When you work at or use a computer for long periods using the wrong type of chair is not a good idea.

I frequently see comments on social media sites where people complain about their back and legs killing them and admitting they are working in a dining room chair or on a sofa.

These types of seat are just plain bad news for working at a computer for extended periods of time and here’s why.

Take dining room chairs, they may keep you upright however they also keep you fixed and rigid and this is very bad news for your posture and back as aches and pains will soon set in.

Also as the chair is likely 4 legged it won’t swivel when you do, so you’ll be under strain as you twist from side to side.

Sofas are probably even worse for working at your computer, typically a laptop. The soft spongy cushions on the average sofa will soon have you slumping and rounding your back opening up your spine and discs which is not good at all.

So, if you are working regularly at a computer in your home office you need to get a proper ergonomic office chair designed for the job, here are the key features you need to insist on when making a choice.

Here’s a quick check list of 7 things frequently found on junky cheap office chairs, you’ve got to be really unlucky to suffer all 7 of them.

If you’ve got 3 or more then you ought to think seriously about replacing your chair with something better because it’s doing you no favors.

This list isn’t exhaustive, these are just some of the commonest problems.

1. Fixed arms - never seem to be where you want them especially the sort with a great curve in them, like we’ve all got curved forearms haven’t we?

2. Poor back height adjuster - a piece of oval steel on the back plugs into a hole in the back of the seat mechanism. It’s held in place with a single screw knob which just can’t seem to resist working loose all the time. And to hide this piece of non-engineering it maybe has the luxury of a length of concertina black plastic which always manages to ride up and expose the tube it’s supposed to hide.

3. Cheap seat foams - do you find after a short while of sitting back pain and discomfort sets in and it feels like the foam disappeared? Maybe it’s totally flat anyway, give away sign is chair fabric that’s all loose and baggy like clothing someone wore before they dieted.

4. Seat doesn’t tilt - let’s you sit at any angle as long as it’s 90 degrees and after a day sitting like this your body will be aching all over and thinking it’s morphed into a set square.

5. Chair has no tension adjustment - maybe you got lucky and are the same weight the manufacturer made the chair to suit. Chances are though it’s not like this for you, if you’re light built your chair will always dictate to you how you sit in it, you’ll always be fighting it. If you’re well built you may well experience being bounced all over the place because you’re stronger than the chair’s mechanism. Neither scenario is good, you just be comfortable or productive.

6. Seat doesn’t adjust to your leg length - this is still a feature that is the exception rather than the rule on office chairs, 80% don’t have it and yet it’s key to achieving proper seating comfort. Look around any office you’ll see the sufferers, short legged people perched on the seat edge because it’s way too deep. Long legged people sat back in their chair and still their legs overhang the chair edge by a mile.
Are you suffering discomfort as a result of this missing adjustment?

7. Adjustment levers are loose and imprecise - do the adjustment levers on your chair slosh around, are they really awkward to operate and feel like you’re stirring a cake mix? This is a common problem on cheap office chairs caused by poor design and low quality steel allowing excessive wear to build up in the moving parts.

Conclusion

So there you have it 7 tell tale signs which define junky office chairs. If your chair fails inspection on 3 or more of them, chances are you’re pretty fed up with it anyway, so maybe it’s time to look for a quality ergonomic office chair. Here’s a summary of the reviews of some quality office chairs worth looking at.

What are your pet office chair hates?

People sometimes ask how much foam padding they need in an office chair this is something that is largely down to personal preference.

Some just like the idea of generous padding on an office chair others prefer a fairly firm seating surface.

Really deep padding is rarely the best type of because it encourages the body to sink into it and people can often end up being poorly supported as a result of it forcing a poor postural body shape.

If you are unsure about the degree of padding best for you here’s a quick rule of thumb. If you are a slim built person it’s likely you will want more padding than someone of a stockier build.

The reason for this is your bones are nearer the surface and have less flesh around them, consequently you will likely appreciate good padding for comfort. Slim built people may find mesh backed chairs uncomfortable in prolonged use. Also as we age we tend to become a bit bonier, so again padding maybe more suitable for older chair users.

A number of manufacturers make a big play on memory foam, however I’m far from convinced it’s a good idea as it soon flattens and compresses to your shape and unless it’s a thick layer may be uncomfortable. It’s also frequently supplied with heavily contoured shaping and if your butt doesn’t match the shape it’s hardly likely to be comfortable.

Another point to bear in mind with padding is it can have a tendency to make you sweat. So if you are likely to be working in a hot environment without air conditioning you may well find mesh or a breathable fabric is best for you.

There really are no hard and fast rules about chair padding, it’s largely down to individual preference at the same time considering your body build.

