Office chairs

Which Office Chair Features Matter Most for Long Workdays?

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

Summary

For eight-hour days, the chair has to support more than one position. OSHA's workstation guidance says that "working in the same posture or sitting still for prolonged periods is not healthy," and it describes several sitting postures a good setup should allow. That puts the weight on a recline you can control, a backrest that supports you when upright and when leaning back, and a seat that fits well enough that you are not sliding forward by mid-afternoon.

The postures a long-day chair should support

OSHA describes four reference postures and calls them "examples of body posture changes that all provide neutral positioning for the body." Three of them happen in the chair.

PostureOSHA's descriptionWhat the chair needs
Upright sittingTorso and neck "approximately vertical and in-line," thighs about horizontal, lower legs verticalSeat height and depth that fit, lumbar support at the small of the back
Reclined sittingTorso and neck "recline between 105 and 120 degrees from the thighs"A recline of at least 15 degrees with a lock or tension control, and a back tall enough to lean on
Declined sittingThighs slope down with the hips above the knees; torso vertical or slightly reclinedA seat that tilts forward, on chairs that have one, with the feet still supported
StandingLegs, torso, neck and head roughly in lineNot the chair; a sit-stand desk or a standing task

A chair that feels good only upright gives you nowhere to go during a long day. Try leaning back with the recline unlocked and check whether the backrest still meets your lower back and whether you can still reach the keyboard.

Fit problems grow with time

A seat that is slightly too deep or a lumbar curve slightly too high is easy to ignore in a five-minute test. Over a workday it pulls you to the front edge of the seat, away from the backrest. The seat-depth and lumbar checks in our chair adjustment guide matter more here than any extra feature.

Moving during the day

OSHA lists the ways to change position: "Make small adjustments to your chair or backrest," stretch, "Stand up and walk around for a few minutes periodically," and "Perform some of your tasks in standing: computing, reading, phone, meetings." Controls you can reach while seated, such as a recline lock and a seat-height lever, make the first of those easy to do without getting up.

A sit-stand desk adds the fourth posture. OSHA frames standing as one of several positions to move between, not as a replacement for sitting.

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Related guides

Sources

  1. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Good Working Positions
  2. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Chairs

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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