Tag Archives: Office Furniture

Ergonomic Office Chairs, Comfort and Adjustability

An ergonomic chair means that the seating matches both the person’s physical needs and job responsibilities so, to do this, it has to be adjustable.

Imagine the user – tall, short, thin, overweight, disabled in some way – adjustments need to be made to the ergonomic chair, to suit that particular worker.

The seat needs to be height-adjustable, both for leg length and body / back length. The chair should have an in-built lumbar support panel which, with adjustment, both height and tilt-wise, can be positioned to meet the person’s lumbar region and also support the natural curve of the spine. The seat itself will have a 16 to 20 inch height adjustment range, to make the average person’s feet comfortably touch the floor and pneumatic height adjustment allows for effortless change to the seat requirement. For people who have restricted growth, an ergonomic footstool will make feet to base contact successful, as the height of the chair needs to tally with the desk height.

The seat base itself should also allow for tilt and an ideal angle is for the front to slope downwards a little, as this takes any pressure off the knee joint area and thus supports continued good circulation in the lower legs. The seat density should not be too soft, as its purpose is to support your weight firmly and comfortably.

Arm height adjustment is also an ergonomic necessity, so support can be given to the lower arms, as they reach to meet the desk or keyboard. Getting this height right will go a long way to preventing hand / wrist problems, such as repetitive strain injury (RSI) and carpal tunnel syndrome. There is also an item called a wrist rest, a light-weight article which helps get that angle between wrist and keyboard right, again supporting joints and prolonging comfort.

Getting the chair right for the user will involve trial and error and, after a few days of usage, perfect settings can be reached, making sure that the ergonomic chair does what it is supposed to do. Consider, however, that after a holiday or a long period away from work, someone else may have made use of the chair, and possibly adjusted the settings.

Buying an ergonomic chair is an investment in both health and work performance. Sitting, with correct support given where it is needed, will make for a more comfortable and satisfying day of work.

Ergonomic Office Chairs
 
 
Ergonomic Office Chairs
Ergohuman Office Chairs
Ergohuman

The Ergonomic Office

If you know anything about office furniture, you’ll know that we’re now in the world of ergonomics the aim is to adapt to an Ergonomic Office. In a nutshell, this means making the office environment fit you. It means looking at your personal working space, your job responsibilities and also your body frame measurements and weight, to get the ‘best for you’ as regards to working conditions.

Ergonomics
Ergonomic Office Chairs

‘Getting it right’ will cover space, light, noise and overall sitting comfort:-

Space. A good ergonomic layout will mean that your work system is organised in such a way that you don’t have to carry heavy weights over long distances, you don’t have to overly stretch and you’re not working in cramped conditions etc..

Light. Good daylight is important and, where this isn’t possible, good simulated daylight is the next best thing. Knowing what type of lighting to buy for your office space is essential. Also bear in mind that a lot of light comes from your computer screen and this is going directly towards your eyes, which isn’t a good thing, as good light should always come from over your shoulder. I would always advise getting a filter screen for your computer, to reduce that ‘sunlight’ effect which really is too bright.

Noise. We now often hear of noise pollution and, in a busy office, pollution is often the case. For example, how often have you had to speak with call centre staff and can’t hear what your contact is saying as clearly as you can hear her colleagues? In that modern-day office, false walls in the form of screens are often used, to give that feeling of private space and to somewhat reduce the effect of the overall noise.

Overall Sitting Comfort. When it comes to seating, always look at ergonomic office chairs, as these are designed to offer many adjustments, making the chair of your choice match your overall needs. The Ergohuman range has several models, like the Ergohuman, the Ergohuman Plus, the Mirus, Enjoy and the Nefil. Spend some time finding out what these chairs offer. The features include seat tilt and glide, seat height, adjustable armrests, a lumbar support region and many other useful features and there are also additional extras, such as a headrest, a leg rest and a note table. Knowing what your job responsibilities ask of you will help you decide which of these additional extras are necessary.

Overall. An ergonomically-friendly environment makes work a pleasure and the day less stressful. It’s like any job, a bad workman always blames his tools, so getting the environment right for you means success all round.

It’s simply ergonomics.

Ergohuman Plus with Leg Rest
Ergohuman Plus with Leg Rest

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?

The Importance of Colours in the Office

In branding and marketing colours are carefully chosen according to the psychological effects they may have on people. There is no doubt that the colours surrounding our daily life have a direct influence on our mood and behavior. Some years ago when I was at University I was renting a room in a superb Victorian flat along Battersea Park. The room was very spacious but the owner had painted the walls in a dark deep red, which was unusual but did not put me off from moving in. However this year I became depressed and I am ashamed to say, lethargic, I think the colour had a negative influence on me. On the contrary my flatmate who had the yellow room was always happy and energized, the girl renting the blue room was relaxed and cool headed and the guy renting the dark green room was never there!

Equally, influence by colour can be used in the workplace. Companies with old and tired furnishing tend to look quite dull, compared to some of the new modern office designs , boasting bright ergonomic office chairs , modern computer desks and colourful office partitions .

The positive use of colour is well-known in young internet companies as well as design and PR agencies – this goes beyond benefiting the company’s image, it truly promotes a creative environment. Google’s offices are well known for their coloured gym balls and funky office furniture, and even one of the first on site crèche. The psychology of colour is perhaps best measured in call centres where a buzzing/fast-paced environment is best stimulated with energizing colours rather than calming ones – expert advice from an experienced office fit-out consultant will do the trick to revamp a site. As for me, as soon as I have finished the plastering, I am off to the paint shop to buy some bright yellow paint for my ergohuman office chair! Watch this space!

“You’re only as good as the equipment you use.”

When it comes to Office Furniture and Home Office Furniture , equipment, accessories, and Supplies, your brain knows and responds when you’re serious enough about what you’re doing to demand that your furniture and tools be just as serious about what they’re doing!

If I’ve heard my wife say the above statement once, I’ve heard her say it a billion times. In fact, I’ve made similar statements in my “course” of the day – like in the kitchen. I love to cook and know that if you aren’t using quality pans, appliances, and utensils, your work is harder and your results aren’t as pleasing.

We both agree that the truth of the statement is even more vital to work than to play.

In the history of our home business, I’ve worked on the living room couch, at the dining room table, on the deck, at the patio table, even in the bath tub. However, when I’m stationed at a top quality desk like the Home Office Computer Desk from Office Furniture Extra (pictured below) and sitting in a chair my body finds most agreeable , like the BMA Axia Plus Ergonomic Office Chair with Headrest (pictured below), the creativity flows SO MUCH more freely. It’s as though my brain cells say, “She’s serious about this, let’s give her all we’ve got…”

Ergonomic Office Chairs
Ergonomic Office Chairs

Since I need….no, let’s make that Since I REALLY need my brain cells to make a call to action more often, I’ve started doing all of my writing and brainstorming at my workcenter.

One of my favorite parts of my workday is when I come across fresh suppliers, online stores, and manufacturers. It’s like finding a new store in the mall you’d never seen before – everythings new and promising. I especially love when my new find is relevant to one of our blogs – then I get to tell others about it. Office Furniture Extra Business Solutions is one you’ll want to check out. Not only do they have beautiful office furniture and accessories, the delivery is included in the price on most products so you don’t get stung at the checkout.

…. Shop some more!

The Best Ergonomic Office Chairs