Office chairs

What Office Chair Works Best in a Small Space?

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

Summary

In a small room the chair that works is the one that fits under the desk and rolls back far enough for you to stand, not the one with the smallest seat. Measure the desk opening and the floor behind it, then look for a chair whose arms and base fit those numbers while the seat still fits your body. Armless or flip-up arms can do more for the fit than a smaller chair.

Measure the desk and the room first

Measure three things: the clear width between the desk legs or drawer units, the height from the floor to the underside of the desktop, and the distance from the desk edge to the wall or furniture behind you. OSHA gives 20 to 28 inches (50 to 72 cm) as the general range for leg clearance under a desk, and asks that the space "remain free of items such as files, CPUs, books, and storage."

Compare those numbers with three chair dimensions: overall width including the arms, the base diameter, and the overall depth. The base sets the minimum room behind the desk; the arms decide whether the chair tucks in.

When the arms stop the chair

If the chair stops short of the desk, look at the armrests first. OSHA's chair guidance allows for this directly: "If your armrests cannot be properly adjusted, or if they interfere with your workstation, remove them, or stop using them." Height-adjustable arms that drop below the desk edge, arms that flip up, or an armless chair let the seat slide under the desk without shrinking the seat itself.

What not to shrink

A compact chair still has to give you seat depth that supports most of the thigh and a backrest that reaches the small of your back. OSHA recommends providing "a chair that is sized to fit small or large users." A seat chosen only because it is small can leave you perched forward, and the space saved is lost to a posture you have to correct all day.

Space from the rest of the desk

The monitor sets how deep the desk has to be: OSHA recommends viewing it "at a distance of at least 20 inches (50 cm)." Our guides to monitor arms and small desk layouts go into both of the next points. A monitor arm frees the desktop behind the screen, and cables routed under the desk keep the chair's path clear.

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Related guides

Sources

  1. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Desks
  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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