Is it Time to Break up With Your Office Chair
Sitting for long hours is tiring and unhealthy particularly when you do it for an extended period. But sometimes this is inevitable because we have goals to achieve and dreams to fulfill. That’s why workspaces are continually investing in quality and comfortable furniture to enable their staff to be productive. When your office chair depreciates, it’s critical that you replace it. Otherwise, that would be damaging to your back, painful to use, and would create a stressful work environment, making you unproductive. But how do you know it’s time to break up with your chair?
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Signs That You Need To Break Up With Your Chair
If your chair has seen its better days, it will start “communicating” with you in several ways. Sitting in it won’t feel the same as it used to be previously. There are several clues to look out for including:
When your chair is not supporting your lower back anymore. This is the most important feature you should always check out for in a chair. When you sit but don’t feel your back supported even after you optimally adjust your office chair, chances are the seat is in bad condition and requires a replacement. This often happens in chairs that have the mechanism for lumbar pressure adjustment. When it stops working, then that’s a signal you need to get another one.
When the cylinder can’t hold your chair in a position you want it to, it’s time to consider getting another office chair. While this part of your chair can be replaced, it’s often very expensive to get the new parts and repairing them. And when you do the repairs, you can’t be sure of how long it will serve you. See our guide on how to make your chair stay up. You are better off getting a new chair rather than continually repairing your chair.
If your chair is not ergonomically designed, replace it with one that’s properly designed for your work. We are in an era of science that is making office work less tedious and more productive. Therefore, everyone that works in an office environment needs to make use of scientifically improved furniture. If you can afford a chair integrated with massage mechanisms on the backrest, go for it. There are many affordable chairs out there with quality ergonomics, you just need to know where to look. Check out our affordable office chairs collection.
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When the adjustable components won’t adjust as expected, that’s an indication you should get another one. If you can’t adjust the backrest, armrests, height, and other parts of your office chair, that means you can’t position it in the right place (comfortable position) for your body. Check if these settings can be repaired or get another office chair if the repair costs are too much.
If the cushioning has gone flat, that is another sign that you need to replace your chair. If it compresses all the way, then it makes sitting on the rest of the chair a pain in the butt. This can potentially lead to back pain problems. When this happens, you know productivity is affected as employees are in pain while others will take time off to nurse their pains.
General discomfort is another sign you should note to replace your chair in time. Sometimes the chair might look good and there is no issue to point out but it’s uncomfortable to sit in for long. First, try to adjust its components then if the situation doesn’t get better, take the necessary step of buying another one. If it’s a chair you use on a regular basis and sit in long hours, it’s better to replace it.
What Reduces the Lifespan of an Office Chair?
The lifespan of an office chair depends on which brand and quality you pick. There are several issues that contribute to the failure of your office chair – some related to the chair while others with the way you use them.
Incorrect Usage
Some chairs are designed to handle occasional meetings in the conference rooms, while others are for daily use at the desk. So if you interchange a conference chair to receive a daily beating, it’s going to wear out faster. Its parts will break easily because you are using it for what it’s not meant to do.
Another issue that will deteriorate the quality of your chair is the habits of the user. If you’ll be constantly swinging on the chair as you work or racing it across the office, you’re likely break the parts.
Heavy Use
While there are many great chairs that can handle long hours of daily use, others can’t bear heavy use every day. Chairs with feeble parts will quickly show deterioration. This often happens in offices where there are no specific workspaces for people. If your chair can be used by different people with varied weight, height, and sitting behavior, then all the adjusting and constant push and pull will take a toll on it.
Bad Quality Components
Those who go for cheap things will notice some chair components breaking and falling off within a few months of use. If critical parts like the pneumatic cylinder or the casters break, then the chair is rendered useless. Such a chair will have to be replaced quickly otherwise it might cause an accident at the workplace.
Break Up With Your Chair for Which Alternatives?
