subject: What is the Purpose of an Ergonomic Chair? [print this page] What is the Purpose of an Ergonomic Chair?
With the economy being in the currently slumping state, numerous people are questioning the need for excessive spending in the office world. Cut backs are occurring right and left, and many office managers are trying to find new ways to shave as much as possible off of their expense list. It's no wonder that so many small businesses are ignoring or rejecting the claims that ergonomic office chairs will improve productivity by up to 150%.
Some of the questions that our office chair receives on a regular basis are:
1) Are ergonomic chairs really worth the extra money that they cost? The answer to this one is yes they are and actually when factored out over a lifetime, they are less expensive than a cheap office chair because the latter will have you in the physical therapists office so tack that on to your price tag.
2) Why are some ergonomic chairs cheaper than others? This boils down to quality of products sold. It is the same reason that certain shoes are cheaper than others. (I'm not talking about dress shoes here or fancy women's shoes, I am talking about sneakers) For example I have a pair of timberland work shoes that I've been wearing since the 11th grade in high school and I am now 30 years old. Yes these shoes cost me twice as much as a regular off brand name, but do you think the other shoes would still be holding up after 14 years of use? The same is true with ergonomic chairs; chair makers like Herman Miller use the highest quality but also eco friendly materials to ensure that not only is your chair comfortable, but it's also durable. The point is, you can buy one quality ergonomic chair and never worry about it again where as I've been through no fewer than 4 cheap office chairs just at my house.
3) Are there certain brands of ergonomic chairs to avoid? A good general rule of thumb is to check out and ensure that the chair you are looking to purchase has been approved by the BCPE (Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics). If it hasn't then it probably hasn't gone through the rigorous tests design solely to prove that a chair is made with the users health and well being in mind. If your chair isn't certified, then it could be a knock off that will end up hurting your back rather than saving it.
4) Can't I just sit properly in my (cheap) office chair? The answer to this is yes you can, but it requires work to do that. The question is do you want to spend time focusing on if you are sitting right or do you actually want to devote 100% of your mental train of thought towards your work. Ergonomic chairs were designed to keep you in proper position so that you do just that, focus on your work. That is one of the reasons that they boast the ability to improve your productivity, they force your body to a natural comfortable ergonomic position and support you throughout your workday.
