Do you find yourself distracted at work and unable to focus for more than a few minutes? Do you often complain of back pain or neck stiffness, especially at the end of a long workday? If you work in an office and spend 8-10 hours of your day seated in a chair, one of the most likely reasons for your distractions and pains is the type of office chair you’re using. Long hours of sitting can take its toll on the body, but it’s a reality most office employees have to deal with. 

Consider getting an adjustable chair. Also called ergonomic chairs, adjustable chairs are specifically designed to adjust to the natural structure of your body, offering special support to body parts that often take the brunt when you are seated for long hours – such as the back, the shoulders and neck, the arms, and even the legs.

These chairs are also designed to have different adjustment options to accommodate changes in your seating position so that you remain comfortable and undistracted throughout the day.

The 5 Benefits of Adjustable Chairs

An adjustable chair can provide various benefits to your overall health, comfort, and your focus and performance at work. Below are some of the main benefits you can expect:

It supports proper posture

Your spine has an S shape and specific curves in certain spots and positions. Traditional office chairs are made with a generic built that often doesn't consider the natural shape of the spine, and this is the reason you experience discomfort and back pain when seated for long hours. With an adjustable chair, your spine’s shape is maintained and taken care of, so you are more comfortable in your seat.

Prevent bad posture habits

Some people are slouched or slumped when seated, while others develop rounded or hunched shoulders. These are not natural, and they’re considered bad posture habits developed over time by people who sit for long hours in front of their computer. However, these postures can be prevented with an adjustable chair. By allowing you to sit straighter and more relaxed, the chair helps your body retain its natural shape. 

Support proper hip and pelvis alignment

Do you know that lower back pain is often due to the strain caused by the improper alignment of the hips and pelvis? The bones in this area of your body are aligned a certain way, and sitting in a traditional chair can disrupt this alignment. This disruption then causes the spine to flex unnaturally, straining the muscles and thus causing lower back pain. An adjustable chair can maintain proper alignment of your hip and pelvis, thus ridding your lower back of unnecessary pressure.

Reduce the risk of neck problems

Most traditional chairs offer support up to the upper back, leaving you having to balance your neck and head in the middle of your shoulders through long hours as you work. This is the reason you often feel your neck and shoulders stiff at the end of the day. An adjustable chair will have a headrest to support your head and neck, so your shoulders are free and relaxed no matter how long you’re seated. 

Improve comfort and focus

Without the body pains caused by traditional office chairs, sitting for long hours will be more comfortable. Your muscles are more relaxed, so you can completely focus on your tasks at hand. Without the distraction, you can also expect yourself to be more productive at work.

The 4 Best Adjustable Chairs

If you’re finally ready to replace your traditional office chair with an ergonomic and adjustable chair, you’ll find several options in the market. Below are the top 4 options you can choose from:

MotionGrey Executive Chairs

Features: Built with a 360-degree swivel capability and easy height adjustment. They also come with a sloping waterfall seat edge, a heavy-duty five-point base, and 100% microfiber upholstery.

Pros and Cons: The chairs are built towards promoting ergonomics and durability. Apart from features that provide easy adjustability, they also come with cushioned sections for extra support to the back and the head. Meanwhile, the base is designed to enable the seats to roll over uneven surfaces without breaking down. The chairs come in an average size and can accommodate most individuals. However, for those with bigger built, there may be little room left for movement. It’s advised that you double check the size before purchasing.

Value for Money: This is one of the cheaper adjustable chairs in the market, ranging from around 150-200 dollars.

Herman Miller Aeron Chairs

Features: Offered in three different sizes and feature three recline options with tension control, a wide range of seat angle adjustment (from neutral to engaged), and fully adjustable arms (from 6.8 inches to 10.8 inches above the seat).

Pros and Cons: These are high-end seats built for performance and optimum lumbar support. They come equipped with a wide range of adjustability options, and they can accommodate a great variety of postures. The seats are breathable, all thanks to the 8Z Pellicle suspension that they’re built with. They come in different sizes, so there’s something for everyone. Note, though, that the control arms are located underneath, and they might sometimes get in the way, especially for tall individuals who tend to position their legs under the seat.

Value for Money: These are rather expensive chairs, offered at upwards of a thousand bucks. They do, however, come with a 12-year warranty.

AmazonBasics Executive Chairs

Features: Built with a butterfly seat plate and curved contours. They’re easily adjustable in height, from 41.34 inches to 45.08 inches high, and they come with a pneumatic control handle that can adjust both the seat height and control the tilt of the chair.

Pros and Cons: The seats come with basic ergonomic features – from the seat design and extra padding to the tilt angles and the 36-degree swivel capability. Bonded black leather combines with PVC upholstery to provide comfort and a polished look. However, given the leather used is not real leather, the cover is not built to endure extreme use. After a while, they can also get squeaky, and users may need to apply WD-40 to the screws to keep the noise down.

Value for Money: These chairs are the cheapest among the four in this batch, offered at around 140 bucks only.

SPACE Seating Professional AirGrid

Features: Designed with a 2-to-1 synchro tilt control, pneumatic control and adjustment of seat height, and angled adjustable arms. The AirGrid back with built-in lumbar support and mesh back pairing enables the seats to conform to the natural posture of the body.

Pros and Cons: These are straightforward adjustable seats with a basic design aimed at providing comfort to their users. The technology built in the seats are simple and functional, ideal for daily regular use. However, for users who may be looking for extra comfort features (such as head support or more back padding, for instance), you may want to look for other chair options.

Value for Money: These seats are also in the lower range in the price spectrum, offered at less than 200 dollars apiece.

Body pains, work distractions, and certain health conditions may seem like normal parts of a modern work life. However, the truth is that you have options to improve your overall wellbeing by making small changes both in your daily habits and in your work environment. Investing in an adjustable chair can go a long way in improving your working condition, and there are several options available for you. Look into the features and the technology, and you’ll find just the right one that suits both your need and your budget.

About Us

MotionGrey is a Canadian standing desk company that specializes in ergonomic furniture. We supply and install only the best quality standing desks and ergonomic chairs in the country.

Our products are designed with wellness as the focal point. From our electric standing desks to our office and gaming chairs, we deliver best value by putting your health, safety, and comfort as top priority. Boost your creativity and level up work performance. We want you to create great outcomes so we’re providing you only the best tools to make them possible.
 
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