Due to the evolutionary state of modern workplaces, hybrid and working from home models have been adapted all over the world. Allowing employees to have this sort of flexibility is truly fantastic as it gives them the chance for a better work-life balance. Work can be prioritised around life, rather than the other way around.
All they have to do from their end is sort out a suitable space in their home, where they can concentrate and treat it as their workspace rather than a section of their home. In order to do this, the employee must have a suitable desk and a comfortable chair. This brings us to the end of a long battle between employee and employer for the sake of the employee’s back health. The employer wants to keep the cost low, but the employee wants to not be uncomfortable for 40 hours a week. Now is the time to take this issue into your own hands. Read on to find out what you need to consider when purchasing your home office chair.
Price
As we mentioned, the main issue with office chairs is the price of them. One of the most crucial things to look for when deciding to purchase a new home office chair is looking at the price point and what exactly you can get for your money. But remember, a pricey chair doesn’t exactly mean quality. You should always consider an initial budget for whatever you have in mind, but then allow any wiggle room for some add-on extras that you think will make you love the chair even more. Home office chairs and cheap furniture can be found for bargain prices at many furniture shops, so take a wander around and make sure to try out some of the chairs before you settle on a price.
Usage
Before making the initial purchase of the office chair, consider how you are going to use the chair. Ask yourself questions such as how long will you be sitting in it for? What times will you be sitting on it? And why will you be sitting on it? By asking yourself these questions you can eliminate a large number of the options available to you. If you know that your work requires you to stay in one place for a large portion of the day, then you will need a chair that is comfortable. Even if you are doing part-time hours, the office chair is an important part of your health. For something like this, you can pay that bit extra and get one that is suited exactly to the style or mold of your body and height.
Adjustability
Perhaps the most important thing to look at when deciding what chair you should purchase is its adjustability. If you are investing in a good chair, you want it to last, so you could end up sitting on this chair for years down the line. It’s important that you are be wary about how it might affect your posture. Posture is something that all humans should be aware of as, if not taken seriously, bad posture can lead to damaging life-long effects and health issues. From an employer’s point of view, it’s also crucial that your staff are in peak health condition, to ensure that staff absences are at a minimum. Things to look out for when looking at the adjustability of a chair are recline-ability, chair height, seat depth, armrests, and lumbar support.
You can take it a step further and invest in an adjustable desk. These, unlike a quality office chair, often don’t have to be expensive. The adjustable element can be a crank for affordability or a button for a more luxurious option. However, the height of your desk is important to your posture, as your arms and legs are supposed to be almost at a 90-degree angle. Rarely is that achieved comfortably, with the desk height usually too high or too low, because how many of the population is actually the average height?
Seat Material
Although this point may seem rather materialistic, it is something that many people overlook. Just like any other piece of furniture you buy, you want it to look nice. Your new home office chair shouldn’t be any different. If you are having to view this seat five out of seven days of the week, you want the product to be aesthetically pleasing. If you, for example, have to be on a lot of video calls to clients while working from home, you wouldn’t want them to see a chair that doesn’t impress. If you go ahead and just buy the cheapest, most adjustable product, but you don’t like the look of it, you will end up becoming sick of the sight of it. This could, in turn, demotivate you from enjoying your work and staying productive throughout the working day.