Office Chair Anatomy

The office chair is something you see in every part
of the office - cubicles, CEO's room, conference
rooms, even in the cafeteria.  Wherever the area 
may be, an office chair has one purpose - to allow
you to sit down in a comfortable and healthy manner.

Contrary to what many may think, the office chair is 
no longer a piece of furniture.  Behind each and every
office chair, there are a lot of thought and science
being implemented.  The reason for this, is because
an office chair can be harmful to your health and
also your body.

The principles of ergonomics are used with office 
chairs to give you comfort and safety.  Below, you'll
find some key points to look for in an office chair.

1.  Chair height
The height of an office chair should always be easy
to adjust.  In order to do this, the chair must be
equipped with a pneumatic adjustment lever.  This 
lever should be able to move your chair between 16
and 21 inches off the floor.

This is important simply because the person sitting 
in the chair needs to sit according to the height of
the table or desk.  The chair shouldn't be too high
or too low, so the user doesn't slouch or strain at
their desk. 

The important thing to remember is that the knees
should be at a lower height than your hips.  This
will encourage the natural "double C" of the spine 
and help to provide upright support for your body.

2.  Chair width and depth
An office chair should always be wide enough to 
support users of all shapes and sizes.  Normally, the
width will vary between 17 and 20 inches.  The chair
depth area is the area found from the front of the seat
to the back of the chair.

The depth of the office chair should be big enough for
you to lean back against the backrest with 2 to 4 
inches difference between your knees and the seat of
the chair.

3.  Armrests
Armrests are adjustable and will allow you to rest your
elbows, arms, and shoulders in a comfortable manner.

4.  Backrest
The backrest on an office chair will vary from 12 to 
19 inches.  Like all other parts of office chairs, the
backrest should be adjustable enough to move either 
forwards of backwards.  

5.  Swivel
Working in an office requires you moving about, from
one computer to another or even to a file cabinet.  
Therefore, an office chair should provide a swivel at
the bottom to allow you to move around your area 
freely.

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