How to choose an office chair and chair, instructions

As search query statistics show, people have begun to buy furniture and all kinds of items for home comfort more often. Everything is clear here: you will have to stay at home for a long time.

Many have switched to remote work, although previously all they did at home was check email on a laptop and respond to very important messages in chats. Life has changed a little, let's be honest. You need to adapt to changes. How long you will have to forget about the office is unknown. It will be good if everything ends by autumn, but who knows.

Staying at home: what the Wylsa.com editorial jobs look like

Kostya Baranov

13 April 2020

We told you how the editorial office of the site works at home, we also published photographs of our readers’ workplaces and we plan to continue the column - you send a lot of photos of your workplaces. Today we will talk about one of the main components of any work setup - a chair.

I started looking for a chair because my back was starting to complain a little about my wooden chair that I bought many years ago. Yes, it was time to choose something else much earlier, but before my self-isolation (and I live in Belarus, there is no official quarantine here, life goes on as usual) I constantly ran somewhere for an hour or two days, thereby walking, accelerating blood and exchanging my not the most comfortable chair for exactly the same one, but in an establishment.

Now the day consists of constant sitting. I try to warm up, but it's not enough. Sometimes I move to the kitchen to change the environment, but even there the chair is not the most comfortable for working.

It was decided to choose a normal computer chair. As it turned out, this is not so easy to do: there are a lot of them, they cost differently, some look minimalistic, and some resemble instruments of torture. In general, an unskilled person will definitely get confused.

My updated workspace looks like this

I am not an expert and do not claim to be one. Rather, this is my personal experience that I want to share with you. First of all, I advise you to contact a vertebrologist (a doctor who treats the back and specializes in the diagnosis and prevention of spinal diseases - editor's note), get a consultation and find out what's wrong with your back, which chair is definitely not suitable for you, and which one is worth it note. If you have the opportunity to go somewhere and look at a chair before buying, do it, taking all precautions. I decided to order the chair with delivery, which is why I had to change it later, but more on that later.

Content

What types of office chairs and chairs are there?
Choosing an office chair based on characteristics
How to choose office chairs
What is the difference between a gaming chair and an office chair?
We draw conclusions: how to choose office chairs and chairs

Prolonged sedentary work often leads to increased fatigue, poor posture, back pain and swelling of the legs. As a result, chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system and cardiovascular system may develop. This problem affects not only office workers, but also those who spend a significant part of their time at the computer at home.

The cause of such problems can be an incorrectly selected chair, which keeps muscles and joints tense, preventing you from relaxing, and this leads not only to deterioration of health, but also reduces performance. In this article we will talk about what you need to consider when choosing armchairs and chairs for the office.

What types of office chairs and chairs are there?

Considering the location and purpose, several target groups of chairs and chairs are distinguished: for managers, office workers, visitors, children and gamers.

Executive chair

– This is most often an oversized model with a high, comfortable backrest and an adjustable headrest. The armrests should be wide and ergonomic, the upholstery should be soft but durable, made of natural or high-quality eco-leather, in strict colors – brown or black. A swivel seat on a stand with five legs and casters allows the person sitting in the chair to turn around to face the interlocutor or move along the table while dealing with work issues.

Chairs for office employees

are designed in the same way: they allow you to work comfortably throughout the day, but, as a rule, the models are somewhat more modest in finish, size and functionality. A back without a headrest is usually at shoulder height, and there may be no armrests at all. The material chosen is inexpensive artificial leather or durable furniture fabrics.

For visitors

select armchairs or chairs of simple design, most often without armrests. This type of furniture does not need a swivel seat and casters for movement, so ordinary legs or curved runners often act as support. This type of chair is not used for long work, but allows you to sit down only briefly while waiting in line or to communicate with office employees. The requirements for them are low, and functionality is limited. The seats of chairs for visitors are most often hard, made of plastic, or with soft upholstery made of textile materials or artificial leather.

Baby chair

The child needs to be able to feel comfortable at the desk. In most cases, children's models are similar in design to office chairs, but with smaller dimensions. If the purchase is intended for long-term use, then it is necessary that the seat is adjustable in height and the backrest is adjustable in depth.

