Choosing The Perfect Office Chair

Choosing the right office chair for your individual needs is an integral part of everyday comfort in the office. Commonly, individuals will search out the most attractive chair possible, leaving comfort at the door. This in turn leaves you with a nice looking chair that sits like a rock. In this article we will discuss the benefits of several types of chairs that will keep you sitting comfortably all day long.

Ergonomics is a word we here quite often these days, and for good reason. It deals with the relationship between workers and their environment. When dealing with office chairs ergonomics is essential.

When purchasing an office chair ask yourself the following questions:

1.) What back height is right for me?

Typically if you are between 5' and 6' foot tall a mid-back office chair is the right choice for you. If you are over 6' I personally recommend a high back chair to support your taller frame.

2.)What weight capacity does the chair support?

Most commonly, office chairs support up to 300 lbs. However, big & tall chairs usually support up to 500 lbs. Most chairs are available in a big & tall version for a slight price increase. Buying a chair that supports your frame will ensure a long life for the chair. Typically big & tall chairs feature wider seats, backs, and arms as well.

3.)What fabric grade is the chair?

Some companies such as Lesro offer a variety of fabric grades to fit individual needs. Typically the higher the grade, the higher the price. Most online chair stores will be happy to send out samples of any fabric at no charge to you. Typically grade 1 or 2 fabrics are just fine for everyday use.

4.)What Ergonomic features does the chair have?

This is the most important aspect to consider when buying a chair.

Common features include:

TENSION ADJUSTMENT

Increase or decrease to match body weight. Allows you to rock comfortably, without heavy pushing, reducing muscle fatigue.

CHAIR TILT LOCK

Lock the tilt movement in position(s) to accommodate your working posture. Allows you to lock your chair in a comfortable and supportive position. (can be either single position or infinite style).

SEAT HEIGHT

Raise or lower to allow your feet to rest flat on the floor. Avoids pressure under your thighs, easing blood flow.

SEAT DEPTH

Change the depth of the seat to accommodate the length of your thighs. Keeps your back in contact with the backrest while avoiding pressure behind your knees.

FORWARD SEAT ANGLE

Allows chair to tilt forward changing the angle of your thighs in relation to the floor. Helps reduce disc pressure during forward leaning tasks.

ARM HEIGHT

Raise or lower to support your forearms. Reduces muscular effort in neck and shoulders, minimizing risk of pain.

WATERFALL SEAT EDGE

Reduces pressure at the back of the knee, contributing to good blood flow.

Safco Groove Task Chair 3477 Overview

Retro has returned with this dynamic chair of curvature which can best be described as Groovy! This Safco office chair offers an interesting design and shape for anyone seeking something different. The smooth oval, cross curving shape and frame offers a design that hugs the body's natural contours while adding a little flair to the office. The fully upholstered Groove Task Chair features a tilt lock mechanism, integrated PU arms and high profile casters. There's nothing like finding flair that fits.

Groove to the Safco beat with task seating perfect for any groovy adventure within a workspace. With a design that contours to your body for out of this world comfort you can easily sit through your day, or let guests have this seat of honor. Perfect for any workspace, shared spaces such as break rooms and training rooms, library, home office, trade show booth or in doctor's office reception area.

Tools Required: No
UPSable: Yes
Capacity - Weight: 250 lbs.
Meets Industry Standards: ANSI/BIFMA
Wheel / Caster Style: Dual Wheel Carpet Casters
Wheel / Caster Size: 2" dia.
GREENGUARD: Yes
Assembly Required: Yes
Color: Burgundy
Finished Product Dimensions: 26"w x 26"d x 34 1/2" to 40"h
Finished Product Weight: 33 lbs.
Chair Functionality Chair Functionality: Pneumatic Seat Height Adjustment, 360° Swivel, Knee Tilt, Tilt Tension, Tilt Lock
Seating Seat Size: 18 1/2"w x 18"d
Back Size: 17 1/2"w x 12 1/2"h
Seat Height: 18 1/2 to 24"
Base Size: 26" dia.
Fire Retardancy: CAL 117
Upholstery: 100% Polyester
Arms: Integrated

How To Avoid Un-Necessary Shipping Costs when Purchasing Office Furniture

Commonly, the most expensive hurdle to cover when purchasing office furniture is the cost of shipping. While there are many online office furniture dealers that offer free shipping, additional services including inside delivery, lift gate service, rural location, and others can cost you money. In this post we will cover some simple and easy methods to avoid these charges. After all, saving money is a good thing!

