Tag Archives: ergonomic office chair

Ergonomic Office Chairs, Mesh Office Chairs, Office Chairs

Ergohuman Elite

The Ergohuman Elite chair is now Certified in the UK and is 97% Eco-friendly

Certified to BSEN5459 (2000) Part 2 : structurally suitable and sufficiently stable for use as an office chair for up to 24 hours a day, when used by persons up to 150kg in weight.

Eco-friendly – 97% of the Ergohuman® chair is made with recycleable materials

ERGOHUMAN Elite conforms to BS 5459-2:2000 Specification for performance requirements and tests for office furniture. Office pedestal seating for use by persons weighing up to 150kg and for use up to 24 hours a day, including type-approval tests for individual components

BS 5459-2 specifies performance requirements and test methods for the structural safety and stability of office pedestal seating when used by persons weighing up to 150 kg, or when used for up to 24 hours a day, including chairs for use with tables and desks higher than those specified in BS EN 527-1.

It also specifies requirements and test methods for type-approval of bases, columns, seat actions, back stems and locking devices.

BS 5459-2 seeks to ensure that the seating will not become a danger or cause injury to users when it is used as office seating in a manner which is foreseeable

Ergohuman Elite Office Chair
Ergohuman Elite Office Chair

The Ergohuman Elite Ergonomic Office Chair is an innovative, modern, ergonomic chair that combines complete functionality with optimal comfort. The Ergohuman utilizes state of the art upholstery coupled with a wide array of ergonomic functions to make this chair perfect for any user. A synchro-tilt mechanism allows for smooth, controlled adjustments while keeping your body in an ergonomically correct position. Versatile casters allow for nice movement on carpeted or hard surfaces. This is an opportunity to sit comfortably in one of the newest ergonomic mesh chair today.

View the other ergonomic office chairs from Ergohuman.net, like the Enjoy Mesh Office Chair, Ergohuman Plus or the Ergohuman Elite Leather

Ergohuman Elite Mesh Office Chairs
Ergohuman Elite Mesh Office Chairs
Ergonomic Office Chairs

Ergonomic Office Chairs

We live in a designer world, where a dress is no longer a dress but a Stella McCartney number, a suit is a Versace and a car is referred to as the Porsche or some other ‘to die for’ brand name on four wheels.

So, why shouldn’t you refer to your own ergonomic office chair as a Nefil, a Mirus or a Ergohuman?

Why not?

Okay, it’ll be ‘out of the norm’ but think of the good advice you’ll be imparting to your family, friends and colleagues.

What I’m saying is – there’s an office chair but then there’s an ergonomic office chair and, unlike the designer ‘must haves’ mentioned earlier, a good ergonomic office chair doesn’t cost the earth.

When talking about cars, a firefighter friend told me that there are certain cars which stand up better to accident damage (e.g. the Alexis) and the same can be said for your office chair. Some will simply be office chairs, while others will give you additional support and improve your posture.

So, if you are shopping for your own ergonomic office chair, start (and, might I add, finish) with the Ergohuman range. Of the three I have already mentioned, all have those important adjustments, like seat height, seat tilt and that all-important lumbar support section, meaning the design isn’t ‘off the peg’ but made to measure, for you, whoever you are.

You can also go for additional extras, like a headrest and a leg rest, so think the whole picture when you are deciding what’s right for you. What does your job entail?

The duties of your job might make certain features more important to you. For example, that seat tilt. If your job means you are up and down all day long, a forward tilt will actually aid you in standing up, taking some of that pressure of your legs which normally comes from getting up from a more horizontal position.

Office Chair with Leg Rest
Office Chair with Leg Rest

Once you’ve chosen the right model for you, you can move on to choosing the right colour and the Ergohuman range do much more than black and blue. I’d go for a subtle autumn shade and I’d choose a mesh upholstery, as it’s durable, comfortable and easy to care for.

Are you starting to get the picture? You know, shopping for an ergonomic office chair can be more fun than shopping for something to wear. With the right advice and professional support, you won’t be thinking of taking it back the next day.