For gamers

They produce special gaming chairs. Gaming chairs have a cross with casters and a swivel seat with armrests, a comfortable high back, but the colors are mostly bright and energetic: red, blue, turquoise, lemon. Gaming chairs are characterized by good stability and more precise adjustment to the owner’s requirements: the height and width of the armrests, the depth of the seat, and the backrest angle.

Classification of fixed assets included in depreciation groups

The fixed assets classifier serves to assign a depreciation period for material assets and uses codes from the All-Russian Classifier of Fixed Assets. For fixed assets put into operation from 2022, the useful life is determined by the codes of the new OKOF OK 013-2021. For fixed assets commissioned before 2022, the deadlines are determined by the codes of the old OKOF OK 013-94. If, according to the new classifier, the fixed asset belongs to another group of the organization, then the terms do not change. For tax accounting, refer to clause 8, clause 4, article 374 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation and clause 58, article 2 of the Law of November 30, 2022 No. 401-FZ.

The first group is all short-lived property with a useful life from 1 year to 2 years inclusive
The second group is property with a useful life of more than 2 years up to 3 years inclusive
Means of transport
Industrial and household equipment
Perennial plantings
Third group - property with a useful life of more than 3 years up to 5 years inclusive
cars and equipment
Means of transport
Industrial and household equipment
The fourth group is property with a useful life of over 5 years up to 7 years inclusive
Facilities and transmission devices
cars and equipment
Means of transport
Industrial and household equipment
Cattle working
Perennial plantings
Fifth group - property with a useful life of over 7 years up to 10 years inclusive
Facilities and transmission devices
cars and equipment
Means of transport
Industrial and household equipment
Fixed assets not included in other groups
Sixth group - property with a useful life of over 10 years up to 15 years inclusive
Dwellings
cars and equipment
Means of transport
Industrial and household equipment
Perennial plantings
Seventh group - property with a useful life of over 15 years up to 20 years inclusive
Facilities and transmission devices
cars and equipment
Means of transport
Perennial plantings
Fixed assets not included in other groups
Eighth group - property with a useful life of over 20 years up to 25 years inclusive
Facilities and transmission devices
cars and equipment
Vehicles
Industrial and household equipment
Ninth group - property with a useful life of over 25 years up to 30 years inclusive
Facilities and transmission devices
cars and equipment
Vehicles
Group ten - property with a useful life of over 30 years inclusive
Facilities and transmission devices
Dwellings
cars and equipment
Vehicles
Perennial plantings

We recommend reading: Receipts must be stamped

Choosing an office chair based on characteristics

When choosing an office chair, several basic parameters are taken into account: body material, back and seat upholstery, presence of armrests and headrest, seat lift mechanism and others. These factors affect not only the comfortable use and appearance of the furniture, but also the final cost of the product.

Upholstery

Various materials are used for upholstery of chairs: textiles, genuine or artificial leather, eco-leather, elastic mesh or plastic.

Fabric upholstery is a practical, durable and inexpensive material. Due to the fact that textiles absorb moisture and odors, when choosing this type of upholstery, you should give preference to breathable fabrics with good hygroscopicity.
Genuine leather is a presentable, wear-resistant and durable, but expensive material. In addition, natural leather requires periodic care to maintain its appearance and elasticity. But we must not forget that in a hot room a leather chair will be uncomfortable, and fabric upholstery will be much more comfortable.
Faux leather is an inexpensive upholstery made from PVC that imitates natural material. Much cheaper than leather, easy to care for, but short-lived.
Eco-leather is a modern material made on the basis of “breathable” polyurethane. The characteristics are practically no different from genuine leather, but noticeably cheaper.
Mesh is a popular type of upholstery made from durable elastic threads. Well ventilated, does not accumulate debris and dust. It looks stylish in any room and is inexpensive. The mesh backrest is often combined with a textile seat.
Plastic is an inexpensive and practical material, but it is tough and will inevitably develop scratches and defects over time.

