Orthopaedic office chair is a colloquial expression that stands for healthy sitting. The “orthopaedic” is used preventively here, the office chair should be optimally adapted to the user’s body and support his or her need for movement.
Ergonomic office chairs as medical aids. The orthopedic office chairs are also used to designate chairs that enable sitting in the event of an existing orthopaedic condition and alleviate existing sitting discomfort. In this case, the specification of the specific diagnosis for which the office chair is suitable is advantageous and says much more than just “orthopaedic”. For example, an ankylosing spondylitis office chair or an arthrodesis chair.
If you are planning to purchase a proper office chair, one would say that you should have a look at specialist ergonomics shops. Together with your specialist, the right orthopaedic or ergonomic office chair can be found. In these shops, it is also helpful that you can usually borrow and test a suitable office chair before buying it.
Many office chairs with orthopaedic properties are described in many sites offering these chairs. Many also offer assistance to correct the setting of office chairs and purchase consulting office chairs to solve your doubts.
One of the most important requirements for an office chair is its ergonomics. It also determines the recommended sitting time. This means the maximum amount of time you should spend in the chair without risking pain or negative health consequences. While there are chairs that sit for 2 to 4 hours a day for private use, a recommendation of 8 hours or more for everyday office use. For continuous use, for example in emergency call centres, there are so-called 24-hour chairs.
The right office chair has a multitude of properties that enable you to sit healthily. When buying, make sure that your ergonomic office chair meets the following requirements:
- A good desk chair encourages a natural sitting posture
- It can be individually adapted to you and your needs
- It allows you to sit dynamically so that you keep moving
The chair casters
To prevent your office chair from tipping over, you should choose a model with at least 5 castors arranged in a star shape. This guarantees important stability!
Select the chair castors according to your flooring: for a hard floor, you need soft castors, for a soft carpet you need hard chair castors. Tip: Use a protective floor mat against unwanted wear, scratches or traces of dirt. It also makes it easier for you to roll your chair.
The adjustment levers
All rotary knobs and levers on your ergonomic desk chair must be easily accessible while you are seated. This is the only way to optimally adapt your chair to your needs and, if necessary, readjust it.
