Ergonomic office chairs for back; 9 Tips before buy

Ergonomic chairs to protect the back

Many times we write about what happens to us in life daily with the intention of learning. This time we have a colleague who suffers from lumbar problems and we we have proposed to buy an ergonomic chair for the office , one of those that provide virtues and benefits to have a comfort ten when you feel.

And here comes the problem, because when you ask about ergonomic chairs to protect your back , comes an avalanche of information like crazy with hundreds of options (operative, collective, rotating, direction, desk, etc) to buy a seat comfortable .

After asking in several stores, from Ofisillas they have given us the keys to why we should buy chairs office supplies are good for the back . They tell us…

“Normally, between 60 and 70% of the furniture in offices is ergonomically unsuitable. One has to consider What depends on the position adopted by a person at your workplace?»

posture taken on a seat in the office

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Which lumbar problems come from the chairs?

We spend 8 to 10 hours in front of the computer. Yeah multiply by our entire working life, there are many hours sitting. But... What postulating risks will we have in the office? They originate mainly from two causes:

In both cases, there is a direct relationship between the postural problems and their causes due to; the furniture, the organization of the environment and work. And if it's not clear, Well, we have the perfect scheme:

risks in the application office

Given the possible injuries, now it's time to see... What What characteristics should an ergonomic chair have?

Tips for buying a chair that protects the back

You have to prevent, it is the main health advice, it is say, sit well . And as a reminder, the Back problems don't come when you're young, they come with advanced ages and here the remedy no longer works. so take note the following tips for buy office chair healthy.

1.- Always opt for a design of ergonomic seat

When you ask yourself… How should the design of an office chair? The quick answer is "comfortable." But ergonomics and comfort are actually two different concepts, although linked.

When we talk about a « comfortable chair », it is not going to reduce our pain, what's more, so that we DO NOT change our posture for many hours. And there, according to the experts, it is where the most ailments occur musculoskeletal.

correct sitting position

How do you know if a chair is comfortable for you? me? .. If the angles of your hips, knees, and ankles are not comfortably at 90º, then the chair is too high or too low. all your joints they should stay at 90 degrees.

The study of ergonomics in a chair allows the worker to suffer the fewer sequelae possible when sitting and running its job.

The quality chairs are covered by studies ergonomics certificates to prevent occupational diseases (In Spain, a well-known certifying entity is the Institute of Biomechanics of Valencia).

2.- You must look at how long you are going to sitting down

At first glance this may seem silly, and in Actually, in many cases we don't know. But what we can recognize is that the manufacturers approve the chairs for the hours we are going to be sitting down .

approved chairs to sit on

Lots of computer chairs or computer chairs Gaming are only approved for daily use of 4 hours, in instead of the 8 that are normally assigned to offices – agencies.

An ergonomic chair serves to prevent occupational diseases , but also, we should exercise the muscles throughout the day.

It is recommended that at least every 2 hours we get up and let's stretch (back, neck, legs and arms) to prevent muscle overload and numbness of the legs due to a lack of blood circulation.

Don't forget to ask about the weight it supports. The quality ones, They are approved for specific weights according to the manufacturer! important topic!

3.- A good backrest in the chair is health

Supporting the back is the main goal of many ergonomic chairs, but What makes a chair good in terms of back support?

Ideally, the job seat should do a couple of things to prevent neck problems:

As we see in the image, with these adjustable mechanisms we obtain ergonomic chairs to prevent problems cervical .

lumbar support is essential to prevent slouching and minimize the load on the back. with this on mind, in addition, the back of an office chair ideal ergonomic has between 30 cm and 50 cm of width .

From a technical aspect, the maximum pressure on the back is the one most related to the appearance of compromise problems. discomfort , since maximum pressures higher than 40 KPa causes discomfort for most users. By For example, we leave an analysis of an approved backup:

As we see in the table on the back, it can be seen that the seat provides a support surface for the user with pressures maximums that do not exceed the limit of 40 kPa. It is considered that Are office chairs suitable for people with back problems .

lumbar cushion for chairs

Is the lumbar cushion useful for something in a chair? It is used to prevent hernias disks and rest the vertebral discs.