The first thing to consider after your office furniture purchase is shipment coordination. Commonly it will take any dealer a few days to receive, process, and hear from the manufacturer in regards to an estimated lead time for your products. If your facility has no dock, is in an upstairs office, and is located in a rural area. Additional shipping charges can arise. Upon receiving your tracking number, ask your office furniture provider what these costs are. Any friendly representative will help you out big time.

One tip that has saved many, is having a couple of able bodies available at the time of delivery. Most larger items are shipped knocked down or KD to help you avoid heavy lifting. This is a huge benefit when receiving items curbside and will save you money. Shipping companies don't normally advertise this info because they want you to purchase additional services.

For smaller items like office chairs, I always recommend taking the items off the truck yourself. Once the boxes are on the ground, open them. Typically most chairs will only require you to put the 5 star wheel base on. This takes all of about 5 minutes and you will be able to wheel your chairs inside, instead of carrying them. The common charge for inside delivery is about $100 - $150 depending on order size. A lift gate can run you another $100. By simply, placing the base on the chair outside you can wheel them in yourself and save your company big time!

Knowing your freight company is also an important factor in saving money. Items that ship UPS or FedEx are typically brought inside for you already. Ask your dealer to let you provide you with the freight company being used to see if they are offering any specials or shipping coupons on there website. Again, a little due diligence really pays dividends.

Overall, any good office furniture dealer will provide the shipping information to you as soon as possible. Our personal policy is to save customers as much time and money as we can, by eliminating un-necessary add-ons and shipping charges. Typically, we recommend these services for handicapped individuals, or elderly folks who truly require the assistance. At the end of the day, most customers do choose to carry items in themselves and thank us later for the money saved. Your average office furniture item weighs between 50 and 150 lbs. From desks to office chairs these items can be easily handled by one or two people. In this economy, save your money and use it for things that are truly necessities!

Three Tips for Maintaining Office Chairs

In today's world purchasing an ergonomic and supportive office chairs is quite important. Being productive at work is essential and spending some extra money on quality office chairs is a great investment. With all the talk about what chairs to purchase and what chairs offer the most ergonomic benefits, how do you maintain your investment?

Often we are asked by customers for some simple tips to practice, that will ensure a long life for there office chairs. After all, why spend all that money on a chair and not take proper care of it. That being said, I have formulated a list of three simple tips that will help to extend the life of any office chair.

Tip 1.) Fabric Maintenance

Approximately once a month it is important to perform basic fabric maintenance for your chair. Leather office chairs are easy to maintain and common car leather products will work great. Using simple leather cleaners on your chair will ensure that the leather doesn't crack or fade will age. Practicing this tip will keep your chair looking fabulous for much longer. For fabric chairs, using a mild carpet cleaner with no ammonia will be acceptable. There are office chair cleaners on the market that work well. However, using a soft brush or sponge and household carpet cleaner will work wonders. Pen marks, stains, and most other imperfections will be erased quickly with a quick scrub. Overall, the longer you leave a stain, the harder they are to remove so keeping a bottle of cleaner in a desk drawer is ideal.

Tip 2.) Caster Maintenance

When purchasing office chairs, most individuals never consider the type of casters that are on the chair. It is important to consider what type of surface you will be using your chair on predominantly. For carpet, go with carpet caster. For wood or tile floors, go with hardwood casters. If you have already purchased your chair, do not fear! Simple maintenance can extend the life and quality of your casters. Once a year, it is beneficial to remove the casters from the base to clean and oil them. Rotate the wheels a few times to clean any debris (paperclips, tacks, and food are the most common). Leaving these items in your chair wheel can cause rust and damage. While your casters are removed, oil the wheel stem and replace. This will help to ensure your chair base and caster rotate and glide easily.

