase output, whether that’s work, happiness, or health.

One final thing…remember to get up and move! No matter how perfect your chair is suited to you, long periods of sitting are a stressor on the muscles and discs in your back, so it’s always a good idea to take regular breaks and move around.