Chair back and seat

A comfortable work chair should have a high back, curved in the shape of the letter S, which follows the contours of the back. The orthopedic backrests are slightly concave at the point of contact with the lumbar region to minimize stress on the lower back.
The tilt and resistance of the chair back can be adjusted manually or automatically. It is good if the back fits tightly to the user's back. The elasticity of the back should be such that it bows slightly under the weight of a person.
Depth adjustment. This function makes it possible to increase or decrease the size of the seat depending on the physical characteristics of the owner. It is optimal if there is a free distance of approximately a palm's width from the edge of the seat to the bend of the knee. This allows you to normalize blood circulation in the vessels of the legs, preventing compression of the veins and arteries.
Reverse (negative) slope. A useful feature for those who often sit leaning towards the table, write, draw or work at the keyboard. Tilt of the backrest forward prevents unnecessary pressure on the inner thighs and pinching of the leg muscles.

Armrests and headrests

The presence of armrests is desirable for long-term sedentary work, because they allow you to correctly position your hands on the table. It is recommended that your forearms, wrists and hands be in line with the tabletop. The correct height of the armrests will help avoid a common problem for many office workers - “tunnel syndrome”, in which the nerves and tendons of the wrists are pinched. Most chairs have armrests in a fixed position, so to be able to adjust their width and height correctly, choose a model with adjustable armrests.

In chairs for children, the presence of armrests is not recommended, because the child will lean on one arm and sit in a bent state, which will have a bad effect on posture and can lead to curvature of the spine.

Headrests do not play a special role in the ergonomics of an office chair. This is rather an indicator of the prestige and status of the owner, which is why they are often installed in expensive models for executives or gaming models.

Mechanisms and wheels

Office chair height adjustment.

The easiest way is using a rotary control. The second, more popular option is a pneumatic lever (gas lift), which makes it possible to change the height of the seat with one movement of the hand. There can be one or two levers: for raising and lowering the chair.

Rocking mechanism.

This function will allow you to freely lean back and, swaying rhythmically, calm down and take a little break from work. The support of a chair with a swing mechanism should be as stable and durable as possible.

Cross.

Office chairs are equipped with stands with five-beam crosses, which are made of metal, plastic or wood. Despite the fact that plastic crosspieces are cheaper, they can also withstand quite a large load, but over time they develop scratches that cannot be eliminated. The same thing happens with wooden legs with intensive use, although they look the most presentable. The most durable, strong and practical crosspieces are made of metal.

Wheels.

Rollers rotating in two degrees of freedom are fixed at the ends of the legs. The rollers are selected taking into account the floor covering in the office. For hard surfaces such as tiles, porcelain tiles, laminate or parquet, choose chairs with elastic, quiet wheels. For a soft surface, such as carpet, on the contrary, hard plastic rollers are needed for better movement over the surface.

Comfort (seat softness)

Plastic seats are given an anatomical shape that follows the curves of the human body to compensate for the hardness of the material. Upholstered chairs are filled with elastic materials, usually polyurethane foam (polymer foam). Polyurethane foam is a wear-resistant material that provides a sitting person with high comfort.

How to choose office chairs

What we pay attention to:

Frame. Must be strong enough to easily support the weight of a visitor of any size and serve for a long time regardless of the intensity of use. Chairs with a wooden frame are most often designed for a load of up to 100 kg; they fit perfectly into a business office environment, but are not strong enough. Models with a metal frame are better suited for the office.
Upholstery. The material is chosen taking into account how intensively the chair will be used. If a large number of people come to the office, then it is necessary to select materials that are wear-resistant and resistant to mechanical damage. Durable but affordable furniture fabric or mesh is ideal. Chairs upholstered in genuine leather or eco-leather look more solid, but will not last long with frequent use, and in the hot season or in stuffy rooms it will not be very comfortable to sit on a leather chair.

Accessories for executive chairs

In order for the furniture to last a long time and in the event of an accidental breakdown to be quickly restored, you need to know what spare parts may be needed. The executive chair for the office consists of the following fittings:

cross bases for wheels;
swing mechanism;
rollers;
pneumatic cartridge;
permanent contact;
swing mechanism;
armrests;
permanent contact casing;
lumbar support;
footrests.

What is the difference between a gaming chair and an office chair?

