Tips on How to Adjust an Office Chair

By Keira Adams

Despite the apparent need for an office chair in an office, it can often be tough to select the one that's right for you, as every office chair comes with a great variety of features. Yet you need to do your best to become familiar with how to adjust your office chair to suit your working environment. The following are guidelines to ensure you get a comfortable as well as ergonomic fit to your chair.

Your office chair must be suitable for the working surface at your desk. Consequently, it's important to raise your chair up so that your posture is relaxed and sustainable while sitting behind your desk. It is important that the height of the chair is such that your feet are placed comfortably on the ground, and your thighs are parallel to the floor. You should employ a footrest in the event that your feet can't touch and rest on the ground.

The seat pan must be right below your knee cap height. Many office chairs these days feature a pneumatic height adjustment where you can make adjustments simply by sitting on the chair or not sitting on it. With an older style of chair, you'll need to stand in front of it and turn the chair. However if your furniture is this outdated, you are better off replacing it with a modern ergonomic task chair.

In order to avoid compressing the tissue on the back of your thighs and behind your knees you must be sure to avoid letting your feet dangle. This can also cause your legs to feel achy and uncomfortable. You can avoid that unpleasant stress on the back of your knees by making use of a seat with a curved rim.

A good office chair will have enough space between the back of your knees and the front of the chair such that a clenched fist can fit between them. The chair should be lowered a bit if there isn't. If your back starts to hurt just tilt the chair's back forward for relief.

In order to support the lumbar area of your lower back, it's important to remember to adjust the backrest occasionally. It is very important to look after your lower back, and this is the principal contact point. You will need to be able to adjust the height of your backrest, especially if your job requires you to sit in your chair for extended periods. This will allow you to obtain the best back support. You can also move some backrests forward or backward. Deep seat pans make these features even more beneficial.

Don't ever sit in a chair for an extended period of time without back support. If at all possible, make an investment in a good ergonomic chair. If you still find your back to be uncomfortable when sitting in the chair, you will need to make as many adjustments as possible till you feel comfortable. - 29947

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