Sleekform Austin Ergonomic Kneeling Chair By Liz Mercer

5 Types of Chairs and Their Ergonomics Explained By K.T. Mehra

We often take office chairs for granted, but they play a very important role in our lives. They directly affect our productivity and not to mention our health.  There are a lot of reasons to consider buying a new chair for your work or home office.


Which is the best for your productivity and health?  Here is the list of the 5 most popular chairs and their benefits to your health and productivity explained.  We will go through the most ergonomic chairs, from simple mesh chairs to ergonomic kneeling chairs.


Mesh Office Chair


A great first option is a mesh office chair.  With the mesh netted fabric, these chairs are very breathable and comfortable.  The quality mesh chairs come with a waterfall edge which supports the lumbar for lower back support.  These normal office chairs are nice if they come with a waterfall edge, but are often not built with ergonomics in mind.


This is a great option if you are looking for something cheap or already have a mesh chair in your storage that you can use.

Kneeling Chair


The kneeling chair is a new office chair that has changed many of the ergonomics standards we have today.  Kneeling chairs have an angled knee rest that divides the body’s weight between the bottom and shins.  With the ergonomic design, you lean slightly forward which decreases stress from the back while making sure the core is engaged.  The kneeling chair gives many of the best benefits of standing desks while eliminating the negative effects of standing desks.


The primary benefits of kneeling chairs are:

  1. They are the best chair for back support and easing back pain.
  2. Strengthens the Psoas and core muscles.
  3. Kneeling chairs prevent spinal compression and lower back stress.

Finding the best kneeling chair isn’t always easy, but once you find the kneeling chair that is right for you, they can make you feel better than you have in years.


Drafting Chair

As we mentioned before, standing for too long can have a negative impact on health.  If you still want to use a standing desk, a solution is getting a drafting chair.  These are created to go with drafting tables and standing desks.  The idea behind the drafting chair is the ability to transform the chair from a sitting position to a standing position.  IT supports back and upper and lower limbs and body weight.  The chair is light and fairly easy to move. 


Leather Chairs


A classic chair, the leather office chair is an offshoot of the traditional executive office chair.  These are any chair made with leather.  They are typical to see in office buildings and conference rooms.  Leather office chairs are usually more expensive than your typical office chair.


The type of leather office chairs are polyurethane leather, bonded leather, and genuine leather.  Polyurethane leather is a fake leather substitute and is cheapest.  Bonded leather is made both with real leather and polyurethane.  And genuine leather is all real leather but is the most expensive of the leather chairs.


A leather chair is a fine option, but does not have the same ergonomic quality as the kneeling chair or even mesh chair.  If you are researching the best options for health and productivity, we would suggest another chair option than leather office chairs.


Leaning Sit Stand Chair


These are another option to support a standing desk.  The sit stand chairs are used with standing desks to support short breaks from standing.  They support your bottom when you lean backwards.  They are height adjustable and a good accessory for health if you use a standing desk.


These chairs let you quickly change between sitting, leaning, and standing positions, and are a good ergonomic option if you are set on using a standing desk.


Conclusion


Getting a new chair is one of the best ways to reduce unnecessary stress on your body while increasing your productivity at the computer.  Our top recommendations for an ergonomic chair are the world-famous kneeling chair and the normal mesh office chair, if you are looking for a quick cheap chair to buy.  


Creating an ergonomic and productive workspace is important.  Once you have your new chair, look at getting a nice desk and accessories like the new fountain pens here.  Make an ergonomic office that you love.

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