The most widely held concept of ergonomic chairs is that they are desk chairs that are designed to make working in a seated position for extended periods of time healthier than when using a normal desk chair. This perception is primarily due to the fact that most ergonomic chairs are ergonomic office chairs because that is where we spend most of our time in a seated position. These chairs can also be found in the home as well, but it is rare.
The science of ergonomics was developed in the 1950’s. It was originally applied to factory workers and injuries that occurred due to associated repetitive work. It would not be until the late 1980’s that complications due to extended periods of sitting in an office chair would be recognized as true workplace injuries.
Basic Premise Of Ergonomic Chair Design
The basic premise of ergonomic office chairs design is that extended periods of time is a seated position, along with doing repetitive tasks, cause pressure in specific areas of the body that cause fatigue and other negative health effects. Ergonomic chairs are designed to mitigate those negative health effects. Primarily this is accomplished by designing a chair that essentially holds the body in correct posture and reduces pressure on those key points of the body. Those key points are highlighted in the graphic.
Why You Need An Ergonomic Chair
Extended periods seated in a chair can have extreme health consequences. The body is not designed to be in a seated position for extended periods of time. We are only now beginning to understand the full extent of potential injuries caused by sitting in poorly designed chairs for extended periods of time.
As awareness of injuries, associated with extended periods in a seated position, has grown the use of ergonomic chairs has become more common place. Due to this new awareness the market for ergonomic chairs has grown exponentially over the last few years.
Meeting The Demand For Healthier Seating
To meet the growing demand furniture designers have been tasked with developing new and innovative products around sound ergonomic principles. Ergonomic desk chairs, ergonomic computer chairs, ergonomic task chairs, kneeling chairs, ergonomic ball chairs, ergonomic work stools and any number of other products have been developed to meet the specific needs of workers in specific tasks.
Today an ergonomic chair has been designed for whatever the need may be. Most commonly used type of ergonomic chair is the ergonomic desk chair. These chairs are exactly what the name implies; ergonomic chairs that are designed specifically for workers that spend extended periods of time at a desk doing common or repetitive task.
Although there are ergonomic chairs designed for many different tasks, they can all be organized neatly into one definition. An ergonomic chair is designed to be health neutral or health positive depending on the manufacturer you speak with. Most ergonomic chairs are designed to be health neutral. The current trend in ergonomic chair design is in creating health-positive chairs. But, the majority of ergonomic chairs are designed to be health-neutral A health neutral chair is one that is designed to do several things; encourage good posture, distribute pressure away from muscles, reduce muscle heat by encouraging circulation, encourage blood flow to all parts of the body, and make repetitive tasks easier through ease of use of the chair.
Ergonomic Chair Buyers Beware
Ergonomic office chairs are becoming more commonplace in our everyday lives. Just about every chair made whether for the office or the home has some level of ergonomics designed into it. Buying a good ergonomic chair and knowing whether a chair is truly ergonomic or just marketed as ergonomic will become more difficult.
Just because a chair has a few adjustments does not make it an ergonomic chair. There are a few basic characteristics that all ergonomic chairs should have at a minimum. But remember just because a chair has the minimum does not mean that it is a good ergonomic chair. Ergonomic chairs have a lot more research and development behind their designs and people are willing to pay a lot more money for a good ergonomic chair. Since there are no laws governing what characteristics a chair must have to be called ergonomic there will be many manufacturers trying to make extra profit by labeling their chairs ergonomic when they really are not.
