If you work at a desk, have you ever stopped to think about how much time you actually spend sitting in your office chair? Eight hours a day becomes 40 hours a week, and that adds up to about 2,000 hours a year, or about 83 days. That’s a big chunk of time, especially when you consider how many years most of us will spend working.

If we stopped to do this calculation, and also remember that many of us spend more time in our office chair than we do sleeping, we might re-evaluate our choices of seating. Typically, we spend more money, and often put more effort into choosing a desk than we do in choosing an office chair. However, both research and personal experience continues to confirm that seating chosen with ergonomics in mind increases both comfort and productivity. A poor choice of office chair, on the other hand, is likely to lead to inefficient work habits, bad posture, and a variety of musculoskeletal problems which may cause loss of work time (and thus productivity).

Here are some of the qualities that should be taken into consideration when you make your choice of office chair:

Lumbar Support

The lumbar region, or lower back, can really suffer from long periods of sitting, if there’s not sufficient support, resulting in back strain and more serious conditions like sciatica. Well-built office chairs should give at least some lumbar support. Some will even include adjustable lumbar support which can be customized to fit each employee.

Adjustability

A good office chair should adjust easily to suit each user’s size and work style. Ideally there should be a number of adjustments available, including:

Height - The seat should easily move up and down so that the employee can sit comfortably, with feet flat on the floor, and legs under the desk.

Backrest - It’s essential to have a backrest that adjusts, both up and down, and forward and backward. It should be set up so that the backrest is aligned with the hollow of the user’s lower back. As mentioned above, some chairs will also offer adjustable lumbar support.

Armrests - These should adjust easily to give support to your arms, taking some of the strain off of your back and shoulders. Properly fitted armrests will also make it less likely that you will slouch forward.

Wheels and Swivel Seats

Office chairs should swivel so that one can easily reach all areas of the desk. This will reduce fatigue in the arms from excessive reaching for objects in certain parts of the desk. Most chairs include wheels at the base, which, again, reduces strain by allowing easier reach to all of the desk and workspace.

Comfort

Above all else an office chair should be comfortable to sit in. We can’t stress enough that a comfortable employee is likely to be more productive and experience more satisfaction in their job. Be sure to choose upholstery which is thick enough that the employee doesn’t feel the chair frame through the cushion. “Breathable” fabric will prevent the seat from becoming hot after being used for hours.