Tips on How to Adjust an Office Chair

The office chair is an essential component of any workstation, but they're not always that easy to figure out. Yet you need to make the effort to learn how to adjust an office chair to suit your working environment. It's not only important for your comfort, it's also critical to the health of your back and legs. Follow these guidelines to help you be as comfortable and ergonomically correct as you can be in your chair.

Your office chair should be suitable for the working surface at your desk. It should be high enough to keep you comfortable. It's important that the height of the chair is such that your feet are placed comfortably on the ground, and your thighs are parallel to the floor. You should use a footrest in the event that your feet cannot touch and rest on the ground.

The height of the seat pan should be just below your knee caps. A pneumatic lever allows you to adjust the height while sitting. If it's an older model of chair, stand in front of it and rotate the seat clockwise or counter clockwise. However if your chair is this old, you should really convince your boss to invest in a good ergonomic task chair instead.

Don't let your feet dangle because the tissue behind your thighs and knees will be compressed. This can also cause your legs to feel painful and uncomfortable. Uncomfortable pressure behind the knees can be prevented by office chairs which are round edged.

You should be able to fit a clenched fist between the back of your knees and the front of your chair. If this isn't possible, lower the chair a little bit. Or you can relieve the pressure by tilting the seat pan forward a little bit.

The backrest should be positioned so that the lumbar area of your lower back is supported. This is the main contact area, and is a key component of supporting your lower back. Your backrest should have an adjustable height if you'll be sitting most of the day. This will allow you to obtain the most back support. You can also move some backrests forward or backward. A deep seat pan helps to make these features even more useful.

You should never, no matter what, sit in a chair without sufficient back support for a long period of time. Your best bet is to make sure you're using the best ergonomic chair you can afford. And always make sure you know how to adjust an office chair properly in order to protect your back while working.