Apparently there’s more to choosing a chair for your home office
than going to Ikea and picking the prettiest one they have.
According to Chiropractor Rodney Lefler, DC, there are some specific things to look
out for when choosing a chair that won’t hate your back.
- Seat height. Office chair seat height should be easily
adjustable. A pneumatic adjustment lever is the easiest way to do this.
A seat height that ranges from about 16 to 21 inches off the floor
should work for most people. This allows the user to have his or her
feet flat on the floor, with thighs horizontal and arms even with the
height of the desk.
- Seat width and depth. The seat should have enough
width and depth to support any user comfortably. Usually 17-20 inches
wide is the standard. The depth (from front to back of the seat) needs
to be enough so that the user can sit with his or her back against the
backrest of the ergonomic office chair while leaving approximately 2 to
4 inches between the back of the knees and the seat of the chair. The
forward or backward tilt of the seat should be adjustable. - Lumbar support. Lower back support in an ergonomic
chair is very important. The lumbar spine has an inward curve, and
sitting for long periods without support for this curve tends to lead
to slouching (which flattens the natural curve) and strains the
structures in the lower spine. An ergonomic chair should have a lumbar
adjustment (both height and depth) so each user can get the proper fit
to support the inward curve of the lower back. - Backrest. The backrest of an ergonomic office chair
should be 12 to 19 inches wide. If the backrest is separate from the
seat, it should be adjustable in height and angle. It should be able to
support the natural curve of the spine, again with special attention
paid to proper support of the lumbar region. If the office chair has
the seat and backrest together as one piece, the backrest should be
adjustable in forward and back angles, with a locking mechanism to
secure it from going too far backward once the user has determined the
appropriate angle. - Seat material. The material on the office chair seat
and back should have enough padding to be comfortable to sit on for
extended periods of time. Having a cloth fabric that breathes is
preferable to a harder surface. - Armrests. Office chair armrests should be adjustable.
They should allow the user’s arms to rest comfortably and shoulders to
be relaxed. The elbows and lower arms should rest lightly, and the
forearm should not be on the armrest while typing. - Swivel. Any conventional style or ergonomic chair
should easily rotate so the user can reach different areas of his or
her desk without straining.
So now you know!
I found the information here, they also have a-find-doctor feature that might help if the chair you have has been beating you up.