Office chairs

What Should You Look for When Choosing an Office Chair?

Published · By Ergocrew · Specs and guidance as of that date, from the pages under Sources

Summary

An office chair has to fit two things at once, your body and the desk you already own. Compare the seat-height range, seat depth and seat width first, then the way the backrest and armrests adjust, and leave upholstery and styling until the end. OSHA's purchasing checklist recommends that the user "try out the chair for comfort and fit over an extended period of time prior to purchase," so for an online order the return window deserves the same attention as the spec sheet.

Three measurements to take at home

Measure the height of your desktop, the open space under it from the floor to the underside of the top, and the width between the desk legs or drawer units. OSHA gives 20 to 28 inches (50 to 72 cm) as the general range for leg clearance under a desk. If your desk sits outside that range, the chair alone may not be able to put you in a good position.

Then sit on any chair with your feet flat and note the height from the floor to the back of your knee. OSHA describes the right chair height as the point where "the entire sole of the foot can rest on the floor with the back of the knee slightly higher than the seat of the chair." That number tells you which part of a chair's seat-height range you will actually use.

Reading the seat dimensions

Seat depth decides whether you can use the backrest. OSHA's test is that the seat "should provide support for most of the thigh without contact between the back of the user's knee and the front edge of the seat pan." A seat that is too long for you pushes you forward, away from the backrest; one that is too short leaves your thighs hanging. A seat slider, or a seat pan that moves forward and back, lets one chair cover a wider range of leg lengths.

For width, OSHA asks for a seat "wide enough to accommodate the majority of hip sizes" and notes that larger users need chairs with oversize seat pans. Our guide to big-and-tall chairs covers that case in detail.

Armrests against the desk edge

Armrests are where the chair meets the desk. They should support your forearms with your shoulders relaxed, and OSHA adds that they should be "small enough so they do not interfere with chair positioning." Compare the armrest height at its lowest setting with the height of your desktop. If the arms hit the desk edge before you reach the keyboard, you end up working with your arms stretched forward, and the chair's other adjustments stop helping.

Base and casters

OSHA's chair guidance says "Chairs should have a strong, five-legged base" and warns that chairs with four or fewer legs "are prone to tipping." It also asks for casters "appropriate for the type of flooring at the workstation." A chair mat changes the surface the casters meet, so decide on the mat and the casters together.

Where material fits in

Mesh, fabric and leather or leather-look covers change how the chair feels, how warm it gets and how it is cleaned, and our mesh versus leather guide compares them. None of them changes whether the seat depth or armrest height matches you.

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Related guides

Sources

  1. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Chairs
  2. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Desks
  3. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Purchasing Guide Checklist

We have not tested these products. Specs and guidance are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; the manufacturer's page for your model has the current details.

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