All posts by office-chair-specialists

Ergonomics

So, the ergonomic office chair has been adjusted to meet your needs: this means your weight, height, leg length, shoulder to elbow distance, and lumbar support positioning have all been addressed. Your lower arms meet your desk or keyboard at a horizontal angle and your feet are now supposed to be placed firmly on the ground. If the mathematics isn’t holding up, then a footrest can now make the numbers tally.

A footrest (or foot stand) complements one’s position, when everything else in the ergonomic environment is in order.

No longer like the footstool that Grandma used to rest her slippers on, today’s ergonomic footrest addresses the working position, adding support and control to one’s working posture during the day. And the moquette finish seems to be out too, as ergonomic footrests need to be hard-wearing, for the rigours of the working day.

For example, look at the FR11 footrest. It has a sturdy and easily adjustable frame which, when set to your needs, can take the pressure off your upper legs, alleviating sluggish circulation. This model also includes non-slip o-rings, which ensure that the footrest remains firmly at its position.

A plainer design, the sturdy We Do Trittboy footrest does what it sets out to do. The ribbed foot support ensures a firm grip and its rubber feet both stop it from slipping and protect the floor.

The HAG FR2 Quickstep has a rounded and therefore rocking base, which means you’ll be encouraging blood circulation and exercising your ankles and feet, while working. This footrest is lightweight and, when in use, feels very comfortable indeed.

If you’re looking for height adjustment, the Plum FR3 footrest has five front and three back adjustments within its all-steel construction. This functional footplate is covered in non-slip rubber, a strong material which can take some wear and tear.

It’s good that there is choice but, whichever you choose, there’s something psychologically comforting about a footrest too, which is bound to rub off on how you manage your day.

Ergonomic Solutions
Ergonomic Office Solutions
Ergonomic Office Chairs
Leg Rest office Chair

Ergohuman

When it comes to choosing the right ergonomic office chair, you can get lost in the abundance of choice but I’ve quite cleverly narrowed it down to concentrating simply on the Ergohuman Office Chair Range. They produce quality chairs, all offering the ergonomic adjustments we expect and they’re attractive chairs too.

There are three things that attract me about these ergonomic office chairs: the design, the upholstery and the colour. While the ergonomic factors are of high importance, the chair you will be sitting in for many hours a day must look and feel good too, as that ‘feel good’ factor promotes better output and that’s what many jobs are about these days.

I’ve looked at the Ergohuman Plus, the Mirus , the Enjoy and the Nefil. They all gave me the lumbar support panel, the adjustable arm rests, the height adjustment, the tilt and all can have headrests fitted. What it boiled down to for me was did I feel good in the chair and did its overall design attract me? It seems strange to say that a chair can be attractive but they can, can’t they? Otherwise, when we go to buy a dining room table and chairs, why do we spend so much time trying to get the ones that suit us most?

Getting back to those Ergohuman chairs, I knew I was always going to choose mesh upholstery, as leather takes a lot of care, as does run-of-the-mill fabric. Mesh is breathable, it hugs you while you work (and who would say ‘no’ to that?), it’s easy to care for and it comes in the most beautiful range of colours. As well as the usual black or blue, the Ergohuman ergonomic office range of chairs come in red, orange, green, white, grey and burgundy. Some of those colours are warm (red, orange, green and burgundy), while others are cool (white, grey, black and blue). I chose the orange, as it gives me the feeling of warmth, comfort and energy. Orange also gives me the feeling of hope and a bright future so, while I’m sitting in my Ergohuman office chair, I’m feeling very good indeed. If my office chair was blue, I doubt I could perform, as the colour makes me feel both cold and sad. Strange but true.

Choosing the mesh gives my ergonomic office chair a little transparency. What I mean is that I can see the back structure though the mesh and it’s this that makes me love my chair. When looking at any of the four Ergohuman office chairs that I have mentioned, I get a different image. The Ergohuman Plus gives me an image of a square driving wheel (that’s how it appears to me), the Enjoy shows a spanner-shaped structure and the Nefil shows more of an open space than the others. But I chose the Mirus, as I fell in love with that bottle opener shape that appeared to me through that wonderful orange mesh. Cider, beaches and sheer fun. Amazing.

