Office chairs

What Makes an Office Chair Ergonomic?

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

Summary

An ergonomic office chair fits your body and desk through adjustable seat height, seat depth, back support and armrests. The label alone does not establish that fit. OSHA's guidance emphasizes adjustable support for different users and sitting positions, along with a stable five-legged base; use the conditions below to assess the chair rather than the product name.

The adjustments OSHA describes

AdjustmentOSHA guidanceFit check
Seat heightAdjustable; a footrest when the seat cannot go low enoughYour feet are supported while the seat suits the desk height
Seat depthForward/back adjustment of the seat or backrestYou can sit against the backrest without the seat edge pressing behind your knees
Lumbar supportHeight adjustment to fit the lower backThe backrest's curve supports the small of your back
ReclineAt least 15 degrees from vertical, with a lock or tension controlThe backrest supports more than one seated position
ArmrestsSupport for the lower arms with relaxed shouldersYour elbows can stay close to your body without the armrests getting in the way
BaseFive legs and casters suited to the floorThe base and casters suit the surface where you will use the chair

A listing that calls a chair ergonomic but gives no seat-depth adjustment or only a fixed back is telling you less than the label suggests. Some chairs reach the same result another way, for example by sliding the whole seat pan, so read the adjustment description itself.

What the adjustments are meant to produce

OSHA calls the target a neutral position, "a comfortable working posture in which your joints are naturally aligned." At the desk that means elbows close to the body and bent between 90 and 120 degrees, shoulders relaxed, thighs roughly parallel to the floor, knees at about hip height, feet supported by the floor or a footrest, and the back supported by the lumbar area of the chair.

A chair with more controls is not automatically closer to that. What matters is whether the range of each control covers your measurements. A seat that cannot go low enough for a shorter user, or armrests that stay above a low desk even at their lowest setting, will miss the target however many levers the chair has.

When the chair is not the problem

OSHA's desk guidance lists the fix for a desk that is too high: "If the work surface cannot be lowered, raise the chair to accommodate the user," then add a footrest. Our ergonomic desk setup guide covers the order for chair, desk and monitor. A monitor off to one side will still turn your head, and a keyboard too far away will still pull your arms forward.

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Related guides

Sources

  1. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool (overview)
  2. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Chairs
  3. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Good Working Positions
  4. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Desks

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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