Does your chair fit?
Chairs for home and the work place are designed for the average height and build. But what about for those who are at either end of the bell curve? Matching the right chair to the individual should really be as important as have the right fitting shoe, especially for the desk worker who sits all day.
In reality, in offices everywhere, this is not the case. Companies tend to buy chairs in bulk and all of the same make and size. Does one of these common scenarios sound like you?
- Tall people sit in standard seats with too much of their thigh unsupported and hanging in front of the chair.
- Short people sit in standard chairs that are too large and cannot get their bottoms to the back of the chair, or if do, have their feet swinging and not firmly on the ground.
How do you know if a chair fits you properly?
There are 3 important dimensions to measuring a well fitted chair for any individual.
- Can you easily get your hips and bottom back into the seat with the backrest supporting your back?
- When you are seated back into the chair, do your feet sit firmly on the ground with your knees and hips at a right angle?
- Is there a 2-5cm gap between the front edge of the chair and the back of your knee when you are sitting well into the back of the seat?
If you answered 'no' to any of these questions, then your chair should be modified or changed altogether. Office chairs do offer great adjustability such as a seat slide, and gas compression chambers for lift and tilt. Seat depths, heights and tilts can therefore be altered up to a point for the average sized of us. However, for the petite and larger of us, there are chairs out there that would better suit you.
I would suggest that if you are one of our smaller or larger friends, speak to your HR department or physiotherapist about whether your chair is adjustable enough or whether another new chair is really the answer.
Just like Golidlocks and the three bears, there is a seat size best for everyone, no matter how big or small.
