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Office Chairs Buying Guide

Office Chairs Buying Guide

Buying an office chair is an important investment and needs some careful consideration.


Chair Buying Guide: The Best Chair For Work Or Your Home Office

With more of us sitting down for hours at a time either at work or in a home office, choosing the right office chair to sit on has become even more important.  Buying an office chair is a considerable investment and needs some careful thought. It's not quite as simple as finding a chair that looks good, it's also important to find a chair that works for you as well. Let us help you find the best chair for work or the best home office chair.

Why is it so important to choose the right chair when working?

Before you decide which chair is best, we need to understand why it’s so important to choose the right chair for you. Did you know that the chair you choose can affect your health and productivity! Most office workers spend over 40 hours a week sitting down.  If the office chair is not supportive of joints and muscles this can lead to posture-related injuries. If you find yourself sat in an uncomfortable chair you will inevitably find that your productivity slips as a result!

Types of Office Chair

Types of Office Chairs

To support your health and productivity you need to consider which type of chair is going to be best for you.

The 3 main types of desk chair are –


Executive Chair

Premium, professional and high backed,  executive chairs offer comfort and support.

Swivel Computer Chair (Also known as Operator)

A traditional desk chair designed to be specifically paired with smaller computer desks.

Fixed Chair

Stationary and non-adjustable fixed chairs are often ideal as meeting room or low use chairs.

Kneeling Chair/Stool

This range promotes movement as there is no back support, great for strengthening core muscles as you work.

Ergonomic Chair


An Ergonomic office chair is a chair designed with posture health and comfort in mind. Chairs that are adjustable in a range of ways to ensure sitting is both comfortable and doesn’t damage your health.  Perhaps the most important aspect when it comes to choosing the right office chair is adjustability. Ensuring that you can adjust the chair to match your individual body shape.

Choose the ergonomic features that allow the right kind of movement to enable you to easily find the optimum working position for your body!  This will help to protect your joints and make sitting and working as comfortable as possible.

Ergonomic Features

Ergonomic features to look for in your office chair are important to have - 

  • Backrest tilt
  • Lumbar support
  • Armrests 
  • Adjustable seat
  • Adjustable height
  • headrests

No matter which type of office chair you think would be best for you, you should consider their ergonomic features. Each chair will have different ones, including:

Backrest Tilt

This mechanism changes the angle of the backrest relative to the seat, taking some of the weight off your upper body and reducing pressure on your back.

Lumbar Support

Promotes good posture by supporting the lower portion of the spine.

Armrests

Relieve stress on shoulders and the neck by helping to maintain a good posture - ideal for those who suffer with shoulder or neck pain.

Adjustable Seat

Adjust your chair so that your feet are on the floor and you are at the correct working height for your desk

Adjustable Height

Increase blood flow by adjusting the height of the seat to ensure knees are at a 90 degree angle.

Headrests

Relieve stress on shoulders and the neck by helping to maintain a good posture - ideal for those who suffer with shoulder or neck pain.


What Chair is right for me?


When choosing the best chair for work, you also want to consider your work style and environment in which you work. Consider things like:

Time Spent Sitting

From a couple of hours catching up on emails to over 8 hours working with limited breaks - the amount of time that you spend working is important when deciding on the right office chair.  Don't forget to check out the weight capacity that would be suitable for your body type as well in the product description.


Less Than 4 Hours

Less Than 8 Hours

More Than 8 Hours


What is your Budget?

Obviously, budget is also an important consideration when purchasing a chair too, at Ryman we have a wide array of chairs and while all from top brands they also range in price. For the best office chairs under £100 explore our specially curated range.


Look and Feel?


Now we’ve talked about all the practical considerations for choosing your chair it’s time to think about the style of the chair too! What material your chair is should be considered to ensure it fits in well with your environment and you will find it comfortable. 

Leather and Leather Look chairs

Leather chair styles can commonly be found in our executive chair range. The leather material has a professional style and is also durable and hard-wearing.

Mesh Material Chairs

Mesh office chairs are a great alternative to leather chairs. The mesh material is breathable and cool, plus they can be a cheaper alternative to leather.

Fabric Material Chairs

Fabric chairs are what you will likely be most familiar with, a common style of computer chair! Fabric chairs are simple soft and comfortable!

Leather / Leather Look

professional, durable and hard wearing

Mesh

breathable and cool

Fabric

simple, soft and comfortable

Self Assembly


Self Assembly

Already Assembled


We hope you found this desk chair guide helpful and you feel ready to make an informed office chair purchase! For your other home office needs we also have a printer buying guide and ranges of desks and storage solutions to help create the perfect work space!

If you’re looking for new office chairs for your business, then look no further than the extensive range we stock at Ryman Business!