I have many friends and family who have desk jobs, and they spend more than 8 hours sitting regularly, so I did extensive research to understand it better and learn precisely what type of chair can be best for office work.
So, What type of chair is best for office work? The best type of chair for office work is definitely an ergonomic chair. Ergonomic office chairs improve productivity and comfort while working at the office for prolonged hours. Ergonomic office chairs also minimize the chance of developing back pain in the long run.
Continue reading to get more information, techniques, and tips regarding this topic. I will explain why an ergonomic office chair is the best type of office chair for office work. So, let’s start without further ado.
Why Ergonomic Chair?
According to a research Article from the U.P University of Medical Sciences, sitting for more than seven hours per day can lead to various physical and mental issues. [Source]
That’s why people who have desk jobs like me get ergonomic chairs and ditch traditional chairs.
Right now in the market, ergonomic office chairs are trendy.
Before proceeding further, to make sure we are on the same page, you can read this article if you want to know what precisely an ergonomic office chair is: What are Ergonomic Office Chairs and When Are They Necessary?
I can give you a hundred reasons for which ergonomic chairs make the best choice for office chairs. Let’s talk about the important ones.
Ergonomic chairs are best for office work for the following reasons:
Ergonomic Chair Promotes Proper Sitting Posture:
Improper posture can have consequences. Only ergonomic chairs promote proper sitting posture. That’s why they are best for office work.
Correct posture helps you to maintain the natural curve of your spine. It also allows you to minimize muscle stress on your body.
As we discussed how important posture is, let’s talk about how ergonomic chairs help you get proper posture.
Ergonomic chairs are designed in such a way that they allow proper alignment of your spine. The backrest of ergonomic chairs are usually S-shaped, and it aligns perfectly with your spine.
Also, if the lumbar support is adjustable, you can set it to the proper height according to your body’s need for better back support.
People with desk jobs can develop back pain in the long run, and an ergonomic chair is the only way to minimize the chances.
Besides the alignment of the back and spine, ergonomic chairs also prevent slouching. If you want to know why slouching is bad for you, I suggest you read this article: Why is it More Comfortable to Slouch? (Is it Actually Bad?)
Makes Longer Sitting Sessions More Comfortable:
If you sit for prolonged hours, which I suppose you do if you have a desk job like me, an ergonomic chair will give you extra comfort.
Ergonomic chairs allow you to adjust everything, which improves overall support, and eventually, you can work sitting more comfortably.
Let me explain with an example. If you write or type on the keyboard, it is essential to adjust the seat height of your chair.
If the chair height is too high or too low, you will not be able to write comfortably. So, adjustable seat height is important. Ergonomic chairs allow you to do that, and you can work comfortably.
Similarly, you might have sat on office chairs without a headrest or on a chair with a fixed headrest.
In most chairs like that, you won’t get enough support for your neck and head. Thus your neck muscles will be strained when you sit for long hours.
But if you use an ergonomic chair, you can set the height of the headrest to the point which is good enough for you. I have used a chair once which had a fixed headrest, and I could barely reach the headrest. So, if the height of the headrest is not adjustable, it’s not comfortable.
For all these adjustable features, ergonomic chairs will support your body much better than any other type of chair and improve your sitting experience.
Improves Productivity:
Suppose you sit on an office chair that causes discomfort on your elbow, back, or neck. Will you be able to work at your full potential? Probably not.
As I have said earlier, ergonomic chairs support you better than other types of chairs. Your neck, head, elbow, and back muscles will not be distracting you when you sit on an ergonomic chair for long hours.
Let’s say you have an ergonomic chair. You will be able to set the height of the armrests to the optimal height at which it allows your arms to rest properly while you are typing on your keyboard.
Your elbow muscles will not cause any distraction by causing pain as it is well supported.
That’s why I think ergonomic chairs can improve your work productivity and make you more efficient by getting things done quickly.
Reduces Back Pain:
According to Spine-health, sitting for long hours might cause back pain or worsen the condition if you already have back pain. However, sitting with proper posture can help to minimize back pain.
It is our natural tendency to slouch when we sit for a long time. If you are sitting right now, there is a high chance that you are slouching.
