A huge number of office chairs don’t include the right functions which results in office workers suffering all sorts of aches, pains and discomfort.

Do any of the following symptoms affect you?

Your thighs are aching and you have been sitting for barely an hour, particularly the undersides – maybe even some numbness.

No matter what way you sit you can’t find comfort and your buttocks are really uncomfortable, continually shuffling around provides temporary relief, yet it never lasts for long and you soon seem to be back where you started.

Your lower back appears to be in constant pain and you attempt to relieve this by changing position in your chair, the trouble is any relief is temporary and that nagging back pain
soon returns.

Your shoulders and neck are often stiff, rigid even and the lack of movement brings on pain because the muscles supporting these parts of your body are stressed and tired. And this tends to happen almost daily as you work, especially on a tight deadline.

Arms and wrists flag very quickly especially when using a mouse intensively, you are concerned you may end up with RSI (repetitive stress injury) or carpal tunnel problems if it isn’t sorted out soon.

All of the above conditions are all too common for people working with computers regularly and many will put them down to tiredness, stress and pressure of work, which are actually the symptoms of the problems.

This free downloadable report (no opt-in needed), examines these common problems, what causes them and how to find a solution. Get hold of 5 Secret for Solving Office Chair Pain and Discomfort now.

If you’re thinking of buying a new office chair then you need to apply some thought to the process rather than just rushing out and buying some close out offer.

When you spend long hours sitting at a computer all day you absolutely have to make sure what you are sitting in is fit for purpose.

So the first thing you have to realize is that $50 won’t hack it, I call this approach Decimal Point Syndrome because in truth you need to move the decimal point one place to the right and be thinking about investing more like $500.

Sorry if that’s a bit of a shock, nonetheless it’s reality. After all, when you consider you will probably be spending as much if not more time in a desk chair than you do in your bed it starts to make sense.

Seriously, I’m sure you wouldn’t think about only spending $50 on a bed, unless you relish the thought of lying on a bag of springs stuffed with packing foam.

It’s no different with an office chair, it simply isn’t possible to get any level of quality for even a $100, at this price point every component in the chair will be cut back in quality to meet the price.

Why is it people keep buying these sub-standard products? I believe there are a number of reasons.

First, big name office product retailers are constantly promoting these types of chairs competing with each other to be the cheapest. And so without realizing it you become conditioned into thinking this is what you should be spending on a computer chair.

Second, these products often look good, frequently upholstered in leather which somehow seems to convince people it’s a quality product, when in fact it’s anything but.

Lastly, people don’t very often get the chance to see and try a quality office chair in the flesh unless you go to a specialist supplier and they aren’t exactly on every street corner. Consequently, you rarely get the chance to compare the good with the bad.

This is unfortunate as the difference in quality and comfort would soon become apparent.

A good quality chair needs to have certain critical features, I’ve distilled these down to 5 key essentials you must insist on when buying a new office chair. Here’s a quick summary of ergonomic chairs worth checking out.

Chair Makeover™

If you struggle to get comfortable when sitting for any length of time a Chair Makeover™ could well help.

This lightweight portable body support has been designed to provide lasting comfort for virtually any type of seat with a back.

It is made from high quality visco-elastic foam which eases pressure to the legs and back. Incorporated within the back is a pre-formed lightweight steel frame shaped to follow the natural curve of the user’s spine. This provides both proper lower and upper back support.

The Chair Makeover™ comes finished in a durable hygienic fabric in a choice of 5 different colors and folds neatly in half when not in use.

It works well with a wide variety of sitting situations including the office, home, restaurants, auditoriums, autos and public transport.

Whatever seat you have to sit in, as long as it has a back this handy portable seat comforter should help improve things.

You can find a more detailed review of the Chair Makeover™ here.

Short people tend to get a rough deal on office chairs and are frequently overlooked entirely by many manufacturers. Chair producers tend to cater mostly for average to larger framed users simply because it is the easiest route for them to move the most products.

Most short people face two challenges either their leg length or torso, and sometimes both, don’t work at all well with many desk chairs.

Leg length tends to be the biggest problem. The reason for this is that the vast majority of office chairs simply don’t adjust low enough to let users place their feet firmly on the floor.

Consequently this puts the lower body in an awkward and uncomfortable posture. Thankfully there are a couple of solutions to this issue.

Begin by checking whether your chair supplier offers an alternative pneumatic gas lift. Many of the better companies have special low gas lifts allowing the chair to adjust an inch or two lower. It may not sound a lot however it can often make all the difference.

The other alternative to the problem is to buy a footrest, adjustable footrests are best as they allow you to fine tune support for your feet.

