In this article we're going to discuss what to look for when purchasing or thinking of purchasing a chair for the office.

If you're looking to buy an office chair, you want to make sure you make your decision is based on some important factors. Most likely if you are purchasing an office chair it is either for yourself or your employees. In either case you want to make sure the chair is comfortable and safe. You and your workers are going to be sitting in these for 8 hours a day. You don't want the sitting experience to turn into a nightmare. Work is hard enough.

When purchasing an office chair, the first thing you want to get, if possible, is a trial period. Many distributors will allow a week. That way if there are any problems or if the chair is uncomfortable after long periods of sitting you can return it. You can't possibly know if a chair is going to be comfortable after just a few minutes of sitting.

There are some features of a good office chair that you should definitely look for.

The first thing that is very important is a backrest adjustment. A backrest adjustment can prevent or at least help lessen the discomfort that happens when sitting for long periods of time. There are some things about the backrest that you should look for.

For starters, there is the backrest height. You want to try to find one that will allow the user of the chair to provide maximum support to the lower portion of the back. The height will vary from person to person so that backrest itself must be adjustable.

Then there is the backrest tilt which allows the person using the chair to either recline (lean back) or incline (lean forward) and adopt variable postures in between these two positions. Most people find a slight reclining position to be the most comfortable.

Then there is the backrest horizontal movement or the ability to move backward and forward. This is not the same as the tilt feature. This is a feature that actually either increases or decreases the distance between the back of the chair and the seat of the chair. Not all chairs have this feature and while it may cost more it is something to consider as it will provide further comfort on an individual basis.

Then there is chair height adjustment. All office chairs must have this feature as people with longer legs will probably want the chair seat higher off the ground otherwise they may begin to feel their legs cramp up.

Then we have the seat pan characteristics. You should look for seats that have the following characteristics. The seat pan should have adequate depth and width. The material should be comfortable but offer sufficient support and the seat pan should tilt to alleviate pressure on the back of the thighs.

As for armrests, they should not interfere with the work that needs to be done but should be comfortable and provide support for the arms. In general if wide movement is needed armrests should be avoided.

And of course the chair itself should be stable. You don't want a chair that is wobbly. To ensure this you should look for a chair with a five pronged base.

By following the above tips you should have no trouble finding the right chair for your office.