Ergonomic office chair vs a standard chair: what’s the difference?
Whether you’re working on a huge project or are creating a proposal that will knock your client’s socks off, you’ll be spending hours sitting on your chair. Eventually, your back will start to feel sore. Your arms will start to seem heavy, like lead. That’s something that you won’t have to experience when you discover the main difference between an ergonomic chair vs standard chair.
What is an Ergonomic Chair?
Before diving into the minute details, let’s ask the most important question first – what is an ergonomic chair?
An ergonomic chair is meant to support the body’s natural form – from the way the neck is angled all the way to the way your spine curves against the backrest.
Unlike standard chairs, ergonomic chairs allow you to adjust everything – from the seat and the backrest all the way to the armrests. This means that each chair takes the specific individual’s natural form instead of forcing you to settle into a generic shape. This is what makes a chair ergonomic – you get to complete your tasks comfortably without messing up the natural curvature of your spine.
What You Can Adjust: Ergonomic Chair vs Standard Chair
If you’ve gotten used to a regular chair, you might think that an ergonomic chair is just an impractical purchase. But comfort and spine health are never good enough trade-offs especially if it’s going to cause long-term effects on your health.
Chairs like the H1 Pro Ergonomic Office Chair were created for a number of good reasons. The customization options allow you to ease into your workload without feeling sore once you’re done.
Even better, ergonomic chairs allow different people to use the same chair while enjoying unique comforts meant for their body type. People of different builts and heights also have different needs when it comes to their chair, and the customization options leave space for everyone to enjoy comfort despite their bodily differences.
Here are some of the things that you can adjust when using ergonomic chairs, as well as key areas that it supports:
Headrest
Let’s start with the neck, knowing that this is one of the things most people underestimate. At the end of each workday, you might find yourself moving your head from side to side or gently massaging your neck due to soreness. This is because standard chairs leave your neck wide open, without sufficient support to prevent strain. Therefore, the best office chair is an ergonomic office chair with a headrest.
An ergonomic chair headrest is curved at an angle that supports the neck and is wide enough to leave you comfortable even if you try moving your head from one side to another.
Lumbar support and backrest
An office chair with lumbar support is another perk that you get with an ergonomic chair, especially if you’re looking for the best office chair for back pain. The lack of proper lumbar support will, over time, leave permanent damage to your spine and back muscles and could leave you in worse pain over time.
The H1 Pro features the FlexiLumbar function that allows you to adjust the backrest in 5 levels, depending on what will give your back optimum support. This means that you’re not just providing optimal support to your lumbar area; you also give the thoracic and cervical areas of your spine some much-needed relief.
Armrests
Did you know that even the way your arms are positioned matters? Regular chairs do not have adjustable chair arms and will only give the illusion of support because your arms are resting on something. But in reality, it could be causing additional strain to your shoulders and back because the angle and height of your arms is not ideal. This fact holds true even when you’re not typing away on your keyboard. The same strain can happen even if you’re just sitting there doing nothing – that’s how impactful the armrests are.
An ergonomic chair with adjustable armrests allows you to move to the most ideal position depending on what you’re doing. You can leave the armrests at a certain angle while you’re typing, then change the position when you’re reading a book or checking social media on your mobile.
Seat height and depth
The rule of thumb dictates that your chair should allow your feet to lay flat on the floor when you sit. The seat depth should also leave 2 to 4 inches between the back of your knees and the edge of the seat. These would allow you to have proper posture the entire time you’re on your chair.
A standard chair would usually apply standard measurements that may or may not fit your height, the length of your legs, and the rest of your body type. But with an adjustable ergonomic chair, you can sit there for hours and remain as relaxed and as comfortable as possible.
Seat material
Even regular chairs may have padding that could keep you comfortable – but only for a moment. An ergonomic mesh chair delivers more lasting comfort that’s not just about how firm or how soft the seat is but also about how the air flows through it. The best mesh chair won’t leave you sweating for sure and will keep you cool even if you spend hours sitting down.
Other Ergonomic Chair Features to Look For
The features given above are just some of the basics of what you could expect the moment you decide to hunt for the best ergonomic office chair around. But once you see some of the best chairs in the market, you’ll find that there are some sweet additional features that will make an ergonomic chair even more worth it.
For instance, the H1 Pro Ergonomic Chair has a leg rest that you could pull out during your break. This leg rest’s design is unique, knowing that this level of brilliant engineering is exclusive to the H1 Pro. It’s not just a platform you can put your legs on. It’s angled perfectly to ensure there isn’t any additional strain on the knee, unlike other leg rests that only give temporary comfort but will make your legs feel even sorer after some time.
With that leg rest working perfectly with the adjustable frame, you can sit back and relax while you clear your mind of the clutter.
Once the work day is done, the H1 Pro continues to do its work of bringing convenience and flexibility into your workspace. It allows you to fold the chair and tuck it neatly under your desk, leaving you the free space to move around. Now, that’s something you can never do using a standard chair!
Ergonomic Chair vs Regular Chair: Which One’s the Right Pick?
Here’s the bottom line – the kind of results you reap from the work you do is greatly affected by the kind of workspace you create for yourself. That’s why using an ergonomic chair is, hands down, the best decision you can ever make.
An ergonomic chair leaves you comfortable while still allowing you to function at your best and not overly relaxed. It also helps you prevent problems with back and neck pain, as well as any additional strain on the rest of the body often caused by the awkward positions a regular chair subjects your body to. You may not feel it yet, but continued use of the wrong chair will eventually take its toll on your body. Years from now, your body will thank you for making the right choice once you decide to go with a high-quality ergonomic office chair.
Check out the H1 Pro Ergonomic Chair if you’re serious about investing in your productivity and health.