Ergonomic Office Chair Just A Waste Of Money Or Are They Truly Beneficial

Ergonomic Office Chair Just A Waste Of Money Or Are They Truly Beneficial?

Summary: Theres been a buzz going around for a while now about ergonomic office furniture. Given that top quality ergonomic desks and chairs cost a pretty penny, are there any actual health benefits to be had or is this just another way of swindling the un-suspecting business owner out of their hard-earned cash?

Most of us know that a happy worker is a productive worker. And to be happy a worker must at least be comfortable within their workplace but are ergonomic chairs that comf...

ergonomic, office, chair, chairs, furniture

Article Body: Theres been a buzz going around for a while now about ergonomic office furniture. Given that top quality ergonomic desks and chairs cost a pretty penny, are there any actual health benefits to be had or is this just another way of swindling the un-suspecting business owner out of their hard-earned cash?

Most of us know that a happy worker is a productive worker. And to be happy a worker must at least be comfortable within their workplace but are ergonomic chairs that comfortable? And can the price charged for such a chair truly be justified as a necessary business expense?

When I first started in business around ten years ago, working from home as a software developer, I bought a purpose-made computer cabinet and sat in front of my screen on a dining chair. Now that was what I called uncomfortable. If I sat there for more than just a couple of hours, Id have to take a walk to get my circulation flowing once more.

Money was tight and I couldnt afford an ergonomic office chair so I plumped for the next best thing: a typist chair. It cost me around fifty Dollars and I got around three and a half years use out of it. During that time I was able to sit at my computer all day but toward the end of the day I did get terrible pains in my upper back/lower neck area. I thought that it was just an age related thing or occupational hazard.

When the typists chair finally expired I decided to go the whole hog and I spent some of my hard earned money on an up-market ergonomic chair. It really was a tough decision to make but, having finally made it, when I took receipt and got the chair set up, the benefits were noticeable within the first couple of days. I no longer got the aches and pains in my back and I just felt, well, more comfortable.

Here are a few things that I found useful when deciding which chair to go for:

) It needed to have a five-legged base with castors. This gave the chair stability when I was moving around and/or reclining.

) The backrest had to have the ability to support my upper and lower back. This could have been achieved by either picking a chair with multiple adjusters built into the backrest or one where the backrest incorporated some flexible material that would shape itself to support my whole back.

) It needed to have arm rests. Again, these had to be adjustable and wide enough to allow me to rest my arms in a comfortable manner whilst working.

) The seat-squab had to be wide enough to give support to my nether regions.

) The covering had to be made from a breathable material to allow air to get to my body and prevent me from getting hot and sticky.

) The seats height had to be adjustable to allow my feet to sit squarely on the floor whilst allowing my thighs to remain parallel to the floor.

Finding a chair that accommodated all of the above wasnt that difficult but I have to say that it did cost me more than I would have liked to have paid. However, once Id taken delivery of it and had been using it for a while I began to notice how much easier my daily routine became and my productivity went through the roof.

Nowadays, I know I shouldnt but I can easily sit at my desk for up to ten hours every workday. I never get the annoying upper-backache that I used to. In fact I dont get any aches or pains at all. I can alter my seating position and the chair adjusts itself to suit me.

Have I any regrets about buying my ergonomic office chair? Only one. I wish that Id have borrowed the money to buy it earlier instead of making do with that typists chair for so long.