Depending on your chair’s features, reclining can often be a problem if it has fixed tilt tension. This is mostly a problem for lighter framed users who find themselves fighting their chair when trying to recline. Once again fixed tilt tension is designed to suit the weight of an average built person and is much too stiff for lighter people.

Make sure any chair you consider has either adjustable tilt tension or adjusts automatically to individual user weight. Typical weight ranges start at 100lbs and go up to around 250lbs or more, double check if you fall outside this range.

Seat depth is also another key adjustment missing from far too many chairs. Without it it’s often difficult to gain good leg comfort. Unfortunately there is no simple workaround for fixing this.

Low cost budget office chairs are highly unlikely to be suitable for petite users as they lack the adjustments and flexibility needed to achieve good working task chair comfort.

Fortunately a number of manufacturers do cater well for smaller built individuals by providing ergonomic chairs which will work well for you, including seat depth adjustment. It’s worth taking a look at HÅG’s H04 and Neutral Posture’s 5000 series too.

Two cost effective solutions deserving investigation are Izzy’s Bailey chair and Via’s Riva range.

Here’s a quick summary of the key points:

• Check if you can get a lower gas lift
• Consider an adjustable footrest
• Tilt tension or automatic weight adjustment is key when reclining
• Seat depth lets you set up good upper leg comfort

Most office chairs tend to be fitted with arms and in most cases this is a good thing. And yet often arms just get in the way usually when you want to work close at your desk or move your chair around a tight space.

This most frequently happens with fixed arms which don’t adjust at all. So not only can you not move them when you need to, you can’t adjust them to suit your individual needs.

As a result you end up with double trouble. First, not being able to get your chair under your workstation and second, suffering discomfort in use because the fixed height isn’t a good match for you.

The obvious answer is to go for adjustable arms and yet this may very well only solve one of the two problems.

Swing Down Type Arm

The good news is that at least you can set the arms at a height matching your needs and so avoid potential neck and shoulder pain. Frequently though even adjustable arms won’t go low enough to fit under your desk edge or move through tight gaps.

Fortunately a number of manufacturers have taken steps to provide an answer to the problem by designing what are known as swing back arms. They are still height adjustable for personal user comfort.

As the name suggests this type of arm can be readily swung out of the way.

Typically they come in two styles, the first type allows the user to release the arms at the base and quickly swing them down towards the rear of the chair.

Swing Behind Type Arm

The second type remains at the same height but allow the user to push them back and swing them behind the chair back.

Both types achieve the desired effect and quickly convert the chair temporarily into an armless chair until you are ready to push the arms back into position.

Typical examples of the swing down type include Via’s Riva ergonomic chair and Neutral Posture’s 5000, 6000 and 8000 series.

HÅG’s H05 chairs use the swing behind approach which is perhaps the slightly better way of moving arms out of the way.

So, if you find your present chair’s arms limiting in use, these alternatives are well worth checking out when it comes to time to buy a new chair.

Riva Office Chair

Although Via is probably best known for its unusual Swopper stool it also produces some excellent office chairs too.

Amongst these is the Riva ergonomic chair collection consisting of a range of well engineered sturdily built task seating.

With 3 different seat sizes and 2 well proportioned back options it will appeal to a wide spectrum of different users.

Anyone from a 5 foot tall woman up to a 6 foot plus man should be able to find an option to suit them providing comfortable and supportive seating when working long hours at a computer.

If like many office workers you find that chair arms sometimes get in the way then take a look at the swing arm option. It provides a quick and easy way to swing the arms down towards the back of the chair. This can be very useful when working up close at your workstation, or maybe doing simple stretches and exercises while sitting.

The chairs have comfortable high quality foam seat and back pads and there is also an option to fit a mesh back instead.

All in all the Riva collection offers a versatile range of quality task chairs that are keenly priced when compared with some of the more well known chair brands. The full review of the Riva can be found here.

A recent article on the Windows Club web site draws attention to perils that anyone over 40 who uses computers extensively needs to be aware of.

The article pinpoints 5 key areas you need to be mindful of.

First, there is eye strain and this is something which can affect you long before you reach 40.

Staring at a computer screen for hours on end is not a good idea. Some simple exercises or maybe glasses will definitely help, as well as changing work habits.

Next there is Spondylosis both cervical and lumbar, it may be difficult to pronounce, simply put it means wear and tear on your vertebrae, resulting in pain, numbness or worse. The likelihood of this becoming a problem definitely increases with age.

It’s vital to be aware of the dangers, frequent exercise and muscle strengthening is advisable to cut down the chance of it developing.

Then there is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which is probably better known. It affects the wrists and lower arms and the chief causes are constant mousing and hammering away at the keyboard.

