GUIDE: Swivel Chairs
More than 60 percent of employees complain about backache and musculoskeletal disorders. The quality and adjustment of one´s office chair is essential to prevent ailments.
Step 1
Requirements
These requirements should be fulfilled by a swivel chair at an office workstation:
| The swivel chair must not have sharp edges and should possess an upholstered, breathable, antistatic seat- and backrest. The backrest can also be in net fabric. |
| The swivel chair should be stable and should not tilt over and has minimum 5 rollers. |
| The roll resistance has to be adapted to the surface it stands on. Thus soft rollers with rubber coating are suitable for tile, stone, cork or parquet floors and hard rollers in plastic for textile floors like carpet. |
| The swivel chair should yield when sitting down (depth springing) thus absorbing the sudden increase of load. |
| The seating height is steplessly adjustable between 400 and 530 mm. |
| An anatomical seat rest prevents sliding and supports a straight pelvis. |
| The seat depth has minimum 370 up to 470 mm. An adjustment of depth of the seat, tilt of the seat or / and a completely moving frame (rocking and swinging chairs). |
| The seat width should be minimum 400 up to 480 mm. |
| The backrest is anatomically shaped thus supporting the spine and the iliac crest. |
| The width of the backrest should be between 360 and 400 mm. The backrest can be adjusted dynamically. A sufficient height (minimum shoulder blade height) should be taken into regard. |
| An interlinked seat-backrest-tilt adjustment (synchro-mechanics) is recommended as this supports the active dynamic change in body positions and the feed of the intervertebral disc. |
| Some swivel chairs enable a three-dimensional seating dynamic thanks to ball joints, i. e. besides the forward and backward movement a sideward movement. |
| Armrests are perfect for relieving the neck and shoulder region. They should be height adjustable (180 mm to 290 mm), minimum 200 mm long and 40 mm wide. |
| Adjustable headrests relieve the neck and shoulder region and offer additional prevention against Tension and pains in the upper back area. |
The best chair is useless if not correctly adjusted to the body shape and height of the user. Correct sitting is a skill.
Step 2
Ideal adjustment
A few tips for ideal adjustment:
| Seating height: The angle between thigh and lower leg should be 90 degrees when the feet are placed on the ground. |
| Seat depth: distance between knee bend and seat rest should be 2 to 5 cm when leaning against the backrest. |
| Seat tilt: the seat tilt can be adjusted according to need and feel. |
| Backrest: The centre of the lumbar support is at the level of the waistline. |
| Armrest: The angle between upper and forearm is 90 degrees and the arms lie loosely on the table. |
Alternative seating furniture can be complements in individual cases but not a replacement for a swivel chair. The regular change in sitting position and the alteration of sitting, standing and walking is strongly recommended in daily work life.
Do you have further questions?
We are glad to help you.
You can reach the sales team: Phone +49 (0)931 46798-28, or by email info@einrichten-design.com.
