Office Chair Sizes: How Do I Choose the Most Suitable?

If there is one item in your workplace that you should never compromise on, it’s your office chair! For those of us that spend most of the working day at a desk, it is absolutely vital that we have a suitable chair that will support, correct, and encourage you to sit in the best position. For this to be successful, we need to select the most appropriate ergonomic chair for our body type in order to reduce the risk of developing any musculoskeletal issues. But with so much to consider, where do we start? Read our blog to find out everything you need to know about different office chair sizes, types, and desirable features.

What Makes a Good Office Chair?

A good office chair follows the movements of your body, reduces the risk of strain injuries, and promotes the correct posture, even when your days are long! These are also known as ergonomic chairs and are crucial both for your well-being and productivity. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all solution and what works for one person may not work for another, even those in identical working environments.

When choosing a chair, it is important to choose one with multiple adjustable features such as lumbar, seat, back, armrests, headrest, and height. All of these features combined can help prevent the onset of repetitive strain injury – which is very common amongst office workers.

Ergonomic chairs are designed with the human body in mind and are built to last. On top of that, ergonomic chairs come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. Choose from a petite leather chair to a fabric ergonomic chair for a tall person or just about anything else in between! These chairs cater to a large range of audiences so for those of us office workers, an ergonomic chair is a no-brainer!

Individuals who shorter, taller, or heavier than the average body type often struggle to find a chair that fits properly. Most chairs, even when adjustable, are designed to fit the average body size. But what actually is the ‘average’ body size? We think there is no such thing!

If you’re light or heavy, short or tall, you mustn’t settle for a generic office chair! Ideally, you should look for office chair sizes that has been designed specifically to suit your height and weight to ensure you stay seated in the best possible position.

Petite Ergonomic Chairs

Petite tends to describe people that are of smaller build and are generally 5’4 or less. There are a number of things to consider when choosing a petite ergonomic chair. We have put together the most important ones below:

Seat Depth

An improperly sized chair can present genuine health risks. A seat that is too deep can create circulatory problems for the lower legs. A petite ergonomic chair user will need a smaller seat depth, with a seat slide to adjust the fit perfectly. A properly fitting seat should have two to three fingers’ width of space between the front of the seat edge and the back of the knee. The seat should also have a waterfall front edge or a ‘flex front’ to aid circulation.

Seat Height

Chair height is another important factor when it comes to selecting an appropriate model. A seat which is too high can be just as detrimental as a seat too deep and can also lead to health problems. Most commonly, cut off circulation to the lower limbs. In order to reduce the risk, opt for a customisable chair which allows you to change the gas cylinder and lower the height.

Armrests

Armrests which are too far apart can have a huge impact on the supportiveness of the feature. The purpose of armrests is to offer proper support in order to prevent hand, arm, thoracic, and neck problems, but improperly placed chair arms can actually have the opposite effect! It is important to choose a chair with adjustable arms so that the arms can be slid inward and stay close to petite bodies.

Back Rest

The back of your chair is the final important factor to consider when selecting the best petite ergonomic chair. The lumbar needs to connect with your body in the right places and the headrest should be adjustable to fit a smaller person.

Our Recommendations

Here at Ergonomic Chairs Direct, we produce three chairs specifically for our petite users:

All of these chairs are preventative and corrective. Choose from a range of customisation options which help with postural pain if required including coccyx cut outs, inflatable lumbar supports, inflatable thoracic supports, air flow seats for sciatic pain, and many more.

In summary, selecting a chair that fits the body correctly plays a key role in achieving all day comfort and injury prevention. While it may be more challenging for those of us who are on the petite side, there are endless options to choose from, including the excellent range here at Ergonomic Chairs Direct!

Ergonomic Chair for a Tall Person

If you’re a tall person, you’re probably used to sitting in office chairs with your knees flexed or a good portion of your thighs exposed past the seat’s edge. While this may simply look awkward, more than anything else there are real health and productivity issues that can arise from being in this anatomically incorrect position for hours on end.

The first step in overcoming this is to decide what defines a tall person. The word tall describes a subjective measurement so this can be challenging. A simple way to do this is to take the average height of 5’9 and class anybody over this height as tall.

For your new chair to give your body the support it needs, it must be able to adapt to your height, weight, and body shape. Taller frames require chairs with adjustable features and a tension control mechanism. It is a good idea for heavier frames to look for large office chairs which come with at least a 5-year guarantee.

It is important to look out for the following adjustable features when selecting an ergonomic chair for a tall person:

Seat Height

Many office chairs come with inadequate seat height adjustment to properly accommodate tall people’s legs. This forces you to flex your knees or extend your legs while seated, putting your whole body in an awkward posture, and increasing pressure on your hips and thighs. Ideally, we are looking for 90-degree angles, with the knees slightly lower than the hips, and feet flat on the floor when seated. It is important to select a chair which has different height gas cylinders to accommodate this.

Seat Depth

The seat should slide forwards or backwards to suit your height and thigh length. Tall people have longer femur bones that require seats with a greater depth than usual to be comfortable. With your feet flat on the floor and your back fully supported, you should be able to fit 2-3 fingers width between the front of the seat and the back of your knees, giving full thigh support and allowing better blood circulation to your lower legs and feet.

Seat Tilt

For improved circulation, an ergonomic chair for a tall person should be tilted gently forward with the knees slightly lower than your hips. This helps to open up the pelvis and allows your lower spine to curve naturally.

Back Rest

The backrest should be set at a height to fit the natural curvature of your spine. An inflatable or adjustable lumbar support gives individual control of the pressure on the spine while tilt adjustment with a permanent contact option ensures full contact and support. An adjustable headrest is also of huge benefit as it helps to take the pressure off the shoulders and neck.

Our Recommendations

At Ergonomic Chairs Direct, we specialise in the design of chairs for people of all shapes and sizes. We offer four chairs for large and tall people:

Choosing Office Chair Sizes at Ergonomic Chairs Direct

Here at Ergonomic Chairs Direct, we are a team of friendly experts who are passionate about ergonomics. If you consider yourself to be tall or petite and ever find that you’re spending the majority of your working day sitting on an uncomfortable chair, please get in touch! We offer a fully bespoke chair building service that allows you to create a product unique to you. For more information or advice on the office chair sizes we have available, please do not hesitate to contact us today!