What happens after you let go of your office chair? You should replace it with a more comfortable alternative. We have two recommendations:
Another Office Chair –
You can replace your worn-out office chair with another one. This time, go for a quality ergonomic chair. Ensure the parts are functional and adjustable to the maximum for comfort and productivity purposes. Here are factors you should consider to get one that’s suitable for your needs.
Consider the Type – Chairs come with all kinds of designs and for various people. There are office chairs for managers, workers, and visitors. If you are a manager or doing work that requires you to sit long hours, go for high quality, which will obviously be expensive models. Staff and visitor chairs should equally be as comfortable to avoid the fatigue of workers. Even if they come at a lower cost, make sure their chairs have casters together with armrests even if the components are what we’d call moderate.
Look at the Material Quality – Leather seats are often the best pick here when it comes to manager chairs but you can get good office chairs made of fabric, mesh and other materials. Regardless of the materials you choose, make sure it’s breathable and capable of maintaining your body temperature at desirable degrees. Also, look at the framing of your new chair. What is it made of? Most will be metal and plastic, but you can decide to go with wood or any other material available on the market. Brown or black colors are the best for office use.
Don’t Compromise on Ergonomics – We can’t reiterate this enough. An office chair should be ergonomically designed especially if you use it everyday for many hours. This helps you adjust it optimally to a position you like and feel comfortable for a productive work experience. While a managers chair can have sophisticated adjustable parts (some have a massaging system at the back), you still need to get employees chairs they can adjust the height, with soft cushioning, and additional functional parts like the armrests.
A good office chair must integrate various design components to allow the user to be comfortable and flexible during work. You want a chair that doesn’t cause muscle tension in your back, shoulders, and neck. Look for chairs with five-beam support, wheels, armrests, and height-adjustable mechanism. If there’s are parts that require you to adjust, make sure they are easy to handle and smooth to avoid the possibility of hurting yourself.
A Standing Desk
Apart from getting yourself a comfortable work chair, another way to go about breaking up with your office chair is by getting a standing desk. Well, transitioning from sitting to standing will be difficult but you’ll still need to put in your energy into making it work. Before you make the move, prepare your mind to avoid relapsing particularly if sitting has started causing side effects on you.
Start improvising by using what you already have. If you don’t have the money to buy a standing desk right away, raise your workstation. All you need to do is to stack several books to place your computer on then tilt your monitor upward to a comfortable position. That will allow you to stand while you work, a great starting point for this new routine. When you get the money, buy an adjustable standing desk. Alternatively, get a monitor stand that you can use over your work table.
Set your desk up at a convenient height with your palms resting on the surface when the elbows are folded at 90 to 100 degrees.
Something that’s often overlooked by those who use standing desks is the undue pressure you put on your veins while standing. If you decide to invest in a standing desk, make sure you buy a well cushioned mat to use under your feet. If you’ve been in professional kitchens, you must have noticed the high-quality mats chefs use. That fits their work situation well to avoid health issues related to long hours of standing. Sometimes you need high stools to lean on.
Here are some smart facts you should consider when you decide to go in the direction of a standing desk:
- A standing desk is probably not the best idea if you have health challenges that would become worse when you stand long hours
- Choosing an adjustable (sit-stand) workstation that you can sit or stand whenever you want is a great idea.
- Height adjustable workstations ensure you are flexible for all kinds of tasks at your workplace
- Whether you get a whole standing desk or a unit that sits on your current desk depends on your budget, office space, compatibility with other office tools, those who work in the same office, and personal preferences
Break Up With Your Chair and Replace it With Something Meaningful
Office furniture depreciates every time it’s used, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. If you are wondering if it’s the right time to replace your chair, then chances are you are uncomfortable, and replacing it is the best way to go about it. Your replacement will likely be a standing desk or another chair. Don’t go for the cheapest you can find. Instead, choose a quality office chair that will last long and make you productive all this time. Wondering where you can get this, reach us out at Office Furniture Warehouse.
