About 30 percent of office workers experience inconvenience in the workplace. Most often, the problem lies in the insufficient number of square meters allocated to one office unit. Since each employee is engaged in the organization of the workspace himself, he can slightly improve the picture by creating optimal conditions and an individual order on the desk. However, the choice of office supplies and furniture is usually not the responsibility of the average employee. Therefore, not every subordinate has a convenient place to work and boasts the best office chair.
What to choose: a chair or a chair?
Conventionally, furniture for all categories of people who come to the office is divided in importance: for executives, for specialists, and for visitors. Approximately in the same sequence the cost of an office chair decreases . If the manager’s chair is distinguished by expensive materials that emphasize the status of the boss, then the staff select universal seats and backs, fitted with a leather substitute or fabric. In the office environment, it is customary to purchase chairs for workers with armrests and head restraints, while for visitors they choose an economy class without any additional functions and amenities.
The cheapest representatives of office furniture are chairs that are almost outdated. The absence of a swivel mechanism and wheels does not allow you to quickly switch from a computer monitor to the desktop and vice versa. Therefore, the choice in favor of the chair will save money today, but it will significantly reduce labor productivity and in the long run will bring only losses. However, in some organizations chairs have been preserved to date. They are used by visitors while waiting for the order of admission.
Variety of materials and shapes
In order to choose ergonomic and economical furniture for company employees, including choosing the best office chairs, you need to study their main parameters.
The most important characteristics experts call:
- the complexity of the mechanism;
- seat, frame, and crosspiece material;
- view of the armrests and head restraints;
- wheel material;
- gas lift length;
- Extra options.
Types of mechanisms
The basis of the chair, which allows for a long time to serve as intended, is an adjustable mechanical component.
There are several types of mechanisms:
- Piastra - looks like a metal plate connecting the stem and seat. Functionally, this unit allows you to adjust the desired height of the office chair with a lever. Pressing it brings the gas lift valve into working position, and the movement is up and down to the required vertical size. Piastra is the simplest mechanism, significantly reducing the cost of office furniture, but only adjusting height.
- A set of springs and screws - allows you to adjust the rolling stiffness of the back, its height and distance to the seat. The spring-screw mechanism is more complex in contrast to the piastra, but is also used in chairs of low and medium price categories. The advantage is the ability to adjust the parameters for a particular person and the selection of the desired rolling stiffness.
- "Top Gun" - has 3 types of regulation: the lever adjusts the height and degree of rolling, and the spring provides the necessary rigidity. Due to its large dimensions, the Top Gun system is installed on executive chairs.
- Multiblock - defines not only all the listed amenities, but also makes it possible to fix the chair in three or more positions. More often than others, this mechanism is used on office chairs of reinforced construction. As a result of unlocking, the backrest slowly moves to its original position after some force is applied.
- Synchronous mechanism - considered the best of the available options. As in the case of a multiblock, its device allows you to fix the chair in several positions. A particular advantage is the tilt of the backrest and seat, which varies depending on the load.
Construction Materials
The frame of the chair is produced in two versions: one-piece and collapsible. The first option is more durable and allows for functional use even after dismantling the armrests. In the case of using a non-monolithic frame, all parts are connected using an additional design or the same armrests.
The spider usually has five, rarely four branches and gives stability to the office chair. Plastic, although not far behind in strength from other materials, is used for the cross of the most budgetary seats. A metal crosspiece, sometimes chrome-plated, is considered the best option for mid-level workers, but adds weight to the chair and leads to higher cost. The metal base with wood lining painted in the color of the armrests gives a presentable look .
The soft part of the chair can be:
- covered with a practical wear-resistant fabric;
- made of genuine leather or its substitute;
- made from a special and strong enough fabric mesh.
In order to ensure a comfortable stay for employees at the workplace, padding for the best office chairs is carried out with polyurethane foam.
Pleasant trifles
Both armrests and head restraints are not an obligatory but important attribute of a chair. Their presence significantly increases the comfortable state of working in it. The armrests can be removable or serve as a connecting element for the back and seat.
The best option is the height-adjustable armrests, which contribute to the correct distribution of the load on the body and facilitate standing. There are a number of seats with reclining armrests. This function is convenient in small rooms where every centimeter of the working space is taken into account.
The headrests that adjust the angle of inclination are usually equipped with expensive, most often leather office chairs for the head. The middle price segment of the market includes an unregulated headrest, which also allows you to relax your neck and back muscles.
Wheels and gas lift
The casters at the base of the chair are an important part of comfortable office travel. The type of surface on which the chair will subsequently roll is crucial when choosing this category of furniture.
