How to choose an office chair: Complete Office Chair Guide
Types of office chairs
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The swivel chair - thanks to a special swivel mechanism it can rotate 360 ° around its axis. Has wheels that facilitate the movement of the chair. It occurs in two versions:
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director's chair - the most comfortable and spectacular-looking furniture product made of expensive materials and having a large number of adjustments. The chair is equipped with a swing mechanism, which allows you to swing in different directions (for rest and relaxation). The seat and back provide a comfortable fit;
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armchair for staff - a simpler and cheaper option: there is no headrest and often - armrests. This chair has a mechanism for adjusting the height of the back, which helps to adjust it for the growth of a particular employee.
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Conference chair - usually does not have wheels and adjustments, which means it will not be suitable for a long use. Best choice for conference halls (seminars, meetings, negotiations). This chair is much cheaper than a swivel chair and can be stacked, which saves a lot of space in the office.
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Visitors chair- there can be a different level of comfort: from a usual office chair to a very comfortable armchair. But in any case, this chair does not have adjustments and is intended for short-term sitting.
Frame of office chair
Frame of the swivel chair often stays on the crosspiece with rollers (most often with 5 rollers), which not only ensures the stability of the chair, but also allows it to move in any direction and rotate around its axis. Less is the risk of wheel breakage. This variant of the foundation is found most often (it is used in turning chairs).
Important: more rollers and support “beams” in the crosspiece, the more stable will be the chair.
Conference chair frame - is manufactured in the form of a rectangular frame on four separate legs. An armchair with such a base (a conference chair, for guests) does not have wheels, which means it can not move.
Fixed swivel base - stand without wheels, ensuring the rotation of the chair. Such a base is used in some visitor seats.
Adjustments
From the quantity and nature of the adjustments the comfortableness of the chair directly depends - the most comfortable models have a large number of various functions.
There are two parameters of comfort - passive and active.
Passive - is provided without any special mechanisms:
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armrest adjustment - in some chairs the position of armrests can be adjusted vertically (height) or horizontal reach - this relieves the load from the muscles of the shoulders, neck and back;
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thick padding of the back and seat - provides a comfortable fit and optimal distribution of the load on the chair;
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thick padding of bend at the front edge of the seat - prevents the squeezing of the legs in the area of the knees.
Important: adjust the armrest in such a way that the angle of bending in the ulnar region is approximately 90°.
Active - is achieved through special mechanisms:
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Standard - seat height adjustment, which allows you to adjust the chair for any person's growth (gas lift);
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Swivel mechanism - allows you to freely swing in the chair, change the strength of the deflection of the backrest and seat, depending on the weight of the user. In addition, you can fix the inclination of the backrest and seat in the desired position;
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The mechanism of adjusting the depth of the seat ("Slider") - allows you to change the depth of the seat. Such adjustment is useful for people of large build;
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Mechanism with permanent contact - allows you to change the height of the backrest and the depth of the seat. The mechanism ensures a tight contact of the backrest with the user's back during any movement (including swinging);
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"Freelock" mechanism - allows you to change the angle of the backrest by means of a lever and fix it in the set position. The number of such positions is not limited;
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"FreeStyle" mechanism - provides continuous swing with regulation of the deflection force. The back of the chair fits snugly against the user's back and supports his spine;
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The mechanism of synchronous deviation ("Synchro-mechanism") - allows free rocking, and also changes the angle of inclination of the seat along with the change in the angle of inclination of the backrest, depending on the position of the user. This mechanism provides adjustment of the deflection force depending on the weight of the user and fixing the chair in five positions. The function "antishock" is present.
Important: a guide for correct adjustment of the height of the seat - the user's feet should completely stand on the floor, and the bent legs make an angle of 90°.
The height of the backrest is regulated as follows: the backrest should be a comfortable support for the back, and its convex part in the lumbar region - it is good to support the spine.
The depth of the seat must be at least 2/3-2/4 of the length of the hip. If this parameter is greater, there may be problems with blood circulation, and if less, you may feel discomfort and even slip off the chair.
It is worth paying attention to the function of adjusting the angle of the backrest - the chair adjusts to any back (this is important, since the back of the chair acts as a support for the back of the person and takes the most of the load).
