Regardless of whether you’re working from the office or at home, it’s crucial that you sit comfortably throughout your day. Your sitting position can significantly impact your efficiency and health in the long term. It helps ensure you stay focused on your work and helps prevent injuries in your back, neck, wrists, etc. Sitting in an ideal position is a critical part of ergonomics.
Thus, this article offers 7 reasons why you should use an ergonomic office chair. In turn, you can get more work done faster and keep yourself energized to focus on other aspects of your life after work. So, while most of the effort of sitting ergonomically is related to positioning, it can help to invest in an ergonomic chair or other essentials to get the best out of each workday.
What Is Ergonomics?
We’ll quickly go over what ergonomics is so that you know why sitting or standing in an ideal position is beneficial for you in the long term. Therefore, ergonomics is the process of setting up a work environment that maximizes efficiency. There are many factors, such as neck position, wrist position, etc., that affect ergonomics, which we’ll go over in this article.
The biggest benefit of ergonomics is that it reduces the strain on your body during work. For example, when you sit in the ideal position, your screen will be at your eye level, which helps prevent neck injury. With that said, let’s get into ergonomics tips you should take regarding your seating position.
7 Reasons Why You Should Use an Ergonomic Office Chair
Here’s what you must keep in mind when considering whether you should use an ergonomic office chair or not. A good chair will help you find the ideal sitting position when you’re at work. These reasons are relevant to both working at the office and home.
It Improves Your Posture
As with most things, it’s important to have the right tools for a specific process. In this case, that tool is an ergonomic office chair. Ergonomic chairs help keep you seated upright for the entirety of your work hours. The benefit of that is minimal strain on your back and your neck. You can avoid long-term injury this way and stay focused on your work at the same time.
In an office chair, it’s also important to consider one with lumbar support. The OC7 from Flexispot is a mesh chair that has both lumbar support and a headrest. This way, you can limit stress on your back and neck.
If you’re working from home, you can ask your place of employment to provide an appropriate office chair to you. If you’re self-employed or your employer won’t entertain you, you can consider getting a budget ergonomic chair like the 336L1 from Flexispot. It’s affordable and has adequate lumbar support, a high back, significant soft padding, and height adjustment.
Both of these chairs also have high back supports. Therefore, you’ll tend to lean forward less, ensuring that you keep your back upright. In addition to that, it’s best to also use a laptop stand (if you’re using a laptop instead of a PC with an external monitor) to prevent hunching forward. If you’re using a laptop stand, make sure to use an external mouse and keyboard to keep your elbows in an appropriate position.
Reduces Pain in Your Body
With better posture with a well-made chair, you can reduce pain in your body. Pain in the lower back and neck is common among people who work at desks for eight or more hours a day. Poorly-designed chairs prevent people from sitting upright, but an ergonomic one will ensure that all pain points are supported properly. In turn, you can help reduce pain and injury and allow yourself to feel more relaxed at the end of a workday.
Reduces Pressure in Your Hips
You may have noticed that ergonomic chairs offer height adjustment. This feature is to ensure that your feet are planted on the ground when you’re seated based on your height.
Many good ergonomic chairs have height adjustments of about 3 inches. Therefore, you can use this height adjustment to ensure that your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. In addition to that, you should see that your knees are only slightly lower than your hips. This way, you’ll reduce the strain on your hips and your back.
Thus, you don’t necessarily have to search for an ergonomic chair for a short person if you’re relatively small. Instead, just make sure to buy one that has adequate adjustments for you to achieve an ideal sitting position. For the most part, ergonomic office chairs are designed for most people, so you don’t need to worry much about that. This feature is also beneficial when using shared workspaces, whether at home or at the workplace. A few adjustments can ensure that any user is comfortable on the chair.
Helps Improve Productivity and Efficiency
One of the biggest benefits of an ergonomic office chair is that it can significantly help you stay productive and maximize your efficiency when working. With minimal pressure or pain in your body, you can reduce distraction and focus on your work instead. Better productivity and efficiency can help you get more work done and reach new goals with your projects and career opportunities.
In addition to improving the amount of work you can do in certain hours, ergonomic seating can help you finish your work within your work hours, especially if you’re working from home. A common problem that people working from home have faced is a lack of work-life balance.
Thus, with better efficiency, you’re more likely to finish your work during the shift hours than otherwise, giving you better work-life balance in the process. In turn, you may be able to improve your overall wellbeing and association with work, allowing you to carry that positivity outside of work as well.
Has Adjustability to Cater to Most Users
Many ergonomic chairs have more than just height adjustments. You can find some that have seat depth, back recline, and armrest adjustments. Armrest adjustment is particularly helpful in reducing the chances of developing wrist-related problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist impingement.
For an ergonomic setup, you’ll need to ensure that your elbow is about the same level as your table. So, you’ll need to adjust your seat and armrests height to ensure that. Your wrists should be straight when you use your mouse so that there’s minimal strain on them.
If you can manage that without keeping your thighs parallel to the floor and your feet on the ground, then you can consider placing a box or small platform under your feet. This way, you’ll be able to prevent your feet from dangling.
Long-Term Use
Whether you’re purchasing an ergonomic chair for your home or if you’re an employer buying one for your office, this product offers long-term use. Chairs made by reputable manufacturers last a long time, offering great value for money. Therefore, you don’t have to make recurrent purchases. Moreover, even expensive ones last, so they can be worth it. That said, if any chair breaks down, you can have the manufacturer’s warranty fix or replace it.
Offers Optimal Safety
Ergonomic office chairs are created after being meticulously designed and tested by professionals. Therefore, manufacturers take significant measures to ensure optimal safety for users. So, you can rest easy knowing that you’ll be comfortable and limit injury during long work hours.
Tips on Selecting an Ergonomic Chair
Take a look at the following tips on selecting an ergonomic chair that’s best for you.
Consider the Seat Cushioning
Ideally, it’s best to look for something with soft padding made from breathable materials. The backrest should also have the same characteristics.
Consider One with Significant Adjustability
It can be a good idea to get an office chair with the following adjustments. An adjustable seat will help you achieve the ideal sitting position with greater ease.
Seat recline adjustment
Lumbar support adjustment
Headrest adjustment
Height adjustment
Armrest adjustment
Last Few Words
Choosing the best ergonomic office chair for you will depend on your budget and your body size and comfort levels. For example, if you have a consistent problem with neck pain, then it’s best to get a chair with a high back and a comfortable headrest.
If you cannot afford a high-quality ergonomic chair right away, then you can consider improving the condition of your existing one. Small adjustments like placing a cushion under your buttocks can increase your spine’s curve and help you feel more comfortable.
That said, your best bet is to invest in a chair made by a reputable manufacturer. Visit Flexispot today and find several options on ergonomic home office furniture and accessories. You can also find some excellent discounts on these amazing products.