Ergohuman
Ergohuman
Nefil Mesh Office Chair from ergohuman.net
Nefil Mesh Office Chair from ergohuman.net
Ergonomic Office, Ergonomic Office Chairs

a bad workman always blames his tools

Having worked in an office for more years than I care to remember, I have passed from the manual office system of writing information and filing into the computer lifestyle of typing everything and saving to computer storage.

Computers were supposed to cut down on paper and I suppose they do, although there is still a great need for keeping documents in huge files, just in case …. . Now computers follow us where ever we go…

So I suppose you could say that I have spent a lot of my life sitting down and not very well, it seems. I would have argued that my sitting with a straight back all these years has been worth its while but, with the arrival of the computer, the keyboard and let us not forget the mouse, I seemed to spend a lot of time turning this way and that.

It started with pain in my wrists. Tenosynovitis, or RSI (repetitive strain injury) as it is now called, is painful and any repetitive movement can cause it but I suppose it also had something to do with the fact that my chair wasn’t high enough. Sitting on a cushion helped but I had already developed the pain, so prevention would have been better than cure.

Today, I see my younger colleagues using computer workstations, ergonomic office chairs with arm supports and some also have ergonomic wrist rests. Needless to say, these have been supplied by a savvy employer who realises the benefits of creating an ergonomic office.

If you’re more comfortable, you’re happier and, if you’re happy, it shows in your work. It’s like they used to say, ‘a bad workman always blames his tools’. That old office chair that I used all those years ago didn’t promote good posture. The chair I have now does, as it is adjustable to my height and my workstation. My forearms run horizontally to the keyboard and my feet fully touch the floor. That can’t be bad, can it?

Ergohuman Ergonomic Office Chair
Ergohuman Ergonomic Office Chair

Buy Ergonomic Office Chairs Online

Ergonomic Office Chairs

Ergohuman

Life is now more sedentary than ever before. Before the Industrial Revolution came along, adults and even young children laboured in the fields and, as a result, the whole body received a daily workout. Now, in the age of computer technology, work has become mostly sedentary and, as a result, the human body gets little exercise during those working hours. This means that the human frame needs to be looked after in its seated position, otherwise health problems can arise due to lack of physical activity. A sensible employer will pay attention to correct seating, as conditions such as a bad back, sciatica or shoulder pain will invariably lead to sickness and lower output.

A chair has gone from being a wooden frame with four legs to an ergonomic speciality on an aluminium frame sporting castors and, as each human frame is different, so are the ergonomic chairs which are designed to support that human frame. A truly ergonomic office chair will address weight, height, body frame, length of legs and arms and may also give head support.
Start by looking at the Ergohuman, an office chair which has the whole human frame in mind. A single lever allows the user to change the tilt of the chair for maximum comfort and there may be times when the user wants to be upright and extremely attentive, as opposed to laid back and deep in thought. One can also alter the height of the seat to agree with the length of the person’s legs, alter the height and position of the armrests and apply a seat slide for perfect positioning. A unique point about the Ergohuman is its flexible lumbar support system which, situated in the lower part of the chair back, adjusts itself to hug the lower back of its user. Once a chair has had all its adjustments made to match the user, thought might turn to fixing a head rest. This will not only support the head but give support to the neck a well.

As human beings, we are also fickle and so colour and upholstery may need to be addressed when choosing the right ergonomic chair. Corporate colours may mean that only a particular colour can be chosen as, in a big office or in an open-plan environment, the same colour will be more pleasing on the eye than a multitude of colours scattered everywhere.
As regards to fabric, one’s position in a company may allow leather to be the choice but, for most of the workers, the choice may fall between a basic fabric or mesh. Each type of upholstery has its own benefits; leather is more durable, fabric is washable and mesh breathes. When it comes to sales, mesh proves to be very popular, both because of its breathability and its interesting range of colours.

Though fabric and colour may seem to have little to do with ergonomics, being happy with these two points really does make a chair more satisfying.

