Tuesday, 17 January 2012

Ergonomic Office Chairs: There’s a Reason a Top Model Costs Much

I bet your parents, just like mine, didn’t sit too much at a desk during their 9 to 5 workday as we do now. Also they didn’t sit in front of a computer when they got home. Habits have changed and now normal adults and teenagers spend at least 10 hours sitting at a desk each day.

That’s ought to build up health problems (especially back pain) related to our sedentary posture and sooner rather than latter we’ll have to deal with computer health related issues. I’m not saying we should throw away our computers and return to the life our ancestors had, but with a little bit of exercise every day and with the use of an ergonomic office chair we can postpone the health effects on our body of sitting on a chair all day long.

Before we get to the list of our ergonomic chairs recommendations let’s take a short break and see what an ergonomic office chair really is, and how is it different from your typical table chair. The focus here is on ergonomics and the ability of the office chair to support the lower back and promote a good sitting posture. It’s good to know that a chair can be called ergonomic only when it specifically suits a person’s body size, so in case you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars to build a custom made ergonomic office chair I suggest you get one with as many adjustment options as possible, so you can tweak it until you’re satisfied with your sitting position and you actually feel rested when you finish the work day, and not feel like you were hit by a train.

Here are the things that you should research a little bit before you start your quest for picking the best ergonomic office chair for your needs and ultimately budget, as you’ll see below the best models cost quite a bit, but if you compare that to the cost of physiotherapy when you’ll be 40 I bet you won’t look at an ergonomic chair again as an expense, but rather as a long term investment. Here’s the criteria to seek:

Seat height – adjustable height is mandatory to allow your feet to rest on the ground (not hang in the air), your thighs horizontal and arms at the same level with the deskSeat width and depth – it’s clear the seat must accommodate your size (width wise), plus you need to make sure the depth of the seat isn’t too big and there’s some space between the back of your knees and the seat of the ergonomic chairLumbar support – This is one of the most overlooked criteria when picking an ergonomic chair for home and office use.  A human lumbar spine features an inward curve, and sitting for long periods of time without lumbar support (depth and height) leads to slouching and strains the structures in the lower spine area. You mush ensure lumbar support is supported with sufficient adjustment rangeBackrest – look for a wide enough backrest that can be adjusted in height and angle so that it matches your back spine size and angle. The lumbar support mentioned earlier is found in the backrest, but often regarded as  a separate featureSeat material – Look for enough padding so that your body feels comfortable. Also a cloth based material is preferable since it breaths easier than a hard surface like leather (you’ll sweat a lot in leather in summer and feel cold in the winter). Avoid wood chairs at all costs; they’re a real torture for your bodyStability - Make sure at least a five-point base is used to support the ergonomic chair on the floor

As you can see from above an ergonomic office chair is a pretty complex device and depending on the research and technology found in it you could be spending anywhere from $50 to $1000 and sometimes even more. I know it seems much, but trust me, they’re worth every penny since we’re talking about health issues here when using inadequate chairs for longer periods of time. Think of the city bus chairs: you wouldn’t want to spend 8 hours a day in one, do you?

That’s why the models of ergonomic chairs for office use listed below are among the best you can find, with high quality materials and tons of adjustment and customization options. Simply put: they’re the best ergonomic chairs I know. If you don’t feel like spending so much on them follow the rules from above closely and I’m sure you can find a more affordable ergonomic chair at your local store, but be aware you’re usually getting what you pay for.

The Alera – EQ Series Ergonomic Mesh Chair is an office chair built of breathable black mesh, but also soft polyurethane, for the arm rest. These two have been carefully put on an aluminum frame. The first result is good looks, the second: the chair is environment friendly, 36% of the materials used to build it are recyclable.

As any respectful waterfall seat, the Alera – EQ Series Ergonomic Mesh Chair increases the blood circulation and reduces the pressure on your knees. It provides customizable options that enhance the user’s comfort and health, such as the arm rests height of the chair, the head rest.

