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Whether you are shopping for a new office chair or trying to fine-tune your current chair’s position to improve comfort, your office chair’s height is the most important part of creating an ergonomic workstation. Your chair and desk are a unified team, and they both must fit you to optimize comfort. It’s important to determine the correct height for your chair first, then decide on your desk height.

If you have questions about selecting the right office chair, or positioning it for the best ergonomic benefits, call the PVI Office Furniture experts at (301) 694-7162 today.

Ideal Chair Height

To determine the correct height for your office chair, stand in front of your chair and adjust the height so the highest point of the seat is just below your kneecaps. Once you sit in the chair, your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees should be at a 90° angle. This is the ideal lower body position for sitting down at a desk for extended periods of time.

Next, evaluate how your chair aligns with your desk. When seated, your upper arms should be comfortably oriented parallel to your spine while your forearms and hands rest on the surface of your desk. Your elbows should be bent at a 90° angle; if they aren’t, adjust your office chair higher or lower until the angle is correct. If this causes your lower body alignment to change, consider adding a footstool or raising the height of your desk.

Proper vs. Improper Chair Height

Determining your unique chair and desk height combination can improve your posture and aid in preventing painful back, neck, and arm problems. If improperly aligned, you’ll find yourself tending to “hunch” as you crane your neck forward and strain your eyes and arms to work. Unusually high or low arm placement can also cause painful stress to your shoulder joints and the upper back.

Seat position can affect circulation and joint pain while seated, which affects your ability to work comfortably for long periods of time. You should be able to sit for hours at a time (with rest breaks, of course) without pain in a properly adjusted office chair. Seat position also impacts your ability to easily stand. If positioned too low, you’ll be forced to bend your upper body more while getting up, which causes increased stress on your hips, knees, and ankles. Over time, a too-low office chair can cause intermittent stress pain in these joints.

Why Choose PVI Office Furniture?

PVI has served the Maryland, DC & Northern Virginia area for over 25 years as the largest new and used office furniture showroom and warehouse in MD. Our team provides high-quality, affordable office furniture and all-inclusive design services to our customers. We offer comprehensive office furniture solutions as well as office space planning, delivery, and installation. Customer satisfaction is always our top priority, and we guarantee that you’ll be satisfied with all of our products and services or we will make it right.

Need help designing the ergonomic office space of your dreams? Reach out to the office furniture experts at PVI at  (301) 694-7162.