Until recently, those with low backs were used as office work chairs. The choice was motivated by the fact that the desk was, usually, at least 80cm deep to hold, among other things, the cathode ray tube monitor, It was often used, on the side, a typewriter appendage, created to support the typewriter, replaced over time first by word processing and then by the computer.

Therefore, the office chair was often used in an “improper” way, sitting on the front of the support surface, assuming an incorrect posture because it was appropriate to the measurements of the workplace and not than it was logical to sit following the few – but essential – rules of common sense, then regulated by Legislative Decree 81/08 on safety in the workplace.

As the computer then became necessary, the workplace-including the seat-had to change its size and equipment: no more dactyl, with its several-cm overhang at the bottom, depth of the operating work surface reduced to 60cm, elimination of the sliding keyboard tray, greater definition and size of flat video screens (sometimes supported by convenient swivel arms that can be adjusted in height and distance from the user), greater attention to ambient lighting, and much more.

In this improvement of the person’s working conditions, even the operating session has finally become a primary consideration in the evaluation by the user and/or the employer, including for possible liabilities arising from the use of inappropriate, if not unhealthy, furnishings.

But what can be the usefulness of the headrest in an operating chair?

The headrest, for years, has been the object of superficial ridicule: does it remind one of the barber’s chair or the dentist’s chair? But the doubt, in those activities, is erased when the barber or dentist invites the Client/Patient to lean on it in order to operate safely with the razor on the face or the drill inside the mouth: in these cases the headrest offers more comfort and less worry to those subjected to the work of the two professionals.

As was the case when the first headrests appeared in our cars. What use would it be, wondered the owner of the “Mickey Mouse” or the 500, while those who had a high-performance car already understood that under acceleration, at high speeds, it was necessary for it to be there to prevent the thrust from causing pain (if not worse) due to the pressure on the neck. Over time it has become a compulsory feature in all kinds of cars as a “lifesaver,” as well as necessary to avoid “whiplash” in the event of a collision from the front or rear.

In the office armchair, the duties of the headrest are less imperative, but they provide the user with non-marginal benefits: in the case of backrest tilt (and COMFORT’s ergonomic armchairs can tilt up to 135°) they allow the user to enjoy a few minutes of true relaxation during the working day, but more importantly, in normal daily use they remind the user that by going further backwards with the head, his or her posture will not be adequate. In fact, the correct position for sitting in an armchair during working hours is to rest the feet flat, standing with the angle of the knees with the thighs at 90°, resting the pelvis with the back at 90° with the head not going beyond this angle.

The headrest in the office chair should be adjustable in height, and positioned at the nape of the neck, and have the ability to tilt to provide the greatest possible comfort. In the case of shared use, it should be upholstered in a fabric that can be easily cleaned by wiping with a microfiber cloth moistened with a sanitizing solution.

Thus, the combination of backrest/headrest leads to the choice of a high backrest, even in the context of operative chairs, which acts as a support for the entire torso, ensuring with the headrest the optimal position.

It is one of the conditions that make an office chair ERGONOMIC, a definition that does not apply to every type of office chair.

The well-being of one’s body by controlling one’s posture will ensure a better and healthier future, also because the hours spent sitting for work activities can be even more than a third of our day, and therefore a postural defect can be invasive against our daily well-being.

By the way, we give you a disinterested advice: choose a good mattress, try it and see if it offers you the best rest. Together with the office chair you will have solved the best 16 hours out of 24: the remaining 8 devote them also to the health of your body and mind, you will gain in health and your future will be better. Mens Sana in Corpore Sano also in the office!

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