If you need a good office chair, make Ergohuman your starting point. It’ll be time well spent. And money swell spent too.

Ergohuman
Ergohuman Range of Ergonomic Office Chairs
Ergohuman Range of Ergonomic Office Chairs

Ergohuman Eco-friendly Office Chair

The Ergohuman office chair is now Certified in the UK and is 97% Eco-friendly

The Ergohuman Elite office chair is a perfect fusion of art and science, with flex zones that ensure constant support of back and lumbar, multi-dimensional adjustable arm rests for unparalleled support and a height-adjustable pivoting headrest for full cranial support. The Ergohuman has been designed specifically for those who are in an office chair for long periods of time and require “Intensive Use Seating” for comfort.

Certified to BSEN5459 (2000) Part 2 : structurally suitable and sufficiently stable for use as an office chair for up to 24 hours a day, when used by persons up to 150kg in weight.

Eco-friendly – 97% of the Ergohuman chair is made with recycleable materials

The ERGOHUMAN chair conforms to BS 5459-2:2000 Specification for performance requirements and tests for office furniture. Office pedestal seating for use by persons weighing up to 150kg and for use up to 24 hours a day, including type-approval tests for individual components

BS 5459-2 specifies performance requirements and test methods for the structural safety and stability of office pedestal seating when used by persons weighing up to 150 kg, or when used for up to 24 hours a day, including chairs for use with tables and desks higher than those specified in BS EN 527-1.

It also specifies requirements and test methods for type-approval of bases, columns, seat actions, back stems and locking devices.

BS 5459-2 seeks to ensure that the seating will not become a danger or cause injury to users when it is used as office seating in a manner which is foreseeable

Ergohuman Office Chair
Ergohuman Office Chair
New Leather for the Ergohuman Range of Office Chairs
New Leather for the Ergohuman Office Chair Range

Ergonomic Office Chairs

Choosing an ergonomic office chair can be difficult due to the complexities associated with the functions and features available. Sitting in the correct posture while you are working is paramount and will help in the short-term and more importantly in the long-term. Once you have accepted that posture is important for a healthy back, the right chair should go further than simple ergonomic by training your body to sit correctly. Some ergonomic chairs provide ergonomic features but if you keep sitting with the wrong posture you will have the same problems prior to using an ergonomic chair.

There are 2 examples of bad practices that instantly come to mind: having a pad between you and your keyboard will force you to lean forward and you will lose the back support of the chair. Some people will even sit with one leg folded on the seat pan. Nowadays ergonomic engineering and technology is pushing new boundaries and some of the most recommended ergonomic chairs will promote a good posture simply by not letting you sit incorrectly. How do they do that? Basically, you will feel very comfortable and supported if you are sitting correctly. However if you are sitting in the position which gives you no back support, for instance on the edge of the seat, within seconds you will feel like correcting your posture because of the lack of comfort.

Once you get used to the chair, you will soon feel the benefits. After a few weeks you may also feel that the chair helps to strengthen your body. This would come from the back-rest of the chair pushing gently against your back giving you support. As a natural response your body will push back against the back-rest of the chair using your back muscles – in essence working out the muscles in your back and strengthening them.

If you suffer from back pain a good ergonomic chair combined with regular gentle/slow stretching exercises to loosen your back will go a long way. If you had back pain treatment from a physiotherapist you would have been given treatment for the problem and probably a sheet of recommended exercises to strengthen your back. For some people, when the weather gets cold and damp, aches and pains start to appear like clockwork – as if they were by direct debit. If such is the case, you should make sure you do the stretching exercises especially during that time of the year.

Then it’s back to being conscious of your posture again, key to this is the ergonomic chair. So which is the best chair for you? What else do you need to complete you ergonomic office configuration to create the perfect ergonomic working environment whether at work or at home?

Once you have the right ergonomic office chair, and the right ergonomic desk, the items you use on your desk need to come to you rather than you reaching out repeatedly all day long. Try and pause for a moment and plan how to rearrange your desk so that what you use the most is easily reachable. Do you have to reach out in an odd position to grab a pen? Do you have to twist yourself downwards to target the bin? Is your phone close enough and on the right side of the desk? Is your monitor at the right height or do you find yourself looking down and tensing your neck muscles over time? All these are considerations that will need to be addressed to create the perfect ergonomic set-up. There are also a range of ergonomic accessories which will perform these necessary adjustments to get everything just right!

