If you’re constantly suffering from back pain, your office chair might be to blame. You may not realize it, but if you aren’t using the right office chair, you’re in for not only back pain but worse health issues.
An office chair is one of the most important pieces of office furniture. An office chair is where you’ll be sitting most of the day and if it’s not comfortable, imagine the amount of stress you’re putting on your body.
When you set out on the journey to find the best office chair for your workplace or home office, you might feel overwhelmed with the number of options. From a sea of options, two types of office chairs that people are most confused between are mid-back office chairs and high-back office chairs. Both these office chairs provide support to your back (so much you can tell by the name), but you may wonder how are the two different and which of the two will be a better option for you. If you aren’t sure which of these two types of office chairs is the most suitable for you, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ve compared mid-back and high-back office chairs to help you choose an office chair that best meets your requirements.
How to Choose the Best Office Chair?
Before we move on to discuss the difference between mid-back and high-back office chairs, let’s first have a look at the various factors that you must consider when choosing a chair for your office.
Duration of Usage
The first and most important that you must take into consideration when choosing an office chair is for how long you will be using it. If you’re buying it for your home office and will only be using it occasionally, or with a Comhar All-in-One Standing Desk, you can settle for a less durable office chair. That's because you won't need the chair every day, and plan to work while standing most of the time anyways.
However, if you’re buying it for regular office use, you’ll have to choose an ergonomic chair that’s suitable for 6 to 8 hours of usage every day!
Adjustability
Adjustability is a crucial factor that you mustn’t overlook at any cost, especially if you’re working long hours every day. You should look for an office chair that offers adjustability features like adjustable height, adjustable seat depth, adjustable backrest, adjustable armrests, and recline-ability. If your office chair can’t be adjusted according to your body and comfort needs, the chances of you suffering from health problems, in the long run, are quite high.
Material
The material of the office chair determines how durable, comfortable, and aesthetically appealing the chair looks. Always choose an office chair that’s not only durable but is also comfortable and blends well with the interior of your office space well. No matter how good-looking and comfortable your office chair is, it’ll be an eyesore if it’s a mismatch with the rest of your office furniture.
Mobility
You should consider choosing an office chair with wheels if you’ve got to move around your cubicle a lot. For example, if you’ve got to turn around from your table to reach the Chester of drawers to retrieve files or stationary several times a day or move to the printer located a bit farther away from your desk, a mobile office chair might be the right choice. However, if your office is carpeted, a mobile office chair may not move too easily.
Mid-Back vs. High-Back Office Chairs
Coming to the part of the discussion you’ve been looking forward to, let’s see how these two types of office chairs are different and which one is the best option for you.
Mid-Back Office Chairs
A mid-back office chair is a chair with medium-sized back support and no headrest. The height of the backrest is lower than the shoulders. Mid-back office chairs provide excellent support for the mid-back and lower back. This type of office chair is the best choice if you’ve got limited workspace and you move around quite often.
Mid-back chairs are also referred to as task chairs. Although they aren’t as ergonomic as high-back office chairs, they can fulfill your back support requirements quite well. If your job is sporadic and doesn’t require you to sit in the same place for long hours, a mid-back chair might be the most suitable option for you.
Why Choose a Mid-Back Office Chair?
There are numerous reasons why a mid-back office chair might be the right choice for you. Some of the most prominent reasons for choosing this type of office chair are:
Considerable support to the back and spine
Supports the shoulder blades
Enhances overall comfort
Ideal for smaller workplaces
Perfect for flexible workstations
Available in a good range of designs, including ribbed, ergonomic, and modern, each offering a varying level of comfort
Comes in leather and mesh finish
High-Back Office Chairs
As you can tell by the name, high-back office chairs have a longer backrest than mid-back office chairs, which means they provide superior back support. Not only do they offer support for the back also the neck and head with its headrest. These are more ergonomic in nature and are equipped with more adjustable features that allow people of all sizes and physiques to adjust the chair to suit their comfort levels. High-back chairs are larger and bulkier, which means they won’t fit in a small office space. This type of office chair is ideal for tall-heightened individuals who can’t seem to find ample support with a mid-back office chair.
The taller backrest and headrest encourage the user to sit upright and straight (which is the correct posture, by the way). This makes these chairs perfect for workers who’ve got to sit for long hours. As if all of these benefits weren’t enough, high-back office chairs are also quite affordable.
If you’ve got sufficient space in your office and you’re looking for excellent body support during your long shifts at work, a high-back chair might just be what you need.
Why Choose High-Back Office Chair?
You may want to know why you should choose a high-back office chair over a mid-back one. Below are some of the reasons:
Excellent support for the back, shoulders, neck, and head
Greater adjustability features
More ergonomic
Encourages the user to sit upright and straight
Ideal for sitting for long hours
Higher comfort level
Which One is Better?
Now that you know how these two chairs are different, you may want to know which one of the two is better for you. There are some other areas that we have discussed below to help you make the right choice.
Price
Mid-back office chairs are cheaper than high-back office chairs. If you’re tight on a budget are looking for an affordable office chair, let’s say between $100 and $200, a mid-back office chair is what you should get. If you can afford to spend more money on an office chair, a high-back office chair is the best option.
Desk Space
The desk space will play a significant role in helping you decide which chair is the best option for you. If you’ve got a limited office and small desk space, you should opt for a mid-back office chair. However, if your office is spacious and open and you can afford to add a bulky chair to the interior, a high-back office chair is the way to go!
Nature of Job
If your job requires you to sit in front of your computer for several hours every day, you should choose an ergonomic chair, even if it costs more. The best type of office chair in your case will be a high-quality, high-back office chair. However, if you spend most of your time at work on foot and only have to sit on the chair for some time, you can make it do with a mid-back chair.
Ergonomics
As we said above, high-back chairs are more ergonomic as they provide excellent support to the entire back, neck, shoulders, and head. Since they feature a tall backrest, the user naturally sits in a more upright posture which protects them from all the risks of sitting in the wrong posture. If you already complain about back pain and there’s not much that you can do to reduce the time you’ve got to spend sitting at work, you shouldn’t settle for anything less than a high-back office chair. A mid-back chair, as we’ve already said, is suitable for people who don’t have to spend long hours sitting at work.
Your choice of an office chair depends entirely on the nature of your job and the space you’ve got available in your office. What’s the best office chair for someone else may not be the best for you because obviously, your job and comfort needs are both different and you should only choose a chair that you think is right for you!
