If you are working in an office, you would probably be spending a lot of time in a sitting position. This can be stressful to your spine which can result in chronic backaches. You can actually eliminate or at least, lessen the development of back problems and the long term side effects of sitting with bad posture by using ergonomic office chairs.

Ergonomic office chairs are seats used in the office that are especially designed to minimize the feeling of weariness and/or uneasiness. Good posture and support of your lower back are some of the things offered by ergonomic office chairs. Those who have back conditions and issues with their legs may also find that ergonomic office chairs are a big help in the performance of their jobs. Because of these benefits you get from ergonomic office chairs, you can perform your work more safely, and efficiently.

With the various kinds of ergonomic office chairs available in the market, you may wonder which among these ergonomic office chairs is best for you. To help you narrow down your choices of ergonomic office chairs, you will have to look at some features that influence the comfort of using ergonomic office chairs.

The most crucial part of ergonomic office chairs is the lumbar support. If you are quite familiar with the human anatomy, you will notice that your lumbar spine has an inward curve. Sitting whole day without supporting your lumbar spine would tempt you to slouch, resulting in too much strain on the lower spine and its attendant structures. Ergonomic office chairs are properly fitted with lumbar adjustments, with variable settings for both depth and height. In this manner, ergonomic office chairs can properly support the inward curve and give you a proper fit to relieve your lower back of unnecessary strain.

The height of ergonomic office chairs must be easily adjustable. Most ergonomic office chairs with pneumatic adjustment lever that can adjust the chairs between 40 to 52 centimeters (16 to 21 inches) off the floor will be suitable for most users. You can comfortably sit in the classic perfectly healthful position: feet flat on floor, your knees forming a right angle between leg and thigh, and your arms on same level as the desk.
 
Other features of ergonomic office chairs that you should check are their width and depth. The standard width of ergonomic office chairs that you can sit comfortably is about 42 to 52 centimeters (17 and 21 inches). You must be able to lean your back on the backrest of ergonomic office chairs, thus, make sure that the depth of ergonomic office chairs can accommodate your back with comfort with an allowance of five to ten centimeters between the seat of ergonomic office chairs and the back of your knees. You must also see to it that the ergonomic office chairs’ tilts for backward or forward movement can be adjusted.

Ergonomic office chairs’ backrest must have a width between twelve and nineteen inches. If the backrests of ergonomic office chairs are separate accessories, make sure they are also adjustable for angle of support and height. Remember that the primary reason you would want to have ergonomic office chairs is because you want your lumbar area supported. Hence, you should pay attention to how the backrest can give protection to your lower back. Should the seat and the backrest of the ergonomic office chairs be in one piece, make sure that you can adjust the back and forward angles.

When buying ergonomic office chairs, you should sit on them to assess whether the ergonomic office chairs match you well. You must sit in the proper alignments of head, spine and buttocks. Slowly sit and try to make your lower back reach up to the base of the backrest so you can feel if the ergonomic office chairs follow the curve of your spine.