In an office, you don’t always get the opportunity to choose your own chair. You might be lumbered with one that is already kicking about the office. If you’re a new starter, chances are that you’ll have to suffer from the chair that the existing employees have deemed the most uncomfortable.
Even if you do get to choose your own office chair, there is no guarantee that the one that turns up will actually be as comfortable as it looked online. So, how can you make your office chair more comfortable without buying an entirely new one? We give you some pointers below.
Setting the chair up correctly for your body
The most important thing to do with any office chair is to set it up to your body type and height. Sit with both feet on the floor, your knees bent at a 90-degree angle, with the base of your back against the base of the chair.
When sitting in this position, your knees should either be level or slightly lower than the position of your hips. If you cannot sit in this position properly and comfortably, your seat height will need to be adjusted.
You might be thinking – how important is the chair height really? Surely it can’t affect how comfortable a chair is that much, right? Wrong! The height of your office chair can put too much pressure on your joints and therefore make you much more uncomfortable.
Having a chair that is too low will put an unnecessary amount of stress on your back, leading to back pain. A chair that is too high will cut off circulation in your thighs, leading to numb feet and calves which can be uncomfortable and inconvenient.
There is a correct height of your chair depending on your height that we have detailed below for your convenience. Measuring your chair will allow you to be comfortable much quicker than having to use trial and error to find the ideal height of your chair.
Your Height (Feet, Inches) | Ideal Height of Chair (Inches) |
4’11” | 15.9 |
5’0” | 16.2 |
5’1” | 16.4 |
5’2” | 16.7 |
5’3” | 17 |
5’4” | 17.2 |
5’5” | 17.5 |
5’6” | 17.8 |
5’7” | 18 |
5’8” | 18.3 |
5’9” | 18.6 |
5’10” | 18.9 |
5’11” | 19.1 |
6’0” | 19.4 |
6’1” | 19.7 |
6’2” | 19.9 |
6’3” | 20.2 |
6’4” | 20.5 |
6’5” | 20.7 |
6’6” | 21 |
6’7” | 21.3 |
6’8” | 21.6 |
6’9” | 21.8 |
6’10” | 22.1 |
6’11” | 22.4 |
7’0” | 22.6 |
7’1” | 22.9 |
7’2” | 23.2 |
Invest in lumbar support
Another way that you can make your desk chair more comfortable is to purchase a lumbar support pillow. These are supports that attach to the back of your chair at your lower spine to keep your back in the optimal position to avoid it from being overextended and leading to back pain.
Portable lumbar support pillows are relatively inexpensive and portable so that you don’t have to worry about permanently fixing something onto a chair that is not your property.
You’ll be surprised at how much different a chair feels when it has sufficient lumbar support. We recommend you get one as soon as possible to feel the effects and stop your back from aching so much. The best lumbar support pillows will have a cut out at the bottom, so look for this when choosing yours.
Add to the cushioning
Adding to the cushioning of your office chair is another relatively inexpensive way to make your chair more comfortable. When a chair has a seat cushion that is too thin or too old thanks to years of other people sitting on it, you are likely to feel the metal frame through the foam.
This can be extremely uncomfortable and irritating, forcing you to stand up and take a break from your chair too often. To avoid this, you should opt for a seat cushion designed for office chairs.
These are made from comfortable yet firm foam to ensure that you remain comfortable throughout the day. You can also opt for some armrest pads to add to the comfort if your chair has cheaper plastic armrests without its own padding.
If want a chair to ease your back pain, see our Best Office Chair for Back Pain here.
Experiment with your chair
Some office chairs have a reclining feature that can stop you from suffering while sitting bolt upright. Reclining your chair can put less pressure on the base of your spine and give you somewhere to rest quickly between busy days.
There are a few different knobs below the seat cushion of modern-day office chairs. Play around with these to alter the tilt of your chair, reclination, and height to find the best combination for you. By tweaking these knobs and finding what works best for you, you’ll be guaranteed a much more enjoyable and comfortable working day.