If we have to evaluate an office chair, why do we have to choose the backrest first?
The office chair should provide comfort for the whole person, not just the buttocks.
So we will address seating in a future post and start with what once represented the “status” of the user, because in the collective imagination of the economic boom years the “size” of the backrest mattered. And the upholstery materials also mattered, and they had to be of high quality, such as leather.
The activities that the session user performs duringworking hours have also changed: we have moved from manual work to work done exclusively at the computer, where everyone uses it. No inkwell, no fountain pen: a mouse and a keyboard. And this also applies to the “boss,” who used to have an assistant do everything while today he stands in front of the screen working for most of his time in the office, managing much on his own.
The backrest should therefore help the torso to rest on the
– remaining erect
– giving lumbar support
– Ensuring the breathability of the backrest
– resting my head
– Having the ability to tilt
– always remaining in contact
– Having a wide height adjustment.
Thus, in the “3.0” office, the option for choosing the backrest of the operative seat should be the high one, avoiding those low-backed chairs, possibly choosing them as guest seats.
The backrest, in a static position, must ensure that the user maintains the 90° angle between the torso and pelvis by offering, through a structural curvature of the same or an integrated support, a strong lumbar support that can be adjusted by raising the backrest. The backrest, moreover, should be tiltable allowing the person to be able to adjust it to his or her needs such as, for example, even allowing himself or herself minimal relaxation time, which is necessary during the working day.
In contrast, the headrest, which is often disliked, is useful both when the backrest is tilted-to support the head-and to indicate, during use, that the perpendicular position of the back is achieved when sitting properly.
New trends, healthy and ethical in the office environment, point to the use of stretchy “mesh” (self-supporting mesh) upholstery without padding: leathers have a strong ecological impact in their processing and are often not accepted for their animal origin, fabrics get dirty and retain odors, even newer padding, despite the “memory” effect, regain their original conformation in a long time, degrade and, at “end of life” are not recycled. They also do not allow the body to have breathability, resulting in the user’s back and rear sweating.
The “mesh” (made of self-supporting mesh), on the other hand, always maintains the original tension, which allows even multiple users to be able to use the same armchair on a continuous cycle (24h), without suffering from the body imprint of the person who used it previously, promotes the exchange of air with the environment in which it is used, enjoying air conditioning according to the season and reducing sweating typical of contact with the upholstery and its cover. It does not retain mites and is easily cleaned with a damp microfiber cloth (also with alcohol-based eco/bio/vegan detergent).
So our advice is to prefer the office chair that has:
– high back
– wide lumbar support
– height adjustment
– adjustable tilt in multiple positions
– adjustable headrest
– “Mesh” upholstery, avoiding those made of plastic mesh or padding that promote sweating
– ease of cleaning.
At the next one we will talk about the optimal seat, the one where we rest our “terga.”