Enjoy Mesh Office Chair

The New 2010 model Enjoy mesh office chair with headrest is designed and made with the total comfort of human-kind in mind. The Enjoy ergonomic chair fuses art and science with flex zones that ensure constant support of back and lumbar, multi-dimensional adjustable arm rest for unparalleled support and a height-adjustable pivoting headrest for full crane support. The Enjoy ergonomic mesh office chair was designed specifically for those who are in an office chair for 8 hours a day, and require “intensive use seating” to keep comfortable for long periods of time. Aesthetics, form and function allow this ergonomic chair to utilize a synchronous tilt mechanism with 3 position lock, sliding seat and pneumatic height adjustment all in one very unique single lever control lever.

Enjoy Chair Specification :

* Enjoy mesh chair with five star polished aluminum base.
* New sleeker, improved mechanism
* Full Synchronous movement.
* One single lever control which means all chair adjustments can be carried out using one lever
* Breathable comfortable mesh seat and backrest.
* Seat height control.
* Seat depth adjustment (seat slide)
* Backrest tilt tension control.
* Backrest tilt angle adjustment.
* Backrest height adjustment.
* New design armrests with soft polyurethane pads.
* Armrest height & angle adjustment.
* Headrest height & angle adjustment.

Enjoy ergonomic office chair available in Black Mesh. The New Enjoy mesh office chair also available with headrest.

Enjoy Mesh Office Chair
Enjoy Mesh Office Chair

Ergohuman Plus Mesh Office Chair

Ergohuman Chair 2010
Ergohuman Plus Chair

Ergohuman plus office chair
Ergohuman Plus Office Chair

The Ergohuman Plus offers a unique ergonomic concept with ever more posture control and support to fit you like a glove : incorporating a synchro tilt mechanism with infinite lock, sliding seat, pneumatic height adjustment, automatic lumbar support system, seat tilt, Height and angle adjustable arms and headrest all in one very unique environmentally friendly 97% recyclable office chair.

Available in fabric, leather and mesh visit simply ergonomic, office chairs extra or ergohuman.net to buy online

Office Evolution and Work Life balance

Working practice has changed some much in the last 10 years from being mostly paper based to digital and computerized storage of documents. Finding data and cross-referencing information has never been easier. One example would be the police service using their new databases to solve crimes dating back 30 years or more. The example of computer power would be NASA or climate change scientists who have managed to harness the power of millions of computers through the internet to map the earth, weather predictions and more.
So what do you have in your office now?

The most obvious would be a computer, computer monitor, office desk, office chair and a pedestal. So how could you change the environment of the office to make it so people can enjoy their surroundings? The first is colours, having an office, which is bright, and vibrant creates an exciting dynamic happy office where as a dull office would be gloomy and sad. Some people also suffer from a condition known as SAD caused from deficiencies of natural sunlight light.
The workplace has been changing over the decades from office rooms, to partitions and cubicles, moving on to open space offices, and now going towards hot-desking areas used by executives with their own lap-tops. Even the home office users are on the verge of converging their home office with home living with new high-tech devices and trends such as integrated home cinema and home automation. Computer usage such as Internet and email is now diluted between mobile phones, iphones, blackberry, ipads, miniature laptops and giant desktops and is now making ground through our TV screens as some of the main Internet websites can now be browsed on your super thin / flat / sharp latest hd tv screen.
At the same time tv is also bleeding into the Internet ever directing us to a web-page after a program or prompting us to watch the next episode on the tv channel website. Everything is merging, tv , computer, mobile devices, telephones. Everything is converging, work life and home life. Everything is one: entertainment & communication. The telephone is now on the Internet with Skype and voice over IP, the music is now accessible on TV and on the Internet in the form of downloads. Games can be played equally on computers and play stations wired to your TV.
So in this ever-changing environment what will be the home office furniture of the future. As most of the information is stored digitally then one will have to be creative to adapt their home office even more than an office as they will normally spend more time there as they work from home. So if you can’t get away from it you need to improve it to be as versatile as our lifestyles.
The office chair will need to be adaptable to fill a number or roles and transform from a traditional office chair to a multi task, multi functional chair for the home office. Image will also play an important part as it will be the home office that you are proud of and not just what you were given by the management. An office chair will have to be convertible in a lounge chair or a game chair, a desk will need to be modular (adjustable and extendible) as well as mobile (desk with wheels) and ergonomic.
Any idea what tomorrow’s home office will look like?
So what will your ergonomic chair look like?

