Office Desk and Chair Choosing the Correct Furniture

Americans on average spend more than 8 hours sitting at their desks every single day.  The desk and the chair which are the center of the work area have a big impact on your health and well being.  Finding the right size desk and chair for your need to get the job done without putting your health, comfort, and productivity in jeopardy is not difficult.  Browse at your local office supply centers, look through catalogs, and visit your local furniture showrooms.  You will find large choices of desks and chairs for every style and budget.  Here are some tips to help you choose the correct desk and chair to optimize productivity without sacrificing comfort and style.

Important features to look for in a desk:  As you spend increasing amounts of time at your desk, you need to be aware of how the design and arrangements of the work equipments impact your health and posture.

• Select the desk with the right height for your body’s built.  A good working desk should have adequate clearance for your legs under the desktop; it should generally be between 20-28 inches (50-72 cm) from the floor to the underside of your desk.  Be sure that you have space about 2-3 inches between the top of your thighs and the underside of your desk.  Remove the center drawers of conventional desk to create additional thigh clearance if necessary. 
• Desktops that are too low or too high may lead to awkward postures and physical exertions.  Be sure clearance spaces under working surfaces accommodates a variety of sitting postures; the most important is the upright seated posture.
• If the computer is the center of your work station, desk surface should allow you to place the monitor directly in front of you at least 20 inches away comfortably.  Select the desk with rounded desktop edges to reduce contact stress (such as when your wrists or arms are pressed on sharp desktop edges for a long time) that affect nerves and blood vessels possibly causing tingling and sore fingers.

• Desktop should provide enough room to allow you to move while working, adequate placement for basic office tools, and space to comfortably write, open mail, and review works as necessary.   

Chair:  Sitting is hard on your back; sitting in poor posture for a long period of time can cause added pressure on the intervertebral spinal discs-the spongy disc between the vertebras.  If you spend a lot of times in your office chair, even more than in your bed, use the chair that will not damage your back.  Here are what important in an office chair.

• Backrest or lumbar support:  Ample lumbar support that adjusts as your lower back moves is the most important factor to look for in the office chair.  You should be able to adjust the backrest recline by at least 15 degrees for different sitting positions.  The angle of the backrest is subjective but your trunk and upper legs should form an angle between 90 to 115 degrees.  Look for chair that has lumbar support to maintain your lower back’s curvature. Adjust the height of the backrest to support the natural inward curve of the lower back with a pillow or rolled up towel for your lower back support. 

• Seat size:  Sit back on the chair; if you can slide your hand in between the front edge and the back of your knees, the chair is a correct size.  The seat size should also fit your frame, not too narrow and not too wide that using armrests would strain your shoulders.  Make sure the edges are rounded so the chair doesn’t dig into your legs causing circulation restriction. 

• Height:  When you sit, your feet should be planting firmly on the floor to support proper spine position, thus, preventing potential spinal disc injury.  The chair height should be adjustable to accommodate your lifestyle, i.e. in case you wear heels or flat shoes.  If your feet dangle, it is harder for your back to maintain the S-shape of your spine and you could end up with a lower back pain.

• Armrest:  The arms of the chair should be at a height where your shoulders are not raised up but relaxed as they would be when you are at rest.  Look for the armrests that are contoured, cushioned, and have adjustable height.   

• Chair base:  Office chair should have 5 casters legs on the base to provide enough support and stability.  The casters should glide smoothly so you don’t have to bend or reach to move around.  Periodically spray compressed air into the joints of the moving mechanisms to keep them free of dust.  The chair should have a tilt mechanism that control how far you can lean back and under-seat lever that help you find the perfect height.

Given how much time you spend in your office chair at your desk, you need to pay attention to how the desk and chair impact your comfort, physical health, and your productivity.  If after a full work day, you experienced muscle tension from raising your shoulders or lower back pain from sitting awkwardly, may be it is time to go office-furniture shopping.