Over the years, office chairs have been designed for a wide range of applications with different functions to accommodate the different purpose the chair was designed for. Office chairs were first developed for administrative employees and had very simple features. Typically, an office chair will have a padded seat and backrest, armrests and casters. Office chairs are meant to be comfortable for office and clerical tasks and computing applications. Casters were placed on the chairs to give the user the ability to move around their workstation or office with very little effort. While the first office chairs were very simple with their non-adjustable, primitive designs; we have come to a time that can fit a specific office chair to almost any application or user.
Big and tall chairs, for instance, were designed to meet the needs of people who may be taller or larger than the average person that uses an office chair. Many people fall into the big and tall category for office chairs. Anyone over 6’5” and/or 250 lbs falls into the big and tall category. All big and tall office chairs will support users up to 350 lbs with many chairs providing support to users as heavy as 600 lbs. For those users who are under 5’2”, we strongly recommend using an ergonomic foot rest to ensure that a 90 degree angle can be reached when seated in your office chair.
There are also many office chairs designed for specific applications, like executive office chairs and drafting chairs. An executive office chair is designed to show prestige or portray high status. They will have a high back design and often have the option of adding a headrest. Most executive chairs will have top grain leather and padded armrests. Although not very adjustable, executive office chairs are very comfortable for shorter periods of sitting. Drafting chairs on the other hand are designed completely for function. Most drafting chairs feature a taller seat, optional armrests, an adjustable backrest and foot ring or footrest. Due to the higher seat cylinder, drafting chairs are often called drafting stools in the architecture industry.
More and more companies are replacing entire furniture systems, including their out-dated office chairs to meet today’s standards for ergonomic testing. Office ergonomics have been a major focus when it comes to safety standards and industry testing in working environments. Ergonomic office chairs provide the proper support for a user to minimize the likelihood of workplace injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome and RSIs. An ergonomic office chair will be very adjustable or will adapt to the users body type very well. Look for ergonomic office chairs to have adjustable armrests, lumbar support, an adjustable seat (depth and height) and an adjustable backrest.
Office chairs are available in many different upholstery options and colors. Leather office chairs are among the most popular chairs for the office. Leather is very comfortable, attractive and difficult to stain or damage. Fabric office chairs are still very popular for designers and customers that want to customize or match their office furniture. Choose from hundreds of different colors and patterns to find a truly unique office. Mesh office chairs are the newest office chairs on the market and have become widely popular. Mesh back chairs keep the user cool, offer a stylish modern look and are comfortable for long hours. Many mesh chairs are ergonomically designed.
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