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Top Tips and Features When Choosing the Best Office or Gaming Chair for Your Work from Home Setup

Since the pandemic, people have been spending more time indoors. Remote working has become the norm, and a lot of time is constantly spent at home, behind a laptop or computer. There is an inherent need for good-quality office furniture that lends optimal comfort and increases productivity. One of the most important pieces of furniture needed for the “work from home” setup is a good office chair, which can also double up as a gaming chair for your leisure hours away from work.

Poor quality office chairs will likely necessitate quick replacement and will lower productivity and affect your health in the long run. An ergonomic office chair is supportive and comfortable, especially for extended periods of use. A less optimal chair may feel like the better option in the short term, owing to its lower price. However, it is costlier in the long term as it can cause many health issues, including carpal tunnel syndrome and back and leg problems. This can decrease work productivity and lead to loss of valuable work time. An ergonomic office or gaming chair supports the back and posture while preventing discomfort from long hours of use.

Features of good quality, ergonomic office, and gaming chairs

  • Lumbar or lower back support: An office chair with a dedicated lower back or lumbar support will prevent your back from bending forward and forming an unnatural curve to your spine. Your lumbar region muscles will not be put under strain and no undue pressure on blood flow to the spinal tissue. This can ensure your back nerves are not pinched and your muscles are not fatigued. Good lumbar support and a quality backrest promote blood circulation and good posture and work productivity. Sophisticated office chairs may come with a full backrest and adjustable lumbar support, preventing sciatica.
  • Swivel base and wheelbase: Swivelling and rolling are essential features of a good office and gaming chair as they grant easy and quick access to different areas of your desk, as needed. This avoids arm fatigue and strain, resulting from too much stretching to reach for items from various areas of your desk. It is advisable to add wheels to your office chair for easy movement if you have a carpet laid in your room.
  • Easy adjustability: While most office chairs will have adjustments for arm and height, the best ergonomic chairs have between five to fourteen types of adjustments, many of which are controlled by dials. The best ergonomic chairs provide tension control, lumbar support, back of the seat and arm height and width, and back of seat angle. As needed, the backrest can be reclined or brought forward and closer to the computer. With added adjustability features comes the chance to customize your office chair to your unique needs.
  • Contoured waterfall chair seats: Desk chairs with seats boasting a rounded edge help you in maintaining a good posture. The downward slope of the waterfall seat helps in improving the support and blood flow to the back of your knees and thighs. This design helps to distribute your weight over the entire seat, ensuring a comfortable session of work.
  • Breathable upholstery: The fabric upholstery of your office chair should promote comfort at all times. Breathable material prevents the chair from becoming too hot after many hours of being seated in it. A chair with mesh fabric is softer on the skin. Added cushioning on the seat of the chair provides better comfort.

Tips for selecting the right office chair for your needs:

  • To prevent shoulder strain, you need to ensure that the arm height of your office and gaming chair should be at the same height as your desk. It is ideal to have an adjustable feature to tweak the height of your chair as per your needs.
  • The chair’s armrests need to be close to its body for maximum shoulder comfort.
  • The chair should be adjustable enough to ensure that your knees are below your hip level for added comfort.
  • There should ideally be a little gap between the front edge of your seat and the backside of your knees.
  • Your feet need to be able to comfortably reach the floor. If not, you may need to invest in a footstool or simply adjust the height of the chair to your needs.
  • Your chair should promote free movement so that you can change positions easily, not being stuck in the same position for extended hours.
  • The backrest of the chair should mimic your spine shape and support your lower back curvature.
  • For optimal support, the back of your chair needs to reach the mid-section of your shoulder blades.
  • Look for a memory foam cushion for your office chair for maximum comfort.
  • You know you are in the right position when you look straight ahead and see the center of your laptop or computer screen.

Conclusion

An ergonomic office and gaming chair can help maintain a comfortable work-from-home space. It can also promote long-term health and good posture. It’s highly advisable to try various chair types before settling on the one which is best suited. With a little bit of research and bearing in mind the tips discussed above, you are set to invest in the best office chair for your unique need.