With so many options out there, purchasing a new office chair can be a complex and time-consuming process. Do you simply go for the best features? And if so, what exactly are the best features?
Considering how long we spend sitting in our office chairs, this is one decision where it certainly pays to take some time over. For this reason, we’ve put together a quick guide to the ins and outs of purchasing a new office chair.
Usage
Before you even start looking at different models, it’s important to be clear on what exactly you will be using the chair for. Yes, sitting down might be the rather obvious answer here, but for how long and in what kind of environment?
The chair you choose might be very different depending on whether you need to be sat at your desk for seven hours a day, or simply an hour or two at the weekend. The more time spent in the chair we highly recommend going for the better ergonomic options, such as neck support, lumbar support and recline ability.
User
Another point to think about is who exactly will be using the chair. A child doesn’t necessarily need or will be able to properly use an expensive office designed for adults and vice versa. But even when it comes to adults there can be huge variations in height, weight and body shape that might affect your choice of chair.
Most good-quality chairs today can be adjusted in numerous ways, such as raising or lowering and reclining, and this becomes even more important if several different people with different body shapes or sizes will need to use the chair.
Wheels or no wheels
These days, most office chairs come with wheels as standard, but they can often be removed should you prefer them without.
Generally speaking, most people choose a wheeled option because it adds that little extra movement, but they’re certainly not for everybody. Perhaps you find it distracting to have wheels or worry about scratching the floor below. Either way, before making a purchase, decide if you’re a wheels or no wheels kind of a person.
Ergonomics
It’s no secret that our bodies loathe being sat in an unnatural position for the entire day. Neck problems, backaches, spinal issues, arm strains, you name it, we’re seeing it these days. Luckily, modern technology has now moved beyond the rather rigid chairs we used for decades and office chairs today come with a host of ergonomic features designed to keep the body as healthy as it can be while sitting down all day.
These include the ability to raise and lower the chair, recline and lock in certain positions, armrests that can be adapted to your own needs, lumbar support and neck support.
What are my options?
FlexiSpot offers a wide variety of office chairs that can accommodate any need or budget. If we start with the basics, the Home Office Chair with Wheels is our entry-level option that still provides plenty of ergonomic features, but doesn’t really provide enough long-term support for those who need to sit in a chair for multiple hours every day.
The Flexi-Chair back support office chair BS1B is quite a step up from there and offers a backrest with an integrated lumbar support system, a fully adjustable headrest and a breathable and abrasion-resistant seat.
Something a little different
But perhaps you’re looking for something a little different? FlexiSpot offers a variety of alternatives that challenge traditional forms of office sitting.
A Cycle Desk Bike V9 Pro or a Sit2Go 2-in-1 Fitness Chair both offer very different styles of sitting than you might be used to. Both are considered ‘active sitting chairs’, and provide an exercise bike and office chair rolled into one convenient package. While they might not be for everybody, their popularity has soared in recent years as more and more people are looking to address their sedentary lifestyle issues.
Another example of something a bit different that is also considered active sitting would be our Active Exercise Office Chairs. Again, this kind of chair really isn’t for everybody but they are becoming increasingly popular and fall somewhere between traditional chairs and the newer exercise models.
The bottom line
If you’re in the market for a new office chair, there have never been so many options available. Begin by deciding why and how you will be using the chair, then consider any existing medical issues you may have that might require a particular chair or ergonomic feature.
The bottom line is that it’s important to feel comfortable in an office chair. It needs to be both comfortable for however long you need to use it, but also well designed enough that it’s not going cause your body any harm. And if you’re feeling brave and fancy leaping into the unknown, our active sitting models will forever change how you think about office chairs.