For riding on hard decorative surfaces, wheels made of soft materials are chosen: polyurethane or rubber, so as not to damage the laminate or parquet. Plastic wheels are purchased to slip the chair on tiles, linoleum or carpet. The second option is installed on budget office chairs, the cost and class of which does not need to be increased. The proceeds from the sale of seats of this kind are formed in proportion to the volume of sales, and not to an increase in quality and comfort indicators.
The gas lift chair is used as a lift and is a piston with a cylinder. The height adjusting device is distinguished by length and material. On the chairs for managers, a short gas lift is used, for employees - a medium-length device. As for appearance, in expensive models such as "Bureaucrat" the chair is regulated by a chrome gas lift, which is a continuation of the same cross. To make a cost-effective purchase, it is recommended to purchase a chair with a regular black gas lift, placed in a plastic case.
Design
If the quality of the chair and its main parameters are selected based on the functional purpose, then the color and shape are determined by the design of the room.
The leaders in sales of exclusive models of armchairs are the leather version in black or brown upholstery with a base made of natural materials and polyurethane rollers. Second place in popularity is occupied by neutral shades of upholstery for executive chairs. The option with the Top Gun mechanism of a dark color on a fabric basis with a padding and adjustable armrests was recognized as the best office chair for employees.
Manufacturers
The market for office chairs is wide and diverse. With ease, you can choose an economical option with good technical characteristics. There are places to turn around and connoisseurs of office furniture, and picky bosses. The most famous brands are Metta, Bureaucrat and Easy chair.
Metta
This is a Russian company that positions itself as a company with a full production cycle, from research in the field of comfortable furniture to sales from the finished goods warehouse. The manufacturer produces 6 series of office chairs: Samurai, SkyLine, Business, Lux, Midi, Comfort. Each species has several options that differ in price at times.
Since the start of production, the Samurai office chair has undergone about 12 upgrades. Many of them remained in the catalog of goods and are in demand, and the brand Samurai, according to the manufacturer, became his best product. The advantages of the chair include:
- steel chrome frame;
- ergonomic shape;
- “Breathable” seat and back material;
- silent mechanism and shifted center of swing;
- polyurethane rollers.
The buyer is also pleased with the opportunity to choose colors from white to black and material - from reinforced mesh to genuine leather. In the office furniture market, Metta chairs are valued for the best orthopedic properties.
"Bureaucrat"
The brand belongs to a foreign company Merlion and produces not only armchairs, but also stationery, furniture accessories, lamps and watches. Experts mark this brand for the best quality of goods in the middle price category. Armchairs "Bureaucrat" are presented in 4 categories: for managers, employees, visitors and children. To capture an impressive segment of the market, the company uses a variety of upholstery. For budget options, a practical fabric base, artificial leather, microfiber, nubuck are used. Executive chairs are often upholstered in genuine leather, sometimes with a polyurethane coating or faux leather and high quality fabrics. Particular attention is paid to mesh upholstery, which significantly increases the ergonomics of the seats.
Easy chair
The company has been operating in the domestic market since 2011 and represents upholstered furniture, safes, armchairs for all categories of workers and entire furniture cabinets. The company stands for a variety of color schemes.
Many shades and textures allow Easy chair office chairs to harmoniously fit into any design and color scheme. Professionals call the advantage of this brand the use of durable and environmentally friendly materials, which allows the manufacturer to compete with well-known world brands.
Chair selection criteria
When purchasing a chair, experts recommend that you test the product before buying. It is necessary to check the usability, ease of adjustment and smooth rolling.
Sitting in a chair, you can appreciate the comfort of being in it, the quality of the seat, back and armrests. When moving and lifting, squeaks or other unpleasant sounds should alert.
If you select a seat for the head, you need to remember the design and color scheme of the cabinet. The chair should emphasize the status of the boss and in no case be taken out of the general context. Here it is necessary to pay special attention to appearance and choose the right color. You can purchase a complete set of furniture in neutral shades or pick it up to match the walls. To emphasize the importance of the owner of the office, you need to buy a chair several tones brighter than the rest of the furniture, but not beyond the prevailing color.
The main criterion in choosing a seat for the purpose of efficient work of subordinates is functionality and convenience. A sturdy frame, easy adjustment of the office chair, silent rollers, medium soft printing and a practical, non-marking color are, perhaps, all the requirements made by a middle-level employee for furniture.
When purchasing a chair, it is important to remember the following: it must first provide several hours of continuous operation, and only then logically fit into the interior. Therefore, an indicator of ergonomics, as well as value for money are priority areas when choosing an office chair of any brand.