However, according to the experts, each case is different: there are people who have vertical hyperordosis and will need it, but other users, for example, who have a rectification of column, they won't need it.

If you're not sure you need it, don't use it and consult the relevant doctor. He is the one who can best advise!

4.- Adjustable arms yes important

We know, a chair without arms is cheaper and in Actually, we hardly use them. But are they necessary armrests in the chairs office?

The function of the armrest is so that the extremities rest and we can change posture throughout the day, support us to get up and release tensions from the back when supporting us.

At least we should have the regulation in height , although currently the chairs are marketed Adjustable arms according to the different movements. By example:

We can find them in different materials, although the The most common are polypropylene or aluminum in the highest range. high.

5.- Look for a seat that has horizontal movement and are curved

chair seat movement

The displacement of the seat horizontally serves to adapt the base both to the backrest and to the position of the knees. The cascading finished seats (curve down in the part of the knees) prevents the feeling from catching you behind the knees.

The tray where we sit should be soft and contoured so that it does not cause compression in the buttocks and thighs.

For those of higher range, others are provided comfort systems that will benefit health in the chair. For example, we can see the following scheme where already enter seats with air chamber, which have slats flexible or even rocking seats:

We emphasize again, if you have a large body mass or some extra kilo in weight, you have to ask what kind of chair is appropriate. There are limits on weight and manufacturers they clearly designate it on the label.

6.- It must have regulation in height

Virtually all seats, armchairs and armchairs that we find in the market and are intended for work, has a height adjustment to make them match with the furniture of the office or the workplace respective.

This aspect is required, so the cheap chairs without height adjustment are not good for health . They do not allow to adopt the position correct!… What height of the work plane is would you recommend for my job?

height of work plane

chair height adjustment

The height adjustment of the seat is done through a gas pump. The measurements, although they depend on the manufacturer, Normally the regulation starts at 42 cm and ends at 53 cm.

Remember that if you are very tall, ask to see the options available and what would be the best seat to fit adopt at your height.

7.- Do not ignore the upholstery

In all cases, in the choice of upholstery, it has its advantages and disadvantages. The upholstery of a chair office should be breathable, hypoallergenic, not slip-resistant, lightweight and designed to withstand use , both for the backrest and the seat.

When we are going to choose a chair they will tell us what type of upholstery we want ; from natural leather, leatherette - leather synthetic, polypropylene, fabric with different finishes technicians or the backs of chairs with mesh.

office chair colors

Choosing the ideal materials and fabrics is not usually a problem a priori (Normally we end up choosing according to decoration and price) and highlighting that technological fabrics provided by manufacturers today have excellent qualities at consistent prices.

If you ask us Which is the best upholstered? … Directly natural leather. Has comfort, resistance and favors perspiration. Against, the high price.

8.- Be careful with the feet of the chair.

The base must have stability and be resistant. Beware of the chairs that have 4 feet (they are the very cheap ones). An office chair that maintains stability you will need 5 feet of support . Write it down!

As for the finish, we can choose from a variety considerable, both in materials and colors. For example, the most common types of chair finishes they are:

types of base office chairs

The chair must have a stable constitution, we all tend to to lean more to one side than the other, and the seats that lean to one side or the other according to our weight, this could generate back pain by generating a curvature of the spine (Scoliotic positions).

9.- That it has wheels

It is also one of the basic aspects and that practically all manufacturers provide it. Although the market does offers us a few different types of wheels according to the needs of the chair or to avoid displacement involuntary from the chair.

For example, the types of wheels for most common chairs are:

types of casters for chairs

We've gone over all the features you should have a chair so we can feel good in our job. Remember that health is ours and preventing possible injuries is not an option, it is an obligation if we want to have a dignified future.

Summary What should you look for in a chair? quality ergonomics?

As a reminder we leave this video summary of the house Space dedicated to the theme with useful advice.

An ergonomic chair costs money! simple! We are buying "health" to prevent possible back injuries, so buy wisely knowing that you will spend many hours.

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