Are you one of those people who suffers needless self inflicted pain and discomfort by not paying attention to how you working? You see examples of bad habits every day in the office environment. How about the person cradling the phone between their ear and shoulder?

This is a sure way to develop neck pain because it causes unnatural strain on the neck muscles and chances are, you’re using the same side each time you do it, unwittingly making the problem worse.

What about the slouchers? You know, the ones that lean forward and peer at their computer screen, setting their backs and shoulders in a horrible curve, miles away from their chair back. That chair back is there for a reason, to comfortably support your back.

Get into the habit of sitting with a straight back and adjust your office chair back so it gives you the support you need. If you’ve got a poor chair, think about using a back rest, it can be a great cost effective solution.

Just by correcting these two common bad habits will significantly improve your working comfort as well as doing wonders for your posture going forward.

I realized the other day that my office chair was getting really sluggish and awkward to move when working at my desk. The chair had got the right type of casters so I decided to look further.

It’s got industry standard hooded twin caster wheels and when I turned the chair upside I found they were choked with carpet fluff. I blew it out with compressed air, trouble is the wheel spindles are sealed so it didn’t help.

So this left two alternatives, either fit new casters with the prospect that the problem would come back in the future or buy a chair mat as the wheels would run a lot better on a smooth surface.

I opted for the chair mat and I’m glad I did my chair moves far better now, it’s surprising how conditioned you can get to a less than perfect situation, so problem solved and carpets protected at the same time too.

How important is the correct size of office chair, after all apart from the Aeron, office chairs only come in one size don’t they?

It’s probably fair to say that the vast majority of office chairs are designed to cater for the average sized person, very broadly speaking people between 5 foot 6 inches and 6 foot.

So, people falling outside this average who just go out and buy an office seat they like the look of or are attracted by the price of may very well end up with something quite unsuitable.

And it doesn’t necessarily follow that those in the average height range will end up with something that is right for them.

Some chairs have very large seat pans which aren’t suitable for lighter built users irrespective of their height, less commonly other chairs may have small seat pans that won’t work well for heavier framed people.

Here’s a quick rule of thumb there should be about 1 inch clearance from your upper legs and each side of the seat, so if there’s a huge gap or you’re legs are hanging over the edges it’s less than ideal for you.

In the next post I’ll continue with further help and advice for getting the right size chair for you.

Although office saddle seats aren’t a common choice of office chair, there are instances where they can be highly suitable.

People who need to move a lot between work areas like designers who work at a desk and also use a layout table for studying plans and drawings.

They’re brilliant for moving fast between different locations as the user moves around by using their feet kind of like walking but still seated.

The natural saddle chair position also helps to keep the back in a good upright posture, yes you can still slump forward, however it tends to be easier to sit upright than it is to slouch.

Saddle seats are also a super choice for people who work at higher than normal work surfaces, as well as individuals working in dentistry and the medical trade.

It’s real easy to spill chocolate on your seat upholstery grabbing a quick snack, question is what’s the best way to clean it off?

Well, if it’s a big lump begin by wrapping an ice cube in cling film and hold it on the mark to harden it and then lightly scrape off the worst of it with the back of a knife.

Next, try using a good quality carpet or rug stain remover - BUT test it on an inconspicuous area first for color fastness, you don’t want to make things worse than they are.

Lightly spray the stain with the cleaner, let it soak in briefly and then dab the stained area with a clean damp cloth.

Where the upholstery is already a bit soiled you may need to clean the rest of the fabric to avoid the cleaned up stain from standing out, let it dry out first to see how it looks.

Many people’s priority when they buy a new office chair is for it to be cool and funky and look great, this is understandable. Regrettably it’s completely the wrong way to go about selecting a new office chair.

This approach may be fine for the latest iPhone, anyone needing to sit long hours every day at an office workstation needs to take a more practical approach in their final choice.

That funky chair may look uber cool, however if it isn’t comfortable and properly supportive for your body, you may soon be regretting buying it.

So always go for function and comfort first then you can maybe choose the funky chair, once it’s cleared the comfort and support hurdles first.

Here are a couple of helpful articles on what makes an ergonomic chair and some points to consider when when buying an office chair.

When you’re suffering a lot of discomfort from your office chair, it’s sometimes possible to help ease your pain by adding a back support to your chair.

This is more likely to help when you’re stuck with a cheap chair and aren’t in a position to replace it.

Back supports come in a variety of different forms including mesh, molded foam and fabric covered foam, they are commonly designed to support the lumbar region, although others fill the full chair back.

Generally they are held on with Velcro straps to keep them in place.

There is also another type of back support and it’s actually a belt with braces which the user wears to physically keep their body posture in check.

Whilst these might look like a good idea the drawback with them is they restrict body movement to correct bad habits and although this helps, the lack of muscle movement will end up creating problems of its own when the belt is worn continually.