What is an ergonomic chair?

What is an ergonomic chair?
Due to its rich adjustability, ergonomic chairs are very compatible with body shapes. Whether it is 160cm or 180cm, you can basically adjust it to a seat height that suits you (but some ergonomic chairs have very high seats and are more suitable for 165cm) the above group of people)

Compared with ordinary chairs, the biggest feature of ergonomic chairs is the structure. Ordinary chairs have a simple design, while ergonomic chairs are more complex.

Let's introduce the components of an ergonomic chair.

Regarding the components of the ergonomic chair, it doesn't matter if you don't understand it very well. Just have a general understanding.

Ergonomic chairs can be roughly divided into 6 parts [backrest, base, headrest, armrests, air pressure rods, chair legs], which are introduced below.

(1) Chair back [one of the core parts, spine support]

The reason why we put the chair back first is that the back design of some chairs on the market is not reasonable. If you only sit on it occasionally, it is fine. Sitting on such an unreasonable design chair for a long time may cause damage to the lumbar spine. Break it.

There are two main types of chair backs:

Mainstream all-in-one single-backed chair (basically this kind of chair abroad)
The very popular domestically designed double-backed chair with partition design
All-in-one

The advantage of the integrated chair is that it provides stronger waist support. Some of the lumbar pillows at the back can adjust the height and strength up and down, front and back. The disadvantage is that the fit to our spine is not so perfect.

Note: Please avoid chairs with extremely exaggerated curvature of the back (in order to attract attention). It is very high on the waist and uncomfortable.

Partition Design

This kind of chair back with partition design is only popular in our country and is basically not available abroad.

The advantage of this design is that it has a better adaptability to our spine and is more ergonomic.

The disadvantage is that the lumbar support of some ergonomic chairs is adaptive, and the support strength will be insufficient for people with heavy weight, and they will feel too soft when leaning on it.

There is another very important point. The curvature of the waist backrest of some chairs is very prominent, and the transition up and down the chair back is uneven. When you lean on it, you will feel uncomfortable.

If you have never sat on an ergonomic chair, you may think that the ergonomic chair is just like this. In fact, this is very misleading. If you find that the ergonomic chair you bought is uncomfortable (of course, you need to get used to it for a period of time in the early stage, a week is appropriate), then definitely It's not your problem, that chair can be thrown away.

To avoid damaging your waist, especially those with spinal problems need to pay special attention. I will emphasize this point when choosing and avoiding pitfalls in ergonomic chairs later.

(2) Base [one of the core parts, hip support]

The base is mainly divided into 3 parts: seat cushion, operation and chassis

① Seat cushion

The material of the seat cushion can be divided into two types: mesh and sponge.

Mesh surface
Mainly divided into two types: high rebound and low rebound

High resilience mesh: The mesh surface is soft and comfortable, but it is not suitable for people with a heavy weight (referring to people over 90kg, some crotch-stretching mesh, 80kg is enough), and it will be too soft for people with a heavy weight to sit on.

Low-elastic mesh: A bit harder, more suitable for people with heavy weight. A good low-elastic mesh can maintain a straight posture

sponge
Sponge is similar to high-resilience mesh and has high softness, making it suitable for sitting in winter but too stuffy in summer.

However, it should be noted that some sponge chairs have more native sponges in the seat cushions, so the softness is not as soft as you think. In this case, it is more suitable for people with heavy weight, and they will not sink directly when they sit on them.

Regarding the seat cushion, the summary is: it is not recommended for heavy people to choose high-rebound mesh chairs (those that claim to be imported mesh)

② Operation

Stick and wire controls
The difference between them is that the wire control operation is more convenient and smooth. High-end chairs will use this, so don't worry about it.

③ Chassis

Mainly divided into [self-loading chassis] and [manual adjustment strength chassis]

It should be noted here that quite a few high-end chairs use this self-loading chassis.

What does it mean? It is that it will automatically adjust the recline strength according to your weight. In fact, this is not friendly to people who are too light or too heavy. If the weight is too light, it will be difficult to lean back. If the weight is too heavy, The force of leaning back is too small, so this self-loading chassis is not that smart (gimmicks outweigh practicality).

Therefore, it is recommended that people with light weight (under 60kg) or heavy people (over 90kg) choose this kind of chair with manual adjustment of the recline strength.

(3) Headrest [one of the core parts, cervical spine support]

The more adjustable the headrest, the better, so that we can adjust it to the most suitable support position, and people of different heights can also adjust it to the support point that suits them.

The headrest adjustment is mainly divided into up and down, front and back and rotation.

Mainstream chairs generally can only be adjusted up, down, and rotated.

The more complete design can also be adjusted forward and backward. This kind of headrest is very friendly to people with small stature.

Like foreign chairs, there is basically no headrest. The function of the headrest is to provide support for the cervical spine. But when we are working normally, it is difficult to use this thing. Most of the time, it is only used when leaning back and resting. Foreign chairs are not designed with headrests. I hope you can stand up and walk around instead of sitting on the chair all the time. , domestic and foreign habits are different, I personally think it is more convenient to have a headrest.

(4) Handrail

Regarding the armrests, I personally think that as long as there is height adjustment, other left and right and rotation adjustments are just icing on the cake and not necessary.

Of course, some people will rotate the armrests inward when typing on the computer. At this time, they will feel that the rotation adjustment is necessary. It depends on personal habits.

(5) Air pressure rod

We should also pay attention to the safety of air pressure rods. For example, in the early years, there were incidents of air pressure rod explosions. The reason was that some manufacturers used inferior air pressure rods. Generally, for low-priced lift chairs, we Special attention needs to be paid to chairs priced at three hundred or four hundred and below.

Generally, the pneumatic rods produced by regular manufacturers will have steel stamps, such as SGS, TUV, BIFMA, etc.

Moreover, the level of the air pressure rod will be clearly marked on it. It is recommended to choose a level 3 or 4 air pressure rod. The wall thickness of the inner core is thicker.

(6) Chair legs

There are three main types of chair legs: aluminum alloy, nylon, and steel.

Aluminum alloy chair legs are the best. They are usually cast and formed in one go. They have a good-looking appearance and can bear heavy loads, but they are also the most expensive.

Nylon chair legs are the lightest and cheaper, and are suitable for people with small stature. People with heavy weight may be in danger of rolling over when they lean back.

Steel chair legs are generally welded, and their load-bearing capacity is slightly better than ordinary nylon. However, if the welding is not handled well, rust will occur later.