Recently, “gaming” chairs have been in great demand; although they practically do not differ in appearance from ordinary office ones, they have their own characteristics.

The frames of gaming chairs are made of all-metal pipes, so such chairs are heavier and much stronger than office chairs: some models can withstand loads of up to 200-250 kg. All other parts and mechanisms also have a high level of reliability. The filler is most often foamed polyurethane, which is attached to the frame with elastic straps. This design provides greater durability and strength.

The gaming chair's crosspiece is also reinforced and guarantees maximum stability while the structure moves across the floor. The rollers are rubber-coated, so they do not make noise and provide reliable grip on the floor surface.

The chair itself is made in a bucket shape, almost completely imitating the seat of a racing car, and anatomically supports not only the back of the gamer from the back, but also on the sides with special side protrusions. Gaming models are designed for gamers who can play for several hours at a time, so they must maintain correct posture during long games on the computer and not put strain on the spine. The chair supports any movement of the player: forward, backward, sideways, measured swaying.

Everything in a gaming chair can be adjusted: the back, seat and armrests. Moreover, for some models, the angle of the backrest can be changed with great accuracy from 90 to 180 degrees, depending on what the gamer is doing - playing, watching a movie or just relaxing. The adjustment is made using a special lever with one movement of the hand.

The armrests of the gaming chair have a non-slip rubber-like coating and can be adjusted in width, length, height and angle.

The seated lower back is supported by a special elastic cushion in the form of a curved pad, which relieves muscle tension from the back during long battles and does not interfere with normal blood circulation. A height-adjustable headrest is designed to support the head and neck.

Any of the unclaimed elements of the chair configuration can be easily removed at the required time.

We draw conclusions: how to choose office chairs and chairs

For the manager

A manager needs to choose an office chair that is not only convenient and comfortable, but also presentable and made of high-quality materials. This will emphasize the status of the leader. The best option would be a leather chair with a metal frame and a high, ergonomic back, on which you can fully recline if desired. The maximum number of elements should be adjusted.

For staff

For a large office, it is worth buying medium-priced soft chairs with fabric upholstery. The ability to adjust the backrest tilt and seat height will be an undeniable advantage for the comfort and efficiency of workers. Wheels are chosen depending on the floor covering in the office: for a hard surface you need elastic and quiet ones, for a soft surface you need hard plastic ones.

For a small team, you can purchase chairs upholstered in leather or eco-leather.

For visitors

For clients, comfortable office chairs with a reliable metal frame and durable fabric upholstery designed for intensive use are sufficient. It will be comfortable to sit on such chairs for a short time.

Material of manufacture

A high-quality office chair is made from environmentally friendly materials. Upholstery can be:

leather is the most expensive option, characterized by excellent durability. The disadvantages include high maintenance requirements and high cost;
made from leather substitute - quite durable materials that are also hypoallergenic;
mesh on the back, leather on the seat - an excellent option, given that leather products “float” a lot, and the mesh will help somewhat soften this effect;
textiles - such upholstery boasts high breathability and heat transfer. But such products are not practical enough, given that they are able to absorb foreign odors and require frequent cleaning;
mesh – most often used for the back of the product. Due to the fact that the mesh is well ventilated, it is convenient to work on such a chair even in hot weather.

Upholstery material should indicate the status of the employee. Leather office chairs are always popular among buyers. The leather office chair is easy to use and care for. They just need to be wiped with a damp cloth. The downside to leather chairs is that when you get up from them, your pants or skirt will shine, just like the leather itself.

It is very important that consumers can check the quality of the leather themselves. Scratch the surface, if abrasions remain, then you have leatherette.

Today, office chairs upholstered in mesh are the choice of many consumers, including executives. Such pieces of furniture, unlike leather ones, allow air to pass through and are ergonomic. The color of office chairs depends on the design of the room itself, but most often they choose dark blue, gray, and black. White is a rare color for offices. Bright colors look good in photos, but will look out of place in the office and distract from work. But children's ones look good with bright upholstery.

The leather office chair is considered the most popular. Options made from eco-leather are practical and durable. A budget option is a model made of fabric.

Leather

Combination of leather and mesh

Leatherette

Net

Textile