Tip 3.) Pneumatic Cylinder Maintenance

This tip may sound daunting, however it is quite simple. The first step is to remove the seat from the lift cylinder. To do this, simply place one foot on the chair base and pull up from the seat or arms. Once removed, place a few drops of oil or wd40 on your cylinder. Once oiled, place your chair base back on the cylinder, press down, and then sit in your chair to ensure the base has seated properly with the cylinder. Finally, adjust your chair height a few times to spread the oil properly through the cylinder.

Hopefully, these simple tips will come in useful. If you have not serviced your chair in years, don't worry. It's never too late to start. Most chairs are built to last. However, they are not built to operate properly forever without basic preventative maintenance. Best of luck to you all!

Innovative Office Chairs by Ergo Office Seating

Ergo office seating is a new and relatively unknown brand. I recently had the privilege to sit in a few of these innovative chairs and I must say, impressed is an understatement.

First and foremost Ergo office seating produces a wide range of ergonomic office chairs including conference chairs, guest chairs, reception seating, and lounge furniture. Popular lines include the Monterey, Milan, Madrid, Florence, Capri, and Verona lounge chairs. These extremely comfortable office chairs feature quality ergonomic benefits like seat sliders, back angle, multi tilt, synchro tilt, knee tilt, back depth and much more. The majority of these features are standard on most models.

The chair I had the opportunity to try, was the EH6333A2 model Monterey executive chair. This ergonomic chair featured an eco leather seat and durable mesh back design. The first thing that caught my eye with this chair (other than the extremely low price tag of $461.00) were the arm handles. I was quite impressed at the accessibility to adjust the arm heights. Most chairs have buttons on the side of the arms that stick and are just not functional. Not this chair!

Secondly, upon sitting I noticed the ergonomic functions standard on the chair. These included:

2 to 1 synchro-tilt mechanism, 5 position tilt lock, Hand controls at the arm rest, Seat slider, Knee tilt, Adjustable lumbar support, Adjustable back pitch, Tilt tension control, Height adjustable pivoting arms, Pneumatic seat height adjustment, 60mm dual wheel casters, Molded foam black Eco leather (PU) upholstery seat, Elastomeric black mesh back, and Polished aluminum finish.

Did I mention these were the standard chair features??

In conclusion, I must say that of all the chairs I've set in recently, including high end Herman Miller and Global. This chair really held it's own. I can't wait to try out the Ergo Office Seating Florence series conference chairs this week. I will keep you guys informed. Thanks for stopping by!

Additional Chair Specs:

Overall 39 1/8" to 41 7/8"H x 25 1/4"W x 24 1/2" to 26 1/4"D
Seat height 17 3/4" to 21"
Seat depth 20" to 21 1/2"
Seat width 19 1/4"
Back height from seat 23 1/2"
Distance between arms 16" to 21"
Arm height from seat 6" to 8"
Cartoned chair weight 64 lbs.
Carton size 32 x 26 x 18

OFM Vinyl Posture Task Stool

Seat height adjusts instantly! Arm and back rest heights adjust, too. Built-in lumbar support and instant pitch adjustable back assures day-long comfort. The OFM vinyl posture task stool has adjustable height arms and the drafting kit adds height and a foot rest. The vinyl covering is easy to maintain in high-use environments. The anti-bacterial, anti-microbial vinyl covering is great for keeping rooms germ-free!

• 7 position adjustable height arms
• Built-in lumbar support
• Back support adjustment (tilts)
• Back height adjustment
• Gas lift seat height adjustment
• Molded polypropylene back
• Anti-bacterial, anti-microbial vinyl
• Drafting kit included
• 3" thick vinyl padded seat
• 250 lbs. weight capacity
• Meets or exceeds ANSI/BIFMA safety standards

Ergonomic Office Chair Features For You

Choosing the right office chair to meet your needs is much more about comfort than style these days. With so many brands on the market how do you choose the chair that will improve your day to day productivity the most? First, you have to understand the features that each chair offers! Commonly, today's ergonomic office chair manufacturers offer seating with standard features such as pneumatic seat height adjustment, tilt tension, adjustable arms, and more. Additional features like lumbar supports, and head rests will often cost more, but do provide a high level of comfort.

