Every manufacturer is trying to reinvent the wheel coming up with some wild features. Have you seen the office chairs that give you a vibrating massage? Don’t be fooled by all the bells and whistles. Most of these features never get used. Some of the ergonomic features and benefits you will find are listed below.

The most important features are underlined:

Height adjustment: Most chairs adjust up and down by pulling up on a lever under the seat

Arm adjustments: Adjustable arm height, width, pivot and arm tilt

Tilt chair: Some but not all office chairs are designed to rock back and forth.

Tilt lock: Keeps the chair locked in an upright position

Forward tilt: Allows the chair to lean forward at a 15 degree angle

Lumbar Adjustment: A separate adjustable cushion in the lumbar area of the seat back

Seat tilt: Adjusts seat angle

Back tilt: Adjusts back angle

Seat slide: Allows seat to slide forward and back

Memory Foam: Upgraded foam padding

Mesh back: Very popular and comfortable. Our best selling style of office chair in NJ

Seat back adjustment: Can be ratchet style which can be adjusted while being seated or a knob adjustment requiring the user to get up to adjust^[2]

This checklist is a great starting point when beginning your search for office chairs and ergonomically designed workspaces.  Or just call us! We are Office Furniture Outlet, the Home of JOE DESK, South Jersey’s best family operated office furniture dealer serving anyone looking for new or used office furniture in NJ or within a two hour drive of our South Jersey location. Visit us on the web at www.ofonj.com or www.joedesk.com or call us at 856-439-9500

Although it may seem daunting, shopping for good, quality office furniture is a must.  A Staples Advantage survey from early 2011 found 86% of office workers reported discomfort from office equipment, and almost 50% said they would be more productive with a more comfortable workspace.

When small business owners purchase office furniture they are doing more than simply stocking workspaces with chairs, desks and files – they are investing in employee productivity.

Companies can create healthier and more productive workspaces – “the goal of ergonomics” – with upgrades to office furniture.

Some things to consider before shopping are whether you would like new or used office chairs. We go over the pros and cons of each in Desks For Dummies, by Joe Desk. You should also consider whether using a broker or dealer would be the best choice to assist you in this purchase and we will go in to that in another article coming soon.

When you do get out to look, there are some key features that you’re going to want to keep in mind. This week, we’ll focus on office chairs because, if you work in an office, chances are you will spend much of your workday, five days a week, sitting in a chair.