Hey there!

When you shop for a car, where do you start and how do decide what to buy?  If you’re like most, once you have a budget, you look for the type of car, truck or SUV you want.  You pick the size, various features, look at the functionality, fit & finish, stuff like that. 

I suspect you spend more time sitting in your office chair than in your driver’s seat.  So, when the time comes for you to shop for a new office chair, here's a little something to help you make the right choice.

Three chairs types you’re most likely choose from

Task Chair  These chairs are the workhorses of the chair world.  They are generally more ergonomic, available with lots of adjustment options.  The seat and back move independently of one another allowing you to adjust the chair to you, instead of the other way around.

Managerial Chair  A task chair but often with minimal control options and mid range height back.

Executive Chair These have a distinctive high back & often come with higher quality fabric or leather, with a more plush look and feel.  Usually built from a solid frame so that the back and seat move together.

Materials to consider

Leather, Fabric or Mesh...Oh my!

Leather -   Looks and feels good, but tends to retain heat, so it can get a little warm for some folks.

Fabric –This is the most common providing much more variety in terms of color, texture and patterns.  Leather can get slippery where fabric provides a little traction for your backside.

Mesh - Moves with your body and is breathable, thus it is cooler.  It won’t fade and pile like fabric.

What about all those paddles?  

Here are the most popular options.

• Tilt – Simply lets you rock back and forth.
• Sliding seat pan. – Allows the seat to slide forward for folks with longer legs or back for short legged people.
• Back angle adjustment – Just what you think and its nice to have.
• Back height adjustment – Allows you to adjust the lumbar support so it fits just right.

Armrests.  Many task chairs offer fixed and adjustable arms, as an option.  Get arms, you’ll be glad you did.

Warranty and Cost - The warranty on a chair says something about the quality don’t you think?  A company like HON offers a lifetime warranty for a reason.  They make good chairs built to last! 

I spoke to client the other day that said he paid almost $600 for a used chair.  Don’t do that!  A good chair doesn’t have to be expensive.  You can get a good, very comfortable, very new chair, that will change the way you feel for a lot less than that.  Here a couple of my faves:

HON Boda Mesh High-Back Chair

A simple, but oh so comfortable, mesh task/managerial chair with a modern look.

HON Pillow-Soft 2091 Executive High-Back Chair

Here is great executive chair with memory foam, leather and a great price.  A HON classic.

Getting a new office chair should be fun, not stressful.  If you want some help getting started, give us a call or click on the chat button to speak with Natalie.  We will take good care of you and make the decisions easy! 

Todd

EOD Furniture Guy/Blogger