Office Chairs For Health and Beauty

The office chair you choose plays a big role in your workday. We often give them little thought, until they break. But minute by minute, hour by hour, an office chair can help or hinder your work. Choose one that isn't right for your particular needs and you will find yourself constantly irritated, even if you're not fully aware of it.

Physical construction is the most basic level of a good office chair. It needs to be solidly built and the right size for you. It has to have the proper cushioning and good material. But that is only the beginning.

A good chair will adjust easily through a wide range of heights and angles to conform to your body and style. Have you ever seen an office chair where adjusting the height becomes an Olympic sport? Some designs require you to have the strength of an athlete just to raise the level an inch. Others have the opposite problem, popping up or down at the slightest touch of the lever. Avoid them.

Contemporary office chair designs will provide excellent support to the lower back. They'll allow you to adjust the height and sometimes even the angle of the arm rests. That's key to ensuring that you get the proper orientation to the desk and keyboard. You can then work in comfort, avoid long term health problems, and get more done in a day.

Depending on the size of your office, though, you may need more than just desk chairs for you and your partner, staff or co-workers. If you have clients or a reception area, good supplemental seating is a must. In Japan or China, what you offer your guests says a lot about how you regard them. Westerners may place less emphasis on it, but the effect is still there, if more subtle. Mesh chairs or bungee chairs are both appreciated by everyone.

The design of the primary office chair or supplemental seating can also say a lot about the business owner. We've all seen scenes in films of highly stylish law offices, for example. The seating isn't just a matter of impressing clients, as important as that may be. A good design presents an image that goes beyond vanity. It establishes an air of competence, good design sense and more that can mean the difference between getting the contract or not.

Fortunately, there are hundreds of models on the market that fulfill both roles - beauty and function - very nicely. A leather-covered office chair with a cherry wood base is stylish. Wheels that never wear out with easy to reach controls make it highly utilitarian. An ergonomic chair with a rachet back adjustment puts support at just the right height for you. Great padding makes it comfortable. Stylish fabric makes it a joy to use.

Many small business owners have a tendency to resist spending on a fine chair. That's understandable. Tight budgets are one key to success. But given the years of use and the effect a good office chair has on the decor it pays to spend a little more to get a lot more. After all, buying ugly, too-tight shoes isn't for you. You'll get as much use out of a good office chair as any footware.