Are you working in the right position?

Have you ever thought about how important it is to sit in the right position?
The majority of people subconsciously sit in the most comfortable position they can. It is fine to do this occasionally, but not a good practice for many hours of work. If you don’t take regular exercise and your work is desk bound, you might end up with back problems. Office workers often complain about stiff back, sour neck and lower back pain. Some companies will offer free gym membership or yoga lessons, in house back training exercises, and even massage services. The office furniture is also important: sitting on the right type of office chair should not be overlooked. Nowadays, office chairs are specifically designed to suit specific needs and tasks. Some of the most ergonomic office chairs are fully adjustable to the human body, which include adjustable arms, knee tilt and back height. Some of the leather office chairs are incredibly comfortable for many hours of work. The foam of the seat can be molded in a very ergonomic shape that fits perfectly the curves of the human body. Some will argue that Mesh fabric also stretches to your body shape giving well-distributed support.

Once you are equipped with the right chair, you should follow basic guidelines regarding your position. One of these is to sit in an upright position with your elbows at a 90-degree angle, while typing. Additionally, your monitor should be levelled with your eyes, or slightly lower, and at a comfortable distance, neither too far, neither too close. It is also important to move your legs on a regular basis to avoid feeling numb. If you don’t want to get up, flexing your feet and tiptoeing will also be beneficial. Simple exercises like these will help avoiding thrombosis, as it will help pumping the blood up to the heart (a well-known advice on long distance flights). Standing up from time to time, stretching or taking a brisk walk will also help. Ideally you should also take a 10-minute-pause from looking at the screen – at least every two hours. Use this time wisely to do your filing, post the mail or tidy up your desk. All in one it is necessary to have the right office chair to sit on and work at, combined with a healthy living, you should enjoy many hours of work while becoming more productive.
Get Your Ergonomic Chair

Glasses or Contact lenses?

I have been working in an office for a couple of months now and I used to wear contact lenses in my former job as a sales rep, but since I work in an office and stare at the screen all day my eyes become dry and the lenses start bothering me. Despite regular pauses, looking away to rest my eyes, I become tired more easily and my eyes start itching. I think it is because of the office air conditioning and the problem becomes worse when I work at my height adjustable desk standing up. This is why I had to give up my contacts for glasses during office hours.

I bought a new funky red frame to match my ergonomic office chair and uniform at the call centre, which hasn’t come unnoticed by the floor manager and my fashion obsessed colleagues – I am hopping that wearing the company colours will show my commitment and affect my next pay review. It’s all about perception and image. Fingers crossed.

To complete your office you need a chair, so how about a mesh office chair. Choose from Enjoy Office Chairs or Ergohuman Office Chairs

Enjoy Office Chairs

Changing Times for People Working from Home

Things have completely changed from 10 years ago, many people are now working from home full time and part time. Many home offices are squeezed into a small bedrooms, or a corner of the living room or kitchen.

The office furniture that was used then was often bony old kitchen chairs, and tables, which is simply not adequate these days to accommodate computers printers filing etc etc.
Now that more people are working from home they tend to work longer hours as they save time on the commute down the stairs. A comfortable work environment is now essential such as an ergonomic chair such as the Ergohuman Chair or the Enjoy Chair.
These chairs are excellent value and very comfortable giving you a
better posture. Go one step further with an Office Chair with intergrated leg rest…

Office Chair with Leg Rest

The desk is also so important and these days a Computer Workstation is useful to facilitate all of your home office essentials such as computers, printers, scanners, media storage and filing. The Computer Hideaway does all that the workstation does but closes up into a cupboard when you are done for the day.

Ergohuman Office Chair
Enjoy Ergonomic Office Chair