Several manufacturers like Mayline, OFM, Global Total Office, and Safco, offer a variety of affordable ergonomic chairs for individuals on a budget. In today's market a versatile ergonomic chair will cost anywhere from $300 to $700 dollars depending on manufacturers. Chairs with ergonomic add-on features can run up to well over $3000. In my opinion this is unnecessary unless you have a history of back pain or fatigue in the office.

In the long run, it's vital to test a variety of chairs before making your purchase. While one chair my cost significantly more than another, you may find it more comfortable. Choose your chair wisely and ensure that you speak with a professional to help determine the features that will most benefit you!

OFM Guest Chair 404-VAM

This contemporary guest chair has a waterfall seat and mushroom back design. The frame is constructed of sturdy round steel and comes with built-in arms. The anti-bacterial, anti-microbial vinyl covering is great for keeping rooms germ-free, and is easy to maintain in high-use environments!

Sturdy round steel tube frame
Anti-bacterial, anti-microbial vinyl covering
Waterfall seat
Mushroom back
Contemporary design
Comes with Arms
Stacks 4 high
250 lbs. weight capacity
Meets or exceeds ANSI/BIFMA safety standards
Available for quick ship

Dimensions:
Seat size: 21.5"W x 18.5"D
Back size: 21.5"W x 16.5"H
Seat height: 18"
Overall height: 33"
Overall width: 24"
Overall depth: 19"
Base size: 4 Legs

Shipping info:
Carton size: 30.7 X 11 X 20.5
Carton cube: 4
LTL ship weight: 24
LTL class: 125 / 080580-05
UPS ship weight: 33
Ships from NC: Y
Ships from West Coast: Y

Boss Leather Executive Chair B7906

Beautifully upholstered executive chair B7906 with ultra soft and durable Caressoft upholstery.
Executive Mid Back styling with extra lumbar support. Padded armrests covered with Caressoft upholstered.

Features:

Large 27" nylon base for greater stability.
Upright locking position.
Pneumatic gas lift seat height adjustment.
Adjustable tilt tension control.
Hooded double wheel casters.
Matching guest chair model (B7909).

Vue Mesh Back Chair by Safco

Vue™ life from a new perspective, one of comfort, performance and design. Vue chairs are the ultimate in task seating. With an adjustable headrest, the Executive High Back chair offers sculptured sophistication and superior performance enhanced with a stitched leather waterfall seat. The mesh back has ample support and ergonomic shaping to provide all day comfort and prevent fatigue. The breathability of the mesh keeps you cool and comfortable throughout the day . A syncro/tilt mechanism, with tilt lock and tilt tension controls only add to your comfort with easy access and simple adjustments. The Vue mesh back chair also provides pneumatic height-adjustment and height adjustable t-pad arms. Available in Black mesh with a Black stitched leather seat in an Executive High Back or Managerial Mid Back.

Offices To Go 11654B Leather Executive Chair

Offices To Go 11654B Leather Executive Chair

Features:

Attractive black Luxhide upholstery with mock leather trim
Single position tilt lock with tilt tension adjustment
Adjustable height arms
Headrest is adjustable for both angle and height
Pneumatic seat height adjustment
Polished aluminum base with twin wheel carpet casters

Safco Vue Mesh Back Office Chair

Vue™ life from a new perspective, one of comfort, performance and design. Vue office chairs are the ultimate in task seating. With an adjustable headrest, the Executive High Back chair offers sculptured sophistication and superior performance enhanced with a stitched leather waterfall seat. The mesh back has ample support and ergonomic shaping to provide all day comfort and prevent fatigue. The breathability of the mesh keeps you cool and comfortable throughout the day . A syncro/tilt mechanism, with tilt lock and tilt tension controls only add to your comfort with easy access and simple adjustments. The Vue chair also provides pneumatic height-adjustment and height adjustable t-pad arms. Available in Black mesh with a Black stitched leather seat in an Executive High Back or Managerial Mid Back.

