A comfortable chair might sound like a relatively minor thing, but it can actually make a big difference when you’re at work. It’s something you’re probably using for at least six hours a day, and if it’s uncomfortable, that can have a big impact on your productivity, your mood, and your overall quality of life.
Now, for those reasons alone, it’s normally a good idea to invest in a decent home office chair that will go the distance, rather than going purely on price. So if you’ve got your eye on one but you’re not ready to buy just yet, the good news is that there’s plenty you can do to make your existing chair more comfortable.
Why your office chair feels uncomfortable (it might not be the chair)
Here’s something that a lot of people forget – most office chair discomfort comes from how the chair is set up, rather than the chair itself. So before you look at spending any money on accessories or even a full replacement chair, it’s always worth quickly checking whether or not it’s simply set up incorrectly. Here are the top reasons why your chair feels uncomfortable:
The seat height is too low or high
When the seat height is wrong, it can place all kinds of extra strains on your body, including your knees, hips and lower back. This will lead to stiffness, discomfort and poor posture throughout your working day.
The backrest angle is incorrect
When your back is resting at an awkward angle, you’re creating tension in your shoulders and neck too. You might even experience lower back pain as a result. Everything in your body is connected, so if one thing isn’t quite right, it impacts all sorts of other areas.
The armrests are the wrong height
This is a very common and underestimated issue. When the armrests are too high, they unnaturally force your shoulders to sit a bit higher than is natural, but when they’re too low, you likely won’t have enough support for your wrists and arms. Either way, you might experience pain as a result.
Your computer screen is the wrong height
The problem might not necessarily be your chair. It could actually be that your chair and desk are the correct heights, but your monitor is a little too high or low, which will result in a strained neck and aching shoulders. You may find yourself compensating (often without realising) with posture habits like hunching over your desk. Over time, these can become more and more difficult to correct, and can eventually lead to long-term problems with your neck or back.
To avoid that, make sure that your monitor is about eye level, and your desk is about elbow height when your arms are resting naturally. This will prevent your neck from tilting at unnatural angles for long periods of time, and minimise the risk of developing annoying – and potentially debilitating – conditions like repetitive strain injury (RSI).
5 easy adjustments to make your office chair more comfortable
Now we’re getting to the bottom of things, so let’s figure out how to make an office chair more comfortable.
1. The seat height
The correct seat height can have a big impact on your posture and should ease the pain you might be feeling while at your desk. So how do you know which height is right? First, your feet must sit flat on the floor, while at the same time your knees are bent at a right angle and slightly lower than your hips. If your knees are too high, it puts pressure on your groin and even your lower back.
Try adjusting the seat so you’re in the position described above. If the seat won’t go low enough, you might need a footrest to bring your knees to that 90-degree position.
2. The lumbar support
The lumbar support is there to protect your lower back, keeping it in that natural S-shape which will also improve your posture. It also helps to reduce pressure on your spinal discs throughout the day. So when you have no lumbar support, or it’s in the wrong position, you probably will start to experience back and hip pain as the working day goes on.
If your chair has built-in lumbar adjustment, position it at the small of your back, making sure it isn’t too high or too low. If your office chair doesn’t have lumbar support, a rolled towel or a dedicated lumbar cushion can be used instead.
3. The armrests
Many people don’t realise the importance of armrests, particularly their ability to reduce strain on your wrists and hands when you’re typing or using a mouse for many hours a day. This is why we’d always recommend that you work at a chair that has armrests, rather than a dining chair that can’t be adjusted.
Adjust your armrests so your elbows rest at roughly 90 degrees with your shoulders relaxed. If the armrests aren’t adjustable but they sit too high or too low, then it’s best to remove them entirely, as they could cause more issues.
If you’re still experiencing wrist strain, it may be worth checking that you’re typing ergonomically, too.
4. The seat depth
Not many ergonomic office chairs have adjustable seat depths, but at Slouch, we take everything into account when we design our office chairs. The right seat depth helps to relieve pressure behind your knees, encouraging healthy circulation too.
To check if your seat depth is correct, measure the space between the back of your knees and the edge of your seat. It should be around two to three finger-widths apart. If your seat is too deep and the backs of your knees are touching the seat, you can use a seat cushion behind your back to bring your entire body forwards a little bit.
5. The recline tension
Most office chairs have a recline setting these days, but sometimes they aren’t enough and sometimes they recline too much. The recline function is there to allow some flexibility but also, the chair still needs to support you. A slight recline is best for office work, as it helps to reduce static muscle fatigue and lowers the load on your spine throughout the day.
If your chair reclines, unlock it and set the tension so it reclines gently to around 100 to 110 degrees.
If you’ve made all these adjustments but your chair still feels uncomfortable, there’s one final factor to consider: it might just be showing its age. Over a long enough period of time, a chair’s cushions can become more compressed, its gas lift can lose its oomph, and even the adjustment mechanisms can gradually loosen.
All that means a chair that might have felt fine a year ago might be steadily making you more uncomfortable. If that’s the case, it’s generally best to focus on simply replacing it.
4 key signs it’s time to upgrade
Small adjustments can make a big difference to your comfort and overall quality of life while working, but they won’t resolve problems indefinitely. As we touched on above, eventually your chair will start to show signs that it needs replacing. Here are some to watch out for:
Your seat cushion feels flat or uncomfortable
Over time, constant use can compress the padding inside your seat cushion, especially in lower-quality office chairs. Once that cushioning starts to wear down, you may begin to notice more pressure through your hips, thighs and lower back during long periods of sitting. Over a period of time, this can start to affect your posture as well.
Your chair no longer stays at the correct height
If your chair slowly sinks during the day or struggles to stay locked at the right height, there’s a good chance that the gas lift is starting to wear out. That can make it much harder to maintain a comfortable posture throughout your working day. Plus, once the gas lift stops working properly, there’s often very little that accessories can realistically do to fix the problem.
Your chair feels loose, unstable or uneven
As office chairs get older, the moving parts inside them can gradually loosen through regular use. You may notice wobbling, uneven movement, creaking, or adjustments that no longer feel secure. Over time, that can make your chair feel distracting and uncomfortable to use, especially if your adjustments won’t keep their altered positions.
You’re working from home more often
A lot of people bought temporary office chairs during the rise of home working, often without expecting to use them long-term. If you’re now spending most of your working week at home, it’s worth upgrading to a more comfortable and ergonomic chair. It can make a huge difference to your day-to-day comfort and productivity.
Whatever sits comfortably with you
Ultimately, you’re the best person to judge whether you can make big changes with a few small adjustments, or whether it’s better to get a new chair entirely. Whatever you decide, the main thing is not to sit and suffer in silence. The office chair comfort tips we’ve included above are all practical, affordable, and many of them can be made in just a few minutes.
If you’ve decided your current chair is at the end of its useful life, we’ve got you covered. Our chairs are specifically designed to meet the demands of long working days, built with special attention to adjustability, comfort, and support. Take our Task One Grey Office Chair – with adjustable arms, back lumbar, and seat height and depth, it’s the perfect example of a chair that can be changed to suit you.