You can consider an ergonomic chair as a tool that encourages you to give up slouching and sit with correct posture. That’s because they are built like that.
An ergonomic chair will provide you with the best back support to maintain good posture for a long time.
But you must keep in mind that just getting an ergonomic chair won’t help. I have read an article where it is stated that more than 50% of people who use an ergonomic chair don’t know how to adjust different features to get maximum support.
What I mean to say is that, if you don’t adjust lumbar support, headrest, or armrests properly, it won’t do much for your posture. So, getting an ergonomic chair only is never enough; you need to adjust it properly.
Only then can you reap the maximum benefit from an ergonomic chair to help you reduce back pain.
Supports Your Neck & Head Better:
As we have discussed earlier, ergonomic chairs come with adjustable headrests. I have used several headrests that do not provide good support just because they were small and fixed.
For most people, a fixed headrest won’t work. I love to adjust the height of the headrest. If the headrest is not height adjustable then there is a higher chance that the headrest will not allow your head and neck to rest properly and you will have neck muscle issues anyway.
That’s why I prefer ergonomic chairs as most ergonomic chairs come with height adjustable headrests while other types of office chairs don’t.
Allows your Elbow to Rest Properly:
You know that if the height of the armrests of a chair is not right for you, it might cause some problems for you.
Like if it is too high for you, then when you rest your elbows on them for a long time, it will cause you shoulder pain, and I am telling this from my experience.
A regular type of chair is built such that it fits most people but not all. If you are not a person of average height, then it becomes problematic.
What I mean is that if you need to rest your elbows properly, you need to adjust the armrests to the optimal height. Otherwise, you have to face the consequences.
An ergonomic chair allows you to adjust the height of the arms, which other types of chairs don’t. That’s why this is another reason ergonomic chairs are better for office work.
Improves Mobility:
If you have used an ergonomic office chair, you must have loved 360 swivel features coupled with great caster wheels.
I love these features on ergonomic office chairs. They allow me to rotate and move my chair whenever I want very effortlessly.
Let’s say you need to pick up some nearby thing around your workspace. You can just rotate and move your chair a little bit by pushing through your legs and grab anything.
Again, if you are on a discussion with your colleagues, you can simply rotate your chair towards the person you are talking to because of this feature.
You must admit that mobility is significant if you want the best chair for work. The swivel feature and casters make life a lot easier. You will find these features in an ergonomic office chair you pick.
That’s why I love ergonomic office chairs, and these are the reasons I think you should get an ergonomic office chair for office work.
Some Best Ergonomic Chair Brands at Reasonable Price:
- Nouhaus
- Steelcase
- IKEA
- Sihoo
- Knoll
- Hbada
Wanna know more about the best office chair brands? Check out this article: The 8 Best Office Chair Brands (and 4 You Should Avoid!)
The Most Reasonable Choice & My Recommendation for You:
I think Nouhaus Ergo3D is the obvious choice if you want the best office chair for around 300 bucks. I love this ergonomic office chair.
It comes with great design, cool ergonomic and more importantly it comes with five years of warranty. In comparison, other chairs at the same price are not as good as this one.
Look at the table, which will make things clear:
| Ergonomic Chair | Price | Warranty |
| SIHOO Office Chair | $230 | 1 year |
| Sidiz T50 | $359 | 3 years |
| Nouhaus Ergo 3d | $314.99 | 5 years |
| Sidiz T80 | $699 | 5 years |
I think the table makes it clear that Nouhaus Ergo3D is a clear choice if you want the best and most durable ergonomic chair on a budget. You can check the full review of this chair on our site by clicking here.
Final Thoughts:
There you have it! As per my experience, ergonomic chairs are the best for office work. In every other type of chair, I find lackings.
An ergonomic office chair makes sitting for long hours easier. I can say a lot more about ergonomic office chairs. If you follow my blogs, you must already know that.
But I think I have made my point, and I could make you understand why I believe Ergonomic chairs are best for office work. They are just comfortable and supportive and can be adjusted for individual needs. That’s why ergonomic chairs are better than other types of chairs.