Chair Works Mesh Back Chair 9826ZH MESH

Talk about a great office chair. The ChairWorks 9826ZH mesh back chair offers so many useful ergonomic functions for under $300.00. This just might be one of the best office chair deals around. Consider the features like knee tilt, gas lift, six way adjustable arms, polished aluminum base, tension control, and lumbar support. Then, find another chair with this level of comfort and modern style for under $500.00. In two words, not possible. Please take a minute to consider this chair if you are in the market.

Features List:

- High back mesh/fabric seat chair delivers full-
- body support
- Swivel/knee tilt mechanism with lock adjusts
- for individual comfort
- Adjustable tension control
- Mesh back with adjustable lumbar support
- Contoured seat cushion
- Polished aluminum base
- Six way adjustable arm
- Gas lift
- Rated for 350 lbs.
- Soft casters available
- GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified®

Your Office Chairs Could be Hurting You

Most of us spend an average of eight to nine hours per day sitting down. If this is the case for you, stop and take a moment to evaluate how your body feels while seated for extended periods. Do you feel an ache in your back? Do you feel a slight numbness in your lower thighs or buttocks? Do you experience lethargy as a result of sitting? These symptoms usually stem from restricted blood circulation.

Believe it or not, these symptoms are completely normal, and they're not good. They may well be caused by doing precisely what you're doing, sitting. New studies in the fields of molecular biology, bio mechanics, epidemiology, and physiology is gravitating toward a startling conclusion. Sitting could be a risk to your health. Sometimes exercise alone can't offset the effects of consistently poor body position.

The general public needs to understand that the mechanics of sitting down are completely different than that of standing.Physicians recently determined that people with obesity have a natural predisposition to be attracted to a seated position and to chairs in general. That's true even after obese people lose weight. Physicians indicate that even when you're standing or just walking around, you're employing specialized sets of muscles designed for supporting your posture. These special muscle groups never tire.

When you are in a seated position these muscle groups are relaxed and enzyme production drops by 90 to 95 percent, leaving fat to lie dormant in the bloodstream. After being seated for several hours, healthy cholesterol drops by twenty percent. Older people who are active have approximately one half the mortality rate of their peers who are inactive. Folks who regularly surf the web or watch television develop higher rates of obesity, hypertension, high triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol, and higher blood sugar regardless of their weight. On average, lean people stand for two hours per day or longer than their lesser active counterparts.

The chair you're currently seated in right now is more than likely contributing to the problem. For the most part you can't do much worse than sitting on a standard office chair. The spine wasn't meant to stay stationary for long periods of time when in a seated position. Using an easy to understand C or S shaped spinal analogy, it's easy to predict which of these shapes will collapse first when under duress. However, when you sit, the lower lumbar curve collapses, turning the spine's natural S shape into a C shape. This hinders abdominal and back muscles that support the body. The body is then left to assume a slumping position. As a result the lateral and oblique musculature weakens and is incapable of supporting body weight. This produces a chain reaction effecting the entire body.

You see, when you are sitting, you are supporting all of your weight through pelvis and spine. This puts pressure on the discs in your back. The chair industry produces an incredible volume of advertising which subsequently drives perceptions about what makes for a healthy and comfortable seated position. Generally speaking, perceptions regarding posture were formed in the sixties and seventies as complaints of back pain from employees started to be vocalized.

The primary problem, according to industry experts was the absence of lumbar support. Lumbar supports do not actually aid your spine. This perception has become deeply embedded in the mind of the general public but the perception is not based on actual experience.

