Considerations to Keep in Mind When Buying an Office Chair

When it comes to setting up your employees for success, the thought of choosing the right office furniture might seem like a priority of low importance. After all, if they have a stable surface to place their materials and an office chair to sit on, there’s not much else to worry about, right?

Well, not exactly. See, your office environment influences much more than mere aesthetics: it can directly impact the mood and productivity of your employees.

As such, both you and your team deserve office workstations that meet your specific needs. To help you get started, we’ll look at just one piece of the puzzle — the office chair — to help you foster the best working environment possible.

Know What Type of Chairs You Need

Of course, you can’t start your search without first knowing what kind of products your space demands. Though the extensive range of office furniture available might seem overwhelming at first glance, having this wide variety is a benefit for your office.

So, what kinds of office chairs are on the market? Some common types you’ll come across include:

• Task Chairs: Crafted with the modern worker in mind, task chairs provide comfortable and flexible seating arrangements for employees. They are usually (and should be) ergonomically designed to promote productivity and maintain user wellbeing. Often, these are the office chairs you’ll need to purchase the most of for your workspace.
  
  
• Meeting Chairs: Not all office furniture is solely for practical use. In the case of meeting rooms, your employees simply need something that is comfortable and non-distracting. Sleek, unobtrusive, and aesthetically pleasing, meeting chairs are a must-have for any modern work environment.
  
  
• Lounge/Visitor/Casual Chairs: Finally, there are some areas in your office that don’t always require the most complex seating arrangements possible. Whether you need a lounge chair for your lobby, visitor chairs for brief use, or casual chairs for break areas, don’t forget about the miscellaneous sections of your office.

Outline Your Desired Features

Most modern office furniture offers many features for users to take advantage of, depending on their needs. Some can simply have basic adjustment options, while others may go as far as to offer luxury details, like built-in heating pads. 

Of course, you most likely won’t need to indulge in the most extravagant office chairs out there, but you still need to ensure they’re satisfying your requirements. Use the following list to help guide your search.

• Materials: The material used to build your chairs does much more than help maintain colour consistency across the rest of your office pieces. For instance, those made of wood and plastic likely won’t help your workforce remain productive, as they are quite uncomfortable and inflexible. On the other hand, newer materials like fabric and mesh offer improved breathability, padding support and longer lifespans.
  
  
• Practical Use: Knowing how your workforce plans to use their seating arrangements can be one of the best ways to narrow down your options. Ask yourself questions like: Do your chairs need to be adjustable so that they can align with your office desks? Should they have wheels and be able to swivel in order to allow for easy collaboration amongst co-workers?
  
  
• Ergonomics: Supporting your workforce’s wellbeing starts inside the office. Ensuring your office chairs follow modern standards of ergonomics is essential to maintaining productivity and keeping your employees excited to start their day. So, look for features like lumbar support, armrests and adjustability.

Ask For Employee Input

Finally, to make sure your team gets the most out of your seating arrangements (and any other office furniture, for that matter), it doesn’t hurt to ask them for input. After all, they’ll be the ones using it every day.

By doing so, you can note any special requests, identify common needs, and understand exactly what type of office chairs will help you build the best work environment possible.