Alera - EQ Series Ergonomic Mesh Chair Alera - EQ Series Ergonomic Mesh Chair

In terms of performance, the Alera – EQ Series Ergonomic Mesh Chair meets or even exceeds the BIFMA/ANSI standards and that is a firm guarantee for its quality.

Get it from here – Read our presentation

The Alera – EQ Series Ergonomic Mesh Chair is listed at the price of 700 US dollars. Although this particular amount of money isn’t exactly small, the Alera – EQ Series Ergonomic Mesh Chair is the more accessible version of an already famous office chair. Is it a good deal? Well, the looks and the comfort that the chair provide are irreproachable, so I would call it a good deal.

The Playseat Elite Office Gaming Chair is an interesting combination between an office chair and a gaming chair that targets, mostly, the young executives that divide their passion between work and gaming.

The Playseat Elite Office Gaming Chair is made of synthetic leather seat and underneath, there is strong steel frame. The set of customizable option includes: the arm rests, the height of the seat. The gaming compatibility is limited at: Playstation2, Playstation3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii Gaming Consoles and PC’s, as well as a significant part of electronic steering wheel and pedal sets available in stores or online.

Playseat Elite Office Gaming Chair Playseat Elite Office Gaming Chair

In terms of performances, the Playseat Elite Office Gaming Chair has two accomplish successfully tasks like: to provide good ergonomics as well as good gaming compatibilities and, nevertheless, to be able to convert easily from an office chair into a playing seat. The good thing is that this ‘’hybrid’’ chair delivers, but a small annoyance could be the price.

Buy from here – Read our article

The Playseat Elite Office Gaming Chair is listed at the price of almost 700 US dollars. It is not the cheapest office chair, but it is comfortable and extravagant. Unless, you consider the cost of the seat a little bit spiced up, it is worth a try!

One of the most interesting things about the Bungie Executive Office Chair is the design. It has touches of extravaganza, which is somehow pleasant. But, let’s get more into the basic information!

The Bungie Executive Office Chair is an office seat built on an aluminum coated frame with horizontal bungee cords. An interesting detail is the height adjustment of the chair that it is based on gas lift system. For enhanced comfort, a syncro-tilt mechanism is provided and if mobility is your main concern, you should probably know that the Bungie Executive Office Chair is a swivel seat.

Bungie Executive Office Chair Bungie Executive Office Chair

In terms of performances, the Bungie Executive Office Chair is most certainly a very good looking piece of furniture. Unfortunately, this seat is not made for long hours of work and it becomes uncomfortable after approximately six or sevel hours, so take short walks from time to time and you’ll be fine.

Buy from here – Read our article

The Bungie Executive Office Chair listed at the price of almost 280 US dollars. What you get for this money is a good looking office chair, but not the most comfortable one. However, the price of the set is more than a correct one, so it provides good money value. I would call it a great budget deal!

Built of recycled materials and recyclable almost entirely (94%), the Executive Aeron ergonomic Chair is basically made to offer a support for the spine, the thighs and the legs. How does it do it? Well, it takes the pressure off the lower part of your spine and your thighs. What happens next is that your blood flow increases and the effect becomes noticeable when the stress that you are submitted to has no longer has the same negative effect on your body. The Executive Aeron ergonomic Chair does not rely on foam to comfort your body, but on syncro-tilt mechanisms, a design that was given a lot of thought.

Executive Aeron Chair by Herman Miller Executive Aeron Chair by Herman Miller

All these make of this office chair the best one money can buy. The proof of that is the Executive Aeron ergonomic Chair is part of the permanent collection of the Museum Of Modern Arts. Why? The decision was made based on its efficiency and, nevertheless, because of the way this chair looks.

Buy from here – Read our article

The price of the Executive Aeron ergonomic Chair is listed at 1,171.00 US dollars. Even though it doesn’t look cheap, this is somehow a rather small amount of money to pay for a chair that made history of art. Oh, and it’s configurable from well below 1000 bucks to well over. You can configure every aspect of the Aeron chair. This is the ultimate ergonomic office chair, and I’m not the only one saying that.


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