I would add that very often Carpal Tunnel problems may be confused with muscle trigger points. It’s amazing how a tight muscle in one part of your body can cause pain and discomfort in another seemingly unrelated area. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook is highly recommended for self diagnosis and relief.

Moving on, next is mental stress and this can also affect any age. You need to be aware of it, learn how to relax and not let it get the better of you.

Finally there is indigestion and weight gain. All that sitting every day is not a good thing, so daily exercise and a good nutritious diet are key for keeping things in check.

Here’s the link to the full article.

Xten Office Chair by Pininfarina

Although this might sound like an odd question it’s actually one there is a plausible answer for.

And the reason is Pininfarina, the esteemed Italian design firm responsible for some of those beautiful shapes you see in Ferrari and Maserati autos, has turned its hand to office chair design.

It has produced the Xten ergonomic office chair investing some $1.5 million in the process and the result is a truly beautiful looking chair.

However its beauty is definitely not just skin deep, and it’s clear a great deal of attention and design input has gone into creating the Xten.

The seat utilizes Dynatec fabric used by Olympic athletes, it is durable and comfortable and is particularly good at keeping users cool as it pulls moisture away from the body.

The seat pad incorporates Technogel® to even weight distribution and so relieving pressure points when sitting.

The chair’s Armtronic® system gives very precise arm level adjustment and this is controlled by a sophisticated gas piston simply operated by a push button control under the arm.

Xten also has all the other adjustments you would expect on a top end ergonomic chair including seat depth, height and tension control, and the advanced synchronized tilting that reclines the chair to match the way the human back works. It also has a built in height adjustable headrest and an 8 step locking recliner.

Clearly a chair built to this standard is never going to be cheap, although at a current net selling price of $1695 it’s not hugely more expensive than some other top end chairs.

You can find further details on the Xten at www.Xtenchair.com

In a recent article I wrote about the importance of movement and variation for office workers and it is interesting to see a post yesterday on EHS Today the magazine for environment, health and safety issues making some key points about the very same problems.

The EHS article makes some interesting statistical points drawing on a UK survey conducted by The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and its recommended advice:

• The UK survey found 57% of participants suffer with backache
• The survey also discovered only 36% of people feel their employer provides them with a comfortable office chair
• Taking short breaks away from the workstation helps relieve strain
• People need to move more frequently during the day, getting out of your chair and walking burns 5 times the calories than when sitting

In my earlier article I draw attention to these additional points:

• Our bodies are designed for movement, sitting in a static posture for hours is unhealthy and bad
• As we get older these issues become more noticeable and significant
• Pain is nature’s way of telling you something isn’t right and it’s time to act and change the cause of it
• Getting out of your office seat frequently and doing some light exercise is vital
• Investing in a quality office chair is one the best moves you can make for you posture, health and productivity.

Here’s where you can find the EHS Today article as well as my recent article on the significance of variation and movement in the office explaining what you need to do to keep your body healthy at work.

So maybe you’re getting around to thinking it’s time you ditched that old office chair and you figure, “I’ll take a look in the local office supply depot, they’ve always got deals on desk chairs.”

You see what looks like a great deal. You sit in it, pull a few levers, feels comfortable—hey, it’s even got leather too.

Everything looks great and yet, is it a serious bargain or is it a serious liability?

If you have a worn-out chair, then anything you sit in is likely to feel like a million dollars by comparison. Not only that, virtually any new chair you sit in for a couple of minutes will feel great, and that’s not altogether surprising.

After all, everything is new so it naturally feels good, and that’s where everybody gets it wrong with cheap chairs — they flatter to deceive.

To truly know whether a computer chair is right for you or not, you need to sit in it for several days — not minutes, not hours, several days. Only then will all its shortcomings become apparent. This is why a 30-day return policy is a must when buying either in person or online.

How do these shortcomings suddenly become apparent once you use it for a day or two? It’s down to what’s under the hood. Sure, on the exterior, the thing look great; yet what’s it really made of?

Any chair around the $100 mark will always be a compromise because it is made to fit a price, so corners get cut to achieve this.

Here are some of the things which aren’t immediately obvious about low cost chairs:

• Made with cheap foam pads normally seen in packaging which soon lose shape and go as flat as a pancake.
• Low cost upholstery which quickly takes a shine like a well-polished shoe. Or leather that likely came from remnants or rejects that ages prematurely becoming brittle and starting to crack.
• Low quality components — arms that break off, backs that won’t recline or stay in place, gas lifts that keep descending.
• Limited or no guarantee — a sure sign the supplier sees the product as little more than a liability.

So hopefully you now see why buying a cheap chair is the wrong approach. In the next post I will explain the reasons why quality office chairs cost a lot more.