Chair Ergonomics - Should One Invest In The Right Chair For The Work Space?

On a daily basis one stays from anywhere 8-10 hours in the office. Out of which, at least 6 hours are spent on the office chair. In a 5 day working week a person spends over 30 hours sitting on the office chair. If the office chair is not right then one develops many problems in the spine and back. So the question arises, should one invest in an ergonomic chair that supports your back and thighs properly?

The answer is a firm YES! Most do not realise the importance of sitting right with proper Lombard support. We went out to see some office chairs in Panchkuian Road office furniture market. We checked both high-end and low-end office chairs. So, we asked the shop keepers about ergonomics of an office chair and some of the answers we got were astonishing. While most emphasised on the fact that the offices are just looking for the best looking, yet cheapest options, hardly anyone asks about ergonomics. People rarely ask this question to them, which should be on top of their questions lists.

These shops are building or reselling office chairs that will seat many and should be built for long term use, yet they don’t look at the ergo-factor.

Users need to wake up to the fact that if their companies are not investing in the right kind of chairs or if the office chair is old, then one has to buy a new one to keep their backs and body in shape. Otherwise very soon they will develop problems. We spoke to Dr R. Dayaal, an Indore based spine specialist, who gets at least 5-6 cases a month arising due to bad sitting postures. These ascend due to the kind of sofas or chairs one sits on a daily basis.

This makes investing in the right chair even more important. We recently used the Steelcase Gesture, which is probably one of the best work chairs available in India. Made for the working man of today. This chair has adjustable seat base, multilevel swivelling arm rests and back rest that hugs your body perfectly. So no matter how you sit in the office, you will always have the right back and base support. However, this chair is the Lamborghini of ergonomic chairs and one would need to shell over 50K to purchase one.

But there are few more out there, which can be purchased for much less. So what should one look for when buying a chair. Keep these 4 things in mind when you go out to make a purchase.

1) Lombard support and backrest – the back of the chair should be arched towards your body and should be able to hug your back from top to bottom.
2) Enough base support – thigh support is very important and one should be able to sit comfortably on the chair.
3) Cushioning – The chair should have enough soft cushioning to support your body. Again comfort makes all the difference.
4) It should not wobble – make sure when your sit on the chair and bring it all the way up, the seat of the chair does not wobble. If it does then this chair is not for you.

Image: Steelcase