Office chairs

What Should a Short Person Check in an Office Chair?

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

Summary

Check the lowest occupied seat height and the shortest usable seat depth first. You need foot support and enough space between the seat edge and your calves while using the backrest. CCOHS describes that clearance as about 5 cm (2 inches), roughly a clenched fist. If a fixed desk requires a higher seat, an adjustable footrest may be needed. A maker's user-height range or adjustment travel alone cannot tell you whether the chair's minimum settings fit.

The two numbers to check first

A short seat does not help if the chair still sits too high, and a low chair can still leave too little space behind your knees. Check the two minimum settings together before comparing the lumbar and armrest controls.

OSHA's purchasing guide gives a seat height range of 15 to 22 inches and a seat pan length of 15 to 17 inches. These figures describe what a chair should offer across many users. They are not targets for one person. Compare them with your own measurements.

CCOHS, Canada's occupational health agency, says a typical adjustable chair accommodates about 90 percent of the population. It also says the shortest and tallest 5% need custom chairs. A standard chair may not fit you, and the specs are the way to find out before you order.

Seat height: how low it goes

CCOHS's guidance is to use a footrest if you cannot place your feet flat on the floor after setting the chair height. A lower minimum seat height makes that less likely, so compare the maker's lowest listed seat height with your own lower-leg measurement. Makers may measure seat height to different points on the seat, so ask the store where its figure is taken.

Some makers give a user-height range instead of a seat-height figure. Sihoo lists a user height of 4'11" to 6'3" (150 to 190 cm) for the Doro C300 Pro V2. A user-height range is the maker's own grouping, so a seat-height minimum is the better figure to compare with your own measurement. If the listing has no seat-height range, ask the store for one before you buy.

Seat depth and the space behind your knees

CCOHS describes a seat-to-calf clearance of about 5 cm (2 inches), a clenched fist, between the front edge of the seat and your calves. Compare that with the chair's listed seat depth and its depth adjustment, if it has one.

OSHA's chair guidance asks for seat depth that is adjustable. For a shorter person, the figure to read is the shortest setting. The makers list these figures:

ModelSeat depth, as the maker lists itLumbar height adjustmentPrice, store and date checked
Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V216.9"-18.5" (1.6" adjustment)Moves up or downfrom $429.99 at Sihoo's US store, checked 2026-10-13
ProtoArc EC200 Pro1.97" adjustment range, 5 positions2.36"$249.99 at ProtoArc's US store, checked 2026-10-13
Sihoo M102C18.90"6 cm up/down$229.99 at Sihoo's US store, checked 2026-10-13

The Doro's 16.9-inch minimum falls within OSHA's 15 to 17 inch purchasing range. The M102C's 18.90-inch stated depth is 18.90 - 17 = 1.90 inches longer than its upper end, but neither comparison replaces your own seat-to-calf check. For the EC200 Pro, the 1.97-inch figure describes travel, not the shortest usable depth. Ask ProtoArc for that minimum before ordering.

If seat depth is your limit, the Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2's listed minimum of 16.9 inches is one setting to compare with your seated measurement. It was from $429.99 at Sihoo's US store, checked 2026-10-13. Confirm the minimum occupied seat height with Sihoo before choosing it; a suitable depth does not settle height. For the M102C's listed 18.90-inch depth, establish the backrest-to-calf fit before ordering rather than assuming you can return an assembled chair after trying it.

Lumbar and armrest height

Once the seat fits, the lumbar support has to reach the curve of your lower back. OSHA's chair guidance asks for lumbar support that is height adjustable. Sihoo lists 2 inches of lumbar height adjustment on the B300 Pro, from $259.99 at Sihoo's US store, checked 2026-10-13. ProtoArc lists 2.36 inches on the EC200 Pro. For the Doro C300 Pro V2, Sihoo lists the backrest as height adjustable, 20.5 to 23.6 inches above the seat, and the lumbar support as moving up or down.

OSHA's purchasing guide calls for armrests that adjust from 7 to 10.5 inches above the seat pan. Its chair guidance asks for armrests low enough for relaxed shoulders, so a shorter person should look at the low end of the range. ProtoArc lists 2.76 inches of up/down armrest travel on the EC200 Pro. CCOHS says armrests extending 25 cm (10 inches) or less from the back of the seat may be appropriate.

When the desk is too high

If your desk has a fixed height, follow CCOHS's order of adjustment: set the chair height so your elbows are about level with the work surface, then use a footrest if your feet no longer rest flat on the floor. CCOHS says the footrest should be adjustable and support both feet. OSHA's chair guidance also advises a footrest when the seat cannot be lowered. Our guide to footrests covers the difference between a separate floor footrest and one built into a chair.

OSHA's purchasing guide recommends an extended fit check before purchase. If you plan to check fit at home instead, confirm that the exact chair remains returnable after assembly and use. Sihoo's 30-day policy combines unused/original-packaging terms with FAQ wording allowing normal use. ProtoArc's Getting Started policy also gives 30 days after delivery but requires an unused item in its original package and customer-paid return shipping without a quality issue. Get the applicable conditions before buying.

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Related guides

Sources

  1. Sihoo, Returns Policy
  2. ProtoArc, Getting Started Return Policy
  3. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Purchasing Guide
  4. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Chairs
  5. CCOHS, Office Ergonomics - Adjusting the Chair
  6. Sihoo, Doro C300 Pro V2 Ergonomic Office Chair
  7. Sihoo, M102C Ergonomic Office Chair
  8. Sihoo, B300 Pro Ergonomic Office Chair
  9. ProtoArc, EC200 Pro Ergonomic Office Chair

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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