Top 5 Benefits of an Ergonomic Chair: Why You Need One

Most people spend more time sitting than they do sleeping, yet don't consider their chair to be as important as their mattress. Getting an ergonomic chair has been proven to substantially improve the way you work and feel, from reducing back and joint pain to making you more productive while working.

If you work a job that requires you to sit at a computer for most of the day and experience back pain on a regular basis, here’s a bit of consolation—you’re not alone. Nearly 65 million Americans have experienced bouts of back pain or discomfort in the recent past, and that has a lot to do with the fact that the average American spends 13 hours a day in a seated position. So while many of us have tried to support our spines by buying supportive shoes and extra-firm mattresses—both great ideas, don’t get us wrong!—the main root of the problem is actually in the way we sit.

Having poor posture in one sitting probably won’t have more than a marginal effect on your physical and psychological well-being, but failing to correct that poor posture over time, especially if you spend several hours a day at a desk, can have lasting impacts that often go beyond mere discomfort—between 1996 and 2016 alone, for instance, Americans spent $134 billion on costs related to their back pain.

Today, instead of waiting for back pain to arise or worsen before addressing the problem, millions of office workers are recognizing how fundamental a healthy sitting posture is to their overall well-being. By taking care of the problem through ergonomic solutions, they’re taking tangible steps toward protecting themselves from the avoidable physical, psychological, and financial stress that comes with chronic back pain. So much of this work comes in the conscious effort to implement and maintain good posture, but, as anyone who swears by memory foam mattresses or cushioned shoes might tell you, surrounding ourselves with the right objects can go a long way towards fostering a healthier lifestyle. Chairs are no different.

Here are the five main benefits of having an ergonomic chair:

Physical health

Okay, let’s start at square one. While you can make a conscious effort to align your torso, neck, arms, and legs in any chair, the fact of the matter is that without proper guidance, most people revert to their bad sitting habits over time. As soon as the stress of the workplace starts taking a toll, it becomes easy to forget the progress we may have made towards assuming a healthier posture.

Unlike conventional chairs, which demand that you do all of the work yourself in correcting your posture, ergonomic chairs are specifically designed to foster alignment while reducing stress and tension throughout the body. So instead of having to worry about keeping all of your joints at right angles, an ergonomic chair is doing most of the work to ensure that you’re not sitting with a slouched back or a craned neck. With an ergonomic chair, the path of least resistance becomes a healthier resting position, helping to mitigate and even prevent back pain in the long run. A recent study by OSHA demonstrates that several musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as carpal tunnel syndrome, muscle strains, and lower back injuries can all be prevented in the workplace through ergonomic solutions.

Emotional well-being

A lot of people who experience back pain are also coping with a nasty feedback loop called “the pain cycle"—their back pain leads to psychological stress, which prevents them from engaging in physical activity, thereby exacerbating the pain and resulting in more stress. In the worst cases, back pain can lead to depression and anxiety, which, in turn, causes more back pain. You get the idea.

With all of this in mind, it’s imperative for anyone spending 10+ hours a day sitting to do whatever they can on both the physical and emotional fronts to prevent this cycle: useful practices include exercise, meditation, and maintaining a healthy diet. It’s still entirely possible, though, to offset the benefits of these healthy practices by sitting too much—with an ergonomic chair, you can ensure that more time sitting does not have to lead to any physical or emotional regression.

Helps you focus

This is a pretty straightforward concept—if you’re under less stress, it’s going to be a lot easier to focus, and if you’re able to focus more, you’ll get more work done. A Washington State Department of Labor and Industries study found that workers who switch to ergonomic office furniture demonstrate significant improvements in absenteeism, error rates, and timeliness of work submitted. So whether you’re an employee or employer, ergonomic chairs will go a long way towards improving your productivity. And maybe, with all that extra time on our hands, we could spend a bit less time at our desks.

Fits all body types

Since body types vary as much as they do, it’s important that a chair can accommodate your dimensions. That’s why ergonomic chairs feature anywhere between four and eight points of adjustment—no matter your size, the length of your torso, or the natural arch of your spine, an ergonomic chair can be customized to meet your physical specifications. Adjust the seat, armrest, and lumbar support to ensure that your neck, shoulders, elbows, waist and knees are all at right angles, and you’re already well on your way towards a healthier sitting position.

Provides comfort

All of these benefits are pointing to a common thread, aren’t they? The bottom line is that ergonomic chairs are just a lot more comfortable than any alternative (unless you’ve somehow found a way to sustainably work in bed). By accommodating your body type, encouraging better posture, and helping you focus, ergonomic chairs foster a greater sense of physical and emotional ease. The workday becomes more manageable and sitting becomes less stressful.

Ergonomic chairs are just part of the solution

Even though our business is in improving people’s lives through ergonomic furniture, we’ll be the first to let you know that there are many other steps you can take to live a healthier, more ergonomic lifestyle. Chairs will go a long way towards supporting that mission, but in the meantime, we recommend you read up on the simple steps you can take to support your everyday physical and emotional health.