Winkelwagen
What can be considered a proper office chair?
Working from home on a regular basis has become ‘the new norm’ for many organisations. At the office, we make sure our employees can work in a comfortable and ergonomically responsible way. Home offices are less tangible in that sense. How can you support your employees in being healthy and comfortable while working remotely? Step one: provide them with proper office chairs. Gispen is happy to help you along with a few top tips in this blog. And if you would like us to arrange everything from start to finish, we can certainly accommodate you.
When working from home, employees spend a lot more time sitting at their desk than they would at the office, where they confer with colleagues in different rooms and get each other cups of coffee. There is more commotion at the office and, as a result, people move more.
At home people are stuck behind their screens, holding one Teams meeting after another, and at the end of the day they have hardly been out of their seat. We all know how important it is to stay in motion and prevent health issues such as a sore neck or strained shoulders. It is exactly for these reasons that sitting (and moving) properly is now more important than ever, preferably with the support of a good office chair.
The perfect office chair
What makes an office chair a good one? The answer is an office chair that makes you forget about whether it is any good. A proper office chair follows you and does exactly what you want. Adjustments only have to be made once and will only take little time; it will almost adjust itself. This is, in short, the perfect office chair.
The correct settings
What often happens is that people grab a chair, make a height adjustment and get to work. However, there are so many other ways of truly personalising an office chair. A correct setting of the seat depth will improve the support of your upper legs. Well-adjusted armrests become an extension of the tabletop, relieving tension in your neck and shoulders. Moreover, many office chairs have so-called ‘netweave’ backrests which are more flexible and form to the contours of your back. The natural curve of the lower back can be supported with a lumbar support, which is often height adjustable. We could all use a little backup!
Motion system
Sitting in the same position for long periods of time can cause health issues. This is why proper office chairs are equipped with a motion system (a synchronous or tilt mechanism). Some prefer it when their chair moves a bit, while others can’t stand it. Either way, a correct adjustment of the motion system is important too. It works by adjusting the counterpressure to match the user’s body weight, preventing the chair from moving uncontrollably or making it difficult to shift your body while seated. Whether your employees are typing while in an upright position or leaning back for a while, the motion system will follow their every move.
What are all these knobs for?
With a proper office chair, you will not have to worry about all kinds of complicated or hidden knobs. If anything, an office chair should be functional and easy to adjust. This is why user-friendliness is foremost when it comes to our office chairs. The appearance comes next: an honest and no-nonsense design. And there are usually plenty of fabrics and colours to choose from.
I need help!
Do you think it is too complicated to adjust your chair properly? It doesn’t have to be! We have all types of instruction videos and user guides to help you along. The office chairs of Gispen are all equipped with a booklet that is stored under the seat, which contains all you need to know. When you’re done, simply put the booklet back in its compartment and you will never lose it.
How can I be sure I’ll get the quality I’m paying for?
When a chair meets occupational health and safety standards (such as ‘NPR 1813’ or ‘NEN EN 1335’), you know the chair has been properly tested and that it will meet all technical standards. In other words, you will be assured of a safe and technically high-quality product. This is no luxury for a chair that will be used this intensively. When you buy an office chair from Gispen, it will always meet the applicable health and safety standards.
Don’t forget about your table
This blog is about office chairs, but you mustn’t forget about your table or desk. Ideally, the height of your table is well matched with the height of your chair. A height-adjustable desk makes this process much easier. Dining room tables are often slightly higher; which is more suitable for reading the newspaper or having dinner than for office work. In most cases, it will not combine well with an office chair. Do you sometimes like to get some work done in the living room during the evening? A proper office chair at the dining table would still be better than a dining chair. Either way, you can’t lose with a proper office chair.
