Sitting in an office chair for many hours at a time, as is often the case for workers these days, can be bad for you. It’s bad for your back, your neck, your hips as well as your knees, your legs and your ankles. It’s even bad for your breathing and digestion. Assuming, that is, you’re not sitting in an ergonomic chair. An ergonomic chair is all about offering the best support to your body in every way, helping you to sit more comfortably and preventing any damage being done. That’s important not just for your health, but also for your productivity, your focus, and how much you’re able to enjoy your working day.
A bad chair makes work miserable. You might rush your tasks, daydream or wish that the clock would go faster just so you can get up and away from your uncomfortable seat.
So, having a good quality ergonomic chair is essential. Once upon a time, ergonomic chairs were bulky, ugly, unwieldy things that may have addressed comfort but did nothing for the aesthetics of the office space. Today things are different; there are so many different types of ergonomic chairs available that there is sure to be something somewhere that suits you. Here are some of our top picks:
- La-Z-Boy Delano Big & Tall Executive Chair
- Office Star FreeFlex Seat Adjustable Office Chair
- Allsteel Acuity
- Lack of decline functionality (but it’s more ergonomical anyway to sit upright)
- Not the cheapest of chairs
- Yamasoro Ergonomic High-Back Executive Chair
- Herman Miller Executive Aeron Task Chair
Even the name of this particular ergonomic chair is impressive; it’s one for the ‘big boss’ indeed. Don’t let that put you off using it anywhere else in the office though – it looks great no matter whose desk it sits behind. This is a tall, leather office chair that includes memory foam within its ergonomic design – no wonder it’s one of the most comfortable chairs on the market. It comes in a gorgeous dark brown colour and includes layered body pillows to give support in exactly the right places. As for the seat, there are a massive five layers of memory foam on there, and that coupled with the waterfall design means that your legs will get proper circulation.
For amazing value, the Office Star FreeFlex is hard to beat. Unlike some other cheaper ergonomic chairs, it really does do what it is supposed to as it offers the perfect support to the right places. It’s an adjustable chair so if you are responsible for buying office furniture for your company, you can buy these in bulk because they will work for everyone. This is one of the typical mesh backed ergonomic chairs which is ideal for both breathability and lumbar support, and thanks to the sliding adjustment on the seat, no one should end up being uncomfortable at the end of the working day.
This chair is attractive for both its ergonomical and aesthetic appearance. If you suffer from severe back problems, there are controls on the side of the chair meaning you don’t have to reach down and adjust your chair using a lever. However, drawbacks include:
This chair is a cleverly designed one. Taking a spring-based mattress as inspiration, this chair also incorporates springs into its design – they’re right in the seat. These springs are combined with foam to make certain that anyone choosing to use this chair can stay in one place with no ill effects for as long as they need to (although don’t forget it’s actually important to get up and move around every hour or so). For versatility, the armrests can tilt out of the way so the chair can be used in its most comfortable and whatever the user’s preference.
For top level looks and superb comfort, look no further than the Herman Miller Executive Aeron Task Chair. Yes, it’s pricey, but it is also one of the finest ergonomic office chairs out there – thanks to a lot of research and a fair amount of science. The engineering that has gone into this chair is astounding, and you’ll notice the difference as soon as you sit on it. With a Pellicle seat and backrest (allowing for optimum breathability), plus a Kinemat tilt system and PostureFit mechanism (meaning that every part of your body can be perfectly aligned and super comfortable), if you need to push your productivity up a notch, this is certainly the way to do it.
