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Ergonomic Office Chairs

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There are lots of elements to look for in a good budget office chair. Ergonomic office chairs help eliminate discomfort, fatigue, and even injury while maximizing the amount of work you can get done. An ergonomic office chair should be as adjustable as possible in the seat height, tilt, and armrests and provide proper lumbar support. Other features to consider are the chair's seat pan, armrests, material and base.

Ergonomic Office Chairs.

Ergonomic office chairs are designed to increase productivity and decrease discomfort in the workplace. Adjustability is key. An ergonomic office chair with adjustable seat height will help your lumbar support by aligning the curve of the backrest with your lower back. According to the Department of Labor, the seat is at the proper height when your feet rest fully on the ground and the backs of your knees are slightly higher than the seat of the chair. Adjustable armrests ease the tension in your shoulders and arms. Consider tilt as well; the ideal sitting position is with your back completely against the seatback at a slight backward tilt.

The Office Star Space 5500 (starting at $150, Amazon) provides users to a precise fit with adjustable seat height, tilt, and armrests. The Staples Vocazo (starting at $105), the Alera Nico Mid-Back Chair (starting at $134, Amazon), and the Techni Mobili 0097M (starting at $68, Amazon) offer tilt and seat height adjustment, but the armrests are not adjustable. The specs on the Z-Line Designs Task Chair ZL1001-01TCU (starting at $64, Amazon) don't mention any tilting mechanism and the chair has no armrests at all.

The tilting mechanism is what got one mid-range office chair recalled recently. According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Realspace PRO 3000 Series Desk Chair sold at Office Depot has been recalled due a report of a finger getting pinched.

Office Chair Lumbar Support.

Good lumbar support is probably the most important thing to look for in a budget office chair. To avoid back injury and fatigue, look for a curved seatback that lets you sit with a slight arch in your back instead of hunching forward. Test out the chair and make sure the curve of the seatback aligns with the curve of your lower back. All of our picks should provide proper lumbar support.

Office Chair Seat.

The seat pan in an office chair needs to be wide enough and deep enough to properly support your legs. A curved or rounded edge -- a "waterfall" design -- keeps the seat from cutting off the circulation in your lower legs. There are no ideal measurements because office chair users come in all different sizes. Larger users need a wider seat and taller users need a deeper seat. Shorter users need a shallower seat and possibly a footrest so they can rest the bottoms of their feet on flat ground without having to scoot forward and lose the lumbar support provided by the backrest. All of our picks have seat pans between 18 and 21 inches wide and 18 to 21 inches deep. The specs on the Z-Line Designs Task Chair and the Techni Mobili 0097M don't include exact measurements. All the budget office chairs on our list appear to have rounded, waterfall seat designs.

by Raechel Conover (Google+ Profile)

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Flash Furniture Black Mesh Computer Chair Review
Boss Open Back Mesh Task Chair Review
Z-Line Designs Task Chair Review
Techni Mobili 0097M Review
Staples Vocazo Review
Alera Nico Mid-Back Chair Review
Office Star Space 5500 Review

 

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