Ergonomics is the most important aspect of an office/gaming chair. Over the past few decades, office chairs have steadily improved in terms of design, flexibility, and of course, ergonomics.
But, you might be wondering if you should sacrifice some of the basic conveniences, such as being able to fit your chair’s under your desk, for those added benefits.
Should chair arms fit under desk? The Office Chair’s arm should fit under the desk if the chair has a height-adjustable armrest. To sit in an ergonomic position, office chair arms should be at the same level as a workspace such as a desk.
You can achieve a truly ergonomic seating position with your office chair if you can take full advantage of the armrests. Keep reading in order to get more in-depth knowledge about how this works.
Should Office Chair Arms Fit Under Desk?
Most of the office chairs in the market nowadays come with height adjustable armrests, which is a wonderful feature in our opinion. Having armrests on your office chair is a healthy option as it lets the user relax working on a computer the whole day.
Furthermore, most office chairs provide the user with the ability to adjust the height of the armrests.
However, some argue that keeping the chair slightly away from the desk prevents you from getting close to the desk, making you crouch forward while working.
This will cause strain on your back, neck, and shoulders. That’s why you should use an office chair whose armrests can fit under the desk to get closer to your desk.
In this case, the height of the chair plays a vital role in making sure this setting becomes possible to implement.
The ideal height of your chair’s armrests should be high enough so that you can be at the same level as the desk and it also has to be low enough that it can go under your desk if necessary.
We suggest you take the proper measurements of your desk before buying the office chair. For instance, if your desk has a height of 30-inches, then you should buy a chair whose height can be adjusted from 28-inches up to 32-inches.
This way you’ll be able to make sure the arms of the chair can fit under the desk when needed.
What About Chairs That Don’t Fit Under the Desk?
Office chairs that have adjustable armrests are extremely convenient for office workers. They can just rotate the armrests of the chairs and slide them into a position that’s ideal for their individual needs.
Furthermore, you can easily adjust the height and width of the armrests as you please. However, some chairs in the market may not fit under your desk. But that’s not the fault of the chair.
Whether you can fit a chair under your desk depends on several factors. If the height of the desk is a bit low, then you may not be able to fit your chair under it.
Moreover, there might be electronic devices, wires, or other stuff under the desk that prevent you from fitting the chair under the desk.
In order to protect yourself from facing such a situation, you need to measure your desk’s height and figure out all the requirements that you need to find the ideal office chair.
Why Should Arms Be Level with Desk?
Ideally, you need to keep your forearms supported with the armrests of your office chair while you use your mouse. When you’re typing, you need to have your elbows at the same level as your keyboard.
This is only possible if you have your armrests at the same level as the desk. That’s the reason why the arms of your chair should be at the same level as the desk.
What Height Should Your Armrest Be?
It’s ideal to have the armrests of your office chair be at the same height as the point at which your elbows bend.
A good way to determine the perfect position of the armrests is to see if the armrests lie just below your elbows when you keep your hands on your lap.
You should also make sure the armrests are at a height that’s level with your desk and they can go under the desk if needed.
Office Chairs with Different Types of Armrests
1D Armrest:
This type of chair has armrests that can only be adjusted in one direction. And that is the height of the armrests. You cannot adjust any other aspects of these armrests.
Typically, this type of chair has extra padded armrests and you can adjust their height for around 10 centimeters.
2D Armrest:
As the name suggests, 2D armrests are adjustable in two directions. If you have an office chair that features 2D armrests, then you’ll be able to adjust its height from around 8 centimeters.
And that’s not all. You’ll also be able to rotate the armrests of such a chair around their axis. Typically, this type of armrest has slight padding and they are slightly curved around the sides in order to provide extra support and comfort.
3D Armrest:
This type of chair features armrests that have adjustable height, width as well as pivot. The adjustable pivot allows you to tilt the armrests inwards or outwards based on your preference and comfort.
These chairs have better ergonomics and the 3D armrests provide support to your upper back.
4D Armrest:
The 4D armrests are adjustable in four different directions. You can adjust their height from around 8 centimeters. You can move them forwards or backward and you can also move their left or right.
Furthermore, you can rotate them around the axis in order to position them into the position that you’re comfortable with.
Final Thoughts
Did you know that traditionally armrests were not even recommended for office chairs? The reason for that was, people thought, armrests would prevent the users from getting close to the desk, thus making it hard for him/her to work.
But, after going through our article, it should be clear to you that armrests won’t necessarily prevent you from getting close to your desk, as they can easily fit under the desk if you’ve purchased the ideal office chair.
Also Read
Are Chairs Without Arms Comfortable?
Office Chair with Vs without Arms: Which one is Better?
Do Pro Gamers and Esports Players Use Armrests? (With 8 Real Examples)