The angle of the backrest in relation to the seat of the staff chair should be 90°: this is the best balance between relaxation and working condition of the employee. In more comfortable models intended for the manager, this parameter will be higher, but in reasonable limits, since it is hardly possible to work in the "reclining" position.
Choosing this or that variant of adjustments of an armchair, it is necessary to start with duration of the working day:
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Up to 2 hours - seat height adjustment;
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Up to 4 hours - adjustable seat height, height and backrest angle adjustment, seat depths (Freelock, FreeStyle, Permanent contact for personnel, Swing mechanism for the manager);
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Over 4 hours - free swing function, back and seat deflection force adjustment, antishock effect, synchronous backrest and seat function, permanent contact mechanism (Multi-Block, Synchromechanism).
Important: It should be remembered that a large number of adjustments and functions increase the cost of the chair. In addition, due to the complexity of the design, the strength and reliability of the model will be reduced.
Material
Frame
Frame of the chair should made of metal and/or plastic; armrests and backrests are often made of metal with plastic coating.
As a decorative finishing material, a tree can also be used, for example, for armrests. However, wood, unlike metal or plastic, is sensitive to scratches and other mechanical damages.
Filler
Foam - cheap and "breathing", but short-lived material. The density of foam in quality chairs should be at least 25-40 kg / m square.
Polyurethane foam is resistant to wear and durable, but more expensive material. Polyurethane foam advantageously differs from foam rubber in that it is a single unit, and does not consist of several blocks, which excludes the possibility of saving on its thickness or density.
Upholstery
Synthetic fabric - relatively inexpensive, sufficiently durable, wear resistant material. Synthetics does not accumulate static electricity, it is resistant to the appearance of "pellets". Such material "breathes well" and allows realizing any practical design solutions, but it looks unpresentable.
Synthetic fabric is often used for upholstering conference chairs, visitor chairs, staff chairs.
Leather is an elite expensive material with a number of advantages: ecological compatibility, high strength and wear resistance, hypoallergenicity. Good leather upholstery gives the chair a wonderful look. Usually this material is used in chairs intended for the head.
Colour
The color of the seats should not only fit well into the interior of the office, but also be practical. Therefore, most often choose black, brown, dark blue, dark green, gray. Such colors tones mask dirt and minor defects. Upholstery of bright colors, for example, white, requires regular cleaning, otherwise the appearance of such an armchair will lose its presentability.
Quality
The office chair should be comfortable, safe and functional. Choosing an armchair, you need to sit on it and make sure its functionality. To assess the quality of the chair, carefully inspect and feel it, check the reliability of all mechanisms and adjustments. When examining the quality certificate, pay attention to the environmental friendliness of the materials used.
Components of a quality office chair:
- Eco-friendly and hygienic upholstery;
- Convenient adjustment mechanisms that make it easy to change seat height or backrest inclination;
- A shock absorber on the height adjustment mechanism to reduce the load when the seat height is sharply increased or decreased;
- Layer of high density foam with a padding on the sides of the seat - this is necessary for good fixation of the body in the chair;
- Smooth adjustment of the height of the armrests and backrest, depth of the seat.
Tips for choosing office chair
Office chairs require constant care and careful attitude when using (do not carry furniture over the backrest or armrests).
Armchairs made of leather or leatherette should not be placed near heaters and other sources of heat. These materials do not tolerate the effects of UV rays.
It is forbidden to stand on a chair, as it can break down. Do not use broken furniture, as this may result in injury.
- Remember that sharp objects, glue, paints, stationery, detergents (except for special compounds) can damage the upholstery of the chair.
- To prolong the life of the chair, do not swing or rotate it permanently: even the most reliable mechanisms with excessive load will quickly fail.
- Regular check of fastening of screws and their timely twisting will reduce the risk of breakage of the chair.
- In order for the rollers to move better, it is necessary to periodically clean them from dust and lubricate them.
- Synthetic fabric can be cleaned with soap or powder. It does not need to be treated with special compounds to maintain elasticity.
- Leather and leatherette may only be cleaned with special means, otherwise these materials may lose their color or stains may appear on them. Before applying the product, it is advisable to try it on a small area of the upholstery of the chair. Skin and leatherette need regular treatment with compounds that support their elasticity.
Other buying guides:
How to choose bedroom furniture
How to choose a perfect bed for your bedroom