Ergohuman Plus Office Chair

Ergohuman Office Chair
Ergohuman
Ergonomic Office Chairs, Office Chairs

Ergonomic Office

Ergonomics is about getting the situation to fit you, rather than you to fit the situation. So, for example, when looking at an ergonomic office chair, getting the chair to fit you would mean addressing points such as your height, your size and your job duties.

Your height is an important point to address, as a perfect sitting position will mean that your feet are flat on the floor, while your thighs are more or less parallel to the floor. It is easy to see that if your chair is too low for you, your knees will be coming up to meet you and there will be less support to your lumbar region, as your thighs are not making perfect contact with the office chair. If the chair is too high for you, your feet may not fully touch the floor, making steadiness an issue. A height-adjustable chair will help solve these needs. If you suffer from back pain you would be better off with a well designed ergonomic office chair like the BMA Axia Range of Chairs

If you are small in stature, or somewhat overweight, the armrests of the chair may not serve their purpose of supporting your lower arms, again to keep them parallel to the floor and resting on the desk comfortably.

Once the ergonomic chair is adjusted to your needs, you can identify whether the desk height meets your specifications. It’s all right getting the seat absolutely perfect but is the table or desk too high or too low for your wrists to rest comfortably near the keyboard or the paperwork?

This is where adjustable desks show their worth. As the name suggests, a height-adjustable desk will allow you to get the correct height for your perfect workstation.

The theory of ergonomics also addresses a cognitive aspect. For example, why did you place your phone to the left of your monitor and why so far back on the desk? If it’s an office tool that you use quite often, is it in a comfortable and accessible position? Why isn’t the monitor directly in front of you? Regular use of the computer will mean that your body rests in a twisted position (neck and hips) for long periods of time. The placing a heavy dictionary at the back of the desk, instead of closer at hand, will cause pressure to your hand, wrist, arm and shoulder, every time you reach for it.

Ergonomics is a serious business which, once you’ve got it right, encourages your body to respect good posture. An ergonomic desk and adjustable chair might cost a little more than run-of-the-mill office furniture but for all the right reasons. Surveys have shown that working in an ergonomic environment increases productivity by as much as 20%, the enhanced posture having the knock-on effect of increasing work satisfaction. With less posture-related illnesses and the resulting time off work, creating an ergonomic office ticks all the right boxes.

Below: the BMA Axia Plus Ergonomic Office Chairs

BMA Axia Plus Ergonomic Office Chair
BMA Axia Plus Ergonomic Office Chair

Ergonomic Office Chairs, Office Chairs

Remain Seated

Knowing about good posture is very important but, whilst looking for this information, I came across a mention of how bad posture affects more than just your back.

If you sit poorly, it doesn’t take your muscles long to think that this position is the way it’s going to be and your muscles work alongside this bad posture, causing an imbalance in muscle support. Also, if you slouch, you are restricting digestion, circulation and breathing and your bones aren’t too happy about it either.

Once the aches and pain start in places like your neck, shoulders and back, maintaining a sitting position for any length of time becomes difficult and you may have to restrict sitting to twenty minutes or so, then move around to give your muscles and your skeletal frame a change of position, before returning to your earlier task.

If you have a job that allows regular movement e.g. a shop assistant, moving and changing positon is part and parcel of the requirements of the post. If you are in a sedentary job (the list is endless!), that earlier acquired bad posture and its accompanying aches and pains is going to cause havoc e.g. discomfort, irritability, distraction and concentration problems.

The truth is that we probably don’t know what good posture entails i.e. does it mean more than sitting with a straight back?

Good posture includes having your feet firmly on the floor: dangling feet and crossed legs are definitely ‘no go’ areas. Your tailbone should be right up to the back of the chair and so should your back, unless you are slanting slightly forward, in which case the line between your head, chest and pelvis should be straight (not curved).

So, these points indicate a good sitting posture but that’s not the end of the story. The chair is only good for you if it’s ‘user-friendly’ in relation to the height of your table or desk, as your forearms need to reach the task in a horizontal position.

This is where ergonomic office chairs are worth their weight in gold. They adjust not only to support your back but also to meet your height. The arm rests can be adjusted to ensure horizontal support for your hands and, together, you are sitting comfortably and working well.

