Ergonomic Office Chairs Overview

There are a few different main types of ergonomic office chairs and each type must be chosen carefully to match your daily routine. Many people assume they can buy one type of chair and use it for various functions throughout the day. While this is possible, and most people do it, it is not necessarily the right way to go about the situation if you’re trying to be conscious of ergonomics.

If you sit at a desk most of your day you probably fall into one of two categories: those who are computer-task oriented whose main job function involves direct computer desk most of the day, and those who could be supervisors, managers or executives who sit at their desk most of the day but do not actually sit there doing computer work as much as others. Ergonomic seating is available to fit each of these user types.

For the task-oriented computer user who does computer work for 4 or more hours per day you need to look for what is commonly called an “ergonomic task chair“. These types of chairs are specifically designed for heavy computer use on a daily basis. They take into account how the human body should be positioned (your posture) during this type of job function and incorporate body supporting features into their designs. Good task chairs worth spending your money on are in the $300-$1000 price range. Prices depend not only on the brand but the size of the seat and back cushions, the fabric the chair is made of, and the mechanism controlling the adjustments of the chair.

For the supervisor/manager/executive computer user who does actual computer work for less than 4 hours a day you should look for the keywords “office” or “executive” in the name of the chair.  These types of chairs are designed to support the user while doing computer work, like a task chair does, but it also doubles as a posture-assisting chair for meetings, conferences, and other situations where you may be seated for an extended period but not actually working on the computer the entire time. Office chairs tend to be slightly more expensive than task chairs and their prices are determined by all of the same characteristics. A good ergonomic office chair will run you anywhere between $300-$1500.