As a former white-collar professional, I would spend hours of my day sitting in a chair. Sitting for long periods of time is not comfortable, healthy nor does it lend to productivity.

Therefore a great office chair is a no-brainer!  A quality-made, ergonomically designed chair can literally enhance your wellbeing, productivity, and overall satisfaction.

WHY USE AN OFFICE CHAIR?

Office chairs are traditionally seen in a workplace environment, but the pandemic taught us that they are also great for home use if you sit at a desk to use a computer. Why use an office chair rather than a dining room chair or The living room sofa? Let's explore!.

Office chairs are padded specifically to accommodate the various ‘sitting’ positions in the office and should be more comfortable. (I say ‘sitting’ because we all sit differently, whether it's with a bit of a slouch, leaning forward, tilted back or any countless combination of positions where we are on our ass!) This is fantastic if you’ll be seated in the chair for extended periods of time.

Just remember, try to get up every ten to fifteen minutes; sitting is considered the new smoking! 

An office chair is designed to promote good posture lessening the chance of back pain developing from sitting for extended periods. .

Most office chairs have adjustable height, allowing users to sit at the correct height, thereby increasing comfort and decreasing the chance of developing carpal tunnel syndrome or other types of repetitive strain injury (RSI). It is also a fantastic feature as you can reposition for any reason at all! 

People tend to work more efficiently when they are comfortable. Along with comfort, sitting with good posture without straining your back or joints enhances your wellbeing.

The right office chair is more than just a comfortable seat; a great chair can prevent back & joint problems, by promoting  good posture, and repositioning options.

CHOOSING YOUR UPHOLSTERY

Choosing the upholstery of your office chair is an important factor when enhancing comfort and function.  Let’s take a look at some of the options that should be available. 

Traditionally, office chairs have cloth upholstery, leather upholstery or what is now called PU Leather (we called it vinyl, way back when) stretched over foam padding of various thicknesses. 

Newer office chairs have a stretched synthetic mesh material over a frame, and are surprisingly comfortable. 

There are also hybrid office chairs that combine the two styles with an upholstered seat and mesh back.

Benefits of traditional office chairs:

One may find the extra padding on a traditionally upholstered chair to be more comfortable depending on their mode of dress (Pants vs. Shorts).  One might prefer a traditionally upholstered chair because you like the feel of cloth or leather, how it retains heat, or its water and stain resistance.

Benefits of mesh office chairs: 

One can argue that mesh office chairs inherently deliver two primary benefits over traditionally upholstered office chairs; durability & ventilation. The mesh material withstands constant use better than the traditional foam inserts found in upholstery as the foam will compress overtime leading the fabric to seem like it has stretched.  The mesh also offer better ventilation making it cooler to sit in over time and less apt to cause increased body temperatures, sweating or just discomfort. 

OFFICE CHAIR FEATURES TO CONSIDER

Adjustable Features: 

Office Chairs may or may not have features the user may adjust.  Some have more than others, but remember, they don’t always lend to the chairs' ergonomics.

Look out for adjustable features such as: :

Armrests

Seat back  - Forward / Backward

Seat back - Up / Down

Seat Back - Lumbar Support

Seat Bottom - Height

Seat Bottom - Front extension

Seat Lock

Seat Tilt

Neck Support

Heating / Cooling (Not Usually in the office)

Massage (Not Usually in the office)

Foot Rest (Gaming Chairs typically)

Features are great, but don’t let them overcharge you because its description lists two extra features enhanced by good copywriters. Like most of us, try to stick with the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep It Simple Silly).

Ease of assembly

Assembly should not be a concern.  Typically if you did not buy the chair from a display or have the furniture company deliver the piece, you have to assemble them yourself.  While some will say it takes over an hour, it shouldn’t.  Tools you’ll need are included, not great ones but ones that will get the job done.  The ones that I have assembled consisted of eight to ten screws for the seat bottom & back together and the rest were, basically, ‘push’ until they ‘pop’ in place (casters).

Eco-friendliness

With growing concern on our individual impact on the environment, sustainability may be important to you.  Consider products made from sustainable materials such as bamboo padding or fabrics, recycled plastic pieces or biodegradable mesh.

Comfort

Buying an office chair with a ton of wonderful features is great, but if it’s not comfortable, what was the point of all of this research? 

Comfort is obviously subjective, some like a soft chair and others a firm chair.  So take your time and find a fit for you!  There used to be a saying by old car dealers that they had a seat for every ass, and this is no different, the seat is out there, you just have to find it!.

What does comfort mean to you? How does your current situation make you feel? How can it be improved? What would make you more productive? Answer these questions and more if necessary, then take the show on the road and test out some real ones!  (Remember to check pricing before shopping so that you can spot a deal if one comes up!) 

OFFICE CHAIR PRICES

Office chairs run a wide range of prices, I have seen them for $45 to over $2,000.  With that being said, price is not always reflective of quality, so make sure to go with your gut! 

Budget

If you have the budget, I would not skimp on this purchase, but please remember that you can get a really nice, very comfortable, well-built chair for under $200 (before taxes). You can also bump up to the mid range where you might see prices up to $500-600.  The high end versions with features like nappa leather and other premium parts, may reach prices exceeding $2,000.  

MY TOP PICKS: 

Please note that I have found that mid range chairs offer me all of the comfort and function I have ever needed. Please note that I have sold most of my businesses before the chairs were even five years old, so I have no real experience with longevity. I did however come across a high end chair that I think would be amazing if I were to be sitting for hours on end and I included it below!

Serta - a popular brand that has built trust for decades. A great mid level design rated for up to 250 lbs, thick padded armrests and a serious level of detail down to the non toxic foam that so many chairs are made with now.

Sunnow - The design on this Mid-Level Mesh truly impressed me especially as I am not particularly fond of Mesh chairs. Rated for a whopping 300lbs, it may be overkill but it should last for a long long time. It offers adjustable armrests, headrest, seat. 3D Lumbar Support.... damn this chair has just topped my list and will likely make its way into my new home office.

LOKOC actually swayed me towards a high end chair for several reasons. It has all of the features I wanted plus a massage function and a leg/foot rest. They also have multiple models that are higher priced, this pairs form and function with the lower end of their pricing structure. Although listed as PU Leather we can see that the seating area is actually cow leather, and as a biker, I do have an affinity for leather!

I hope my words help ease your decision and more importantly, your mind. Come back for more of my words as they will get better as I find my 'voice' with the written word.

Lastly, be aware that if you make a qualified purchase through my links I will be paid a nominal commission. With the legal stuff no satisfied, I wish you the very best of days!