There is quite a range of adjustable chairs, as each of us is different and an ergonomic chair means that the chair fits you and not the reverse! When choosing a suitable office chair, it will pay you to call on the advice of someone knowledgeable in ergonomics, to make an assessment of both your skeletal frame and the duties of your job. This will make sure that you choose the office chair that meets your needs.

Elementary, don’t you think?

Choosing an office chair is difficult, so lets start with a good all rounder. Enjoy Office Chairs are very popular as they are comfortable and excellent value for money. The best selling Enjoy Office Chair is from the same range of Mesh Office Chairs as the Ergohuman Office chair.
The Ergohuman is a tried and tested office chair with extra lumbar support helps to support the back thereby influencing better posture. Take a look at the Ergonomic Office Chairs for more information on the different choices

Enjoy Office Chairs
Enjoy Office Chairs
Ergonomic Office Chairs

Ergonomics – Forward Planning

Ergonomics is all about the study of work: making sure that you don’t cause undue pressure to parts of your body; ensuring that if your job means a repetitive movement you remember to build in sufficient breaks to allow for muscles to relax; using the right tools for the job.  Addressing the last point first will have a positive knock-on effect on the other two points.

In any kind of work, we often say that if a job is not done to an acceptable standard, that maybe the person didn’t have the right equipment for the job.  Try to do an electrical job with kitchen rather than professional tools (e.g. stripping the plastic sheath from cable by using a sharp knife (yes, I’ve done it and the wire kept breaking) and you will see how the task becomes more difficult and can be both hazardous and stressful.  So, weighing up the needs of the situation and getting the right equipment makes sense, doesn’t it?

Looking at sedentary work, the same rules should apply.  In an ordinary day at the office, work will involve movement of paperwork or boxes recall the health and safety rules for correct lifting, twisting and turning in your office chairs to reach things on the desk, hours of typing and the list goes on, depending on the specifics of the job in hand.  So, due care and diligence is needed in an office environment, the same as in any other kind of work.

In today’s busy world, we don’t seem to have time for thinking straight, yet creating an ergonomic office really is a must.  If an accident happens, you will be troubled with afterthought, realising that ‘if you had only done this’ or ‘thought of doing that’, the accident may never have happened.  The result of even a minor accident can be time off work, compensation, or even a permanent disability.

As an employer, it makes sense to think ahead and to forward plan the working environment.  Seeking advice from someone ‘in the know’ helps make sure that costly mistakes are not made, when purchasing ergonomic chairs and ergonomic desks, as the responsibilities of a job in one environment might be different to another.  Also, we human beings are all different shapes and sizes and there are lots of ergonomic office chairs out there, ranging from basic office design to standing seats and kneeling chairs.  Such thought and consideration will make for a safer environment, better working conditions, happier staff and improved output.

Ergonomic Office Chairs, Office Chairs

Active Ergonomics Flo3 High Back Chair by Orangebox

The OrangeBox Flo Range of Ergonomic Office Chairs now rebranded as Active Ergonomics Flo3 High Back Chair by Orangebox

Flo is a chair designed for maximum fit, with minimum fuss and an uncomplicated set-up. Flo is perfect for those who are struggling with back or other occupational health issues. The chair has all the credentials to ensure best practice in terms of rehabilitation. Three years of research and development has culminated in a product and process designed to shift the status quo. Multiple adjustment range also means Flo is easier to specify.

The Flo3 chair has the following features:

100mm seat depth adjustment
100mm back height adjustment
100mm arm width adjustment
Standard 65mm castors
Three dimensional directional adjustment in the backrest
Forward tilting free floating seat mechanism with independent back angle adjustment
Adjustable Lumbar Support
Inbuilt coccyx relief
Seat height 460-590mm
Seat Depth 450-550mm
High backrest height 600mm with 100mm additional height adjustment
Backrest width (widest) 500mm
ARMS & NECKREST OPTIONAL

Active Ergonomics Flo Chair by Orangebox
Active Ergonomics Flo Chair by Orangebox

Active Ergonomics fro OrangeBox
Active Ergonomics fro OrangeBox