Properties of a typical ergonomic task chair

Both how we sit and the kind of chair that we sit on dramatically affects our seated comfort and, more importantly, the health of our backs.

Poor seating in the workplace has led to something in the region of three quarters of all employees complaining about back problems at some point during their working life. This frequently results in sick time and can lead to long term back pain. In many cases these problems can easily be avoided and are partially the result of sitting on a poor quality chair.

Given the fact that we spend more time in our working environments than in any other location and that, in the case of most people this involves being seated, chairs become a significant influence on our health.

Here is a list of important features to look for in a good quality office style ergonomic chair. Obviously, the higher the build quality and the greater the degree of padding and cushioning on the chair, the better the chair will be.

Properties of a good office chair

• High (full height) back support
• Lumbar adjustment
• Heavy duty base with castors
• Multi function lever controlled action
• Gas lift adjustment
• Lockable floating recline action
• Lockable seat tilt action
• Coil sprung back support
• Coil sprung seat support
• Height adjustable backrest
• Arm rests (may be height adjustable)

The main factors that influence the price of a good ergonomic office chair are build quality, materials and the number and degree of different adjustments that can be made to the chair's position.

Many chairs will also come with a recommended maximum number our hours use per day, e.g. some chairs are recommended for 8 hours use whilst others class as 24 hour chairs.

Guarantees for quality chairs will often extend to 5 or 10 years.

If you want to see an example of the ergonomic office chair that I use, you can see and read about it on this page my ergonomic task chair.