How to Select the Office Chair That’s Right For You
Not all office chairs are right for all people. I asked an ergonomist how to select the right office chair for your budget, height, and physique.
The more average your build, the easier it will be to find a lower-cost chair that’s suitable. In the $200 range, you mostly just hope your body is the right size for the chair, not vice versa. The Staples Dexley (6/10, WIRED Reviewed), WIRED’s lowest-cost recommended chair, is a mesh chair with a seat depth of a little more than 18 inches—workable for people between about 5'4" and 5'10". The warranty is five years, and I wouldn’t assume it’ll last much longer than this.
Starting at around $500, you can find chairs that truly mold to your shape, with adjustable lumbar support and seat depth. My recommendation for most people and budgets is the Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro ($499), because it’s highly adjustable while also remaining affordable and comfortable, with a seven-year warranty. Over two years of testing, the worst wear we've seen is a little fabric pilling on the seat.
What Is Proper Ergonomic Posture?
The holy ergonomic grail for office chairs is to allow you to maintain proper posture for long work sessions. Strictly speaking, this means that your back is straight and fully supported by your chair. Your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your feet are flat on the floor. Your arms hang naturally at keyboard height, with your hands happily on the keyboard.
People are different sizes and proportions, so your chair often has to adjust a lot to accommodate this. Check below for how to make sure your chair's seat height and seat depth are right for you.
Does Your Office Chair Need Lumbar Support?
Your spine has a natural S-shaped curve. While a flat-backed chair supports your shoulders, it leaves your lower back to fend for itself and then complain loudly about it. If you're stuck sitting for more than a couple of hours, lumbar support allows the chair to mold to the snakey shape of your back.
“When you're sitting in a forward, hunched position and don't have that curve in your lower back, it increases the forces on the discs in your lower back, definitely resulting in discomfort,” Egbert told WIRED last year.
Look for lumbar support that’s adjustable both vertically and horizontally, so that it conforms better to your back’s individual curves. The Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro is among the most affordable chairs I've seen with two-way-adjustable lumbar support.
Originally published on Wired