Over the past 30 years, task chairs have more than tripled in sales, into more than a three million dollar market fueled by more than one hundred manufacturers. Some of the best selling US made chairs are ones that feature lumbar support. You may want to consider office chairs manufactured by OFM and Office Star. They boast most of the same ergonomic features as chairs up to 3 times the price.

Conventional thinking could be our biggest nemesis as relating to healthy posture because most buyers still prefer chairs that look like sporty chairs. Your chairs could be killing you, but it's more than likely your thinking and perception, which are advertising driven, that are ultimately the deadly culprit. Please consider important ergonomic features when shopping for your next office chair.

Groove Task Chair by Safco

Retro has returned with this dynamic chair of curvature which can best be described as Groovy! The Groove Chair offers an interesting design and shape for anyone seeking something different. The smooth oval, cross curving shape and frame offers a design that hugs the body's natural contours while adding a little flair to the office. The fully upholstered Groove Task Chair features a tilt lock mechanism, integrated PU arms and high profile casters. There's nothing like finding flair that fits.

Offices To Go 11657B Mesh Back Managers Chair

Attractive, supportive breathable black mesh back and fabric seat. The Offices To Go 11657B mesh back chair has it all. The quality ergonomic features this chair provides along with the highly polished chrome arms and padded armrests (armrests can be removed at user's discretion to achieve a fully polished look)make this office chair the perfect fit for any office environment. All this with an economical price point of $159.99 What more could you ask for?

Chair Features:

Polished aluminum base with twin wheel carpet casters
Pneumatic seat height adjustment
Single position tilt lock with tilt tension adjustment

Web Task Chair B580 by Boss Office Products

The Boss Web Chair is upholstered with a unique "Web" mesh material which allows air to pass through, adding to long-term comfort by preventing body heat and moisture build up.

The "Web" back distributes weight evenly, and provides the perfect level of back support by conforming to each individual's back shape.

As with any fabric material, the "web" mesh will stretch and loosen the tension over extended periods of usage. That's why Boss has invented the patented "Web Tension Knob". This knob (located underneath the seat) allows the user to tighten or loosen the tension of the mesh material with a few simple twists. This is a unique feature you will find only on the Boss Web Chair.

The seat surface and the outer back areas are upholstered with genuine LeatherPlus. The Web chair also features quality ergonomic features designed to keep you working comfortably all day.

Vulcan Ergonomic Office Chair 3801-4 by Global

The Vulcan series office chairs offer a fresh, European edge for today's contemporary office setting. The 3801-4 office chair features modern styling with extremely functional ergonomic features. Take for example the fully adjustable seat and back. The Vulcan chair will allow your to move virtually any piece of the chair to improve your posture and comfort at work. This quality office chair is upholstered in durable and attractive grade 3 fabric excellent for everyday use. The Vulcan features concave-shaped arms for enhanced comfort. When it comes to ergonomic office chairs the Vulcan is a perfect solution.

Chair Dimensions:
25 1/2w x 24d x 40 1/2h

Lab Stool 3430BL by Safco

Durable yet extremely easy to clean, this comfortable, long-wearing vinyl upholstered lab stool with generously cushioned seat and back is perfect for any environment, but works wonders in medical, laboratory and educational settings. It features a 5" pneumatic seat height adjustment with manually adjustable back height and depth. Stable 5-star base with 2" swivel casters. Some assembly required. Consider this stool and you won't be disappointed.

Offices To Go 11690B Mesh Executive Chair

Modern mesh back chairs greatly enhance your office space, and nothing is better than a quality chair at a great price. This Offices To Go executive mesh back chair offers all of the modern style that has become increasingly popular along with excellent ergonomic features to keep you comfortable all day at work. The 11690B chair is the perfect solution for your home or business seating needs.

Chair Features:

Soft mesh fabric back with breathable mesh fabric seat
Integral headrest with pivot and up and down adjustment
Attractive titanium finish
Synchro knee tilt chair control with multi-position tilt lock
Pneumatic seat height adjustment
Height adjustable arms with polyurethane armrests
Black scuff resistant tips on chair base
Twin wheel carpet casters
Adjustable lumbar support