An office chair is made up of many components, all working together to give you the best support possible.
- Arms and arm pads: The arms of a chair remove some tension from your shoulders and neck. They provide a comfortable resting place for your arms as you type. These can come in the form of flip-up arms, T-shaped arms, or loop arms.
- Chair base and castors: The chair base houses the castors and provides a stable base to keep the chair upright. The larger the chair base in diameter, the more sturdy your chair will feel. Castors are pivoting rollers that allow your chair to move smoothly.
- Gas lift: The gas lift allows you to adjust the height of your chair to support good posture and comfort.
- Headrest: A headrest ensures that your spine is aligned throughout the working day to prevent muscle aches and poor posture.
- Lumbar support: Lumbar support is perhaps the most important part of your office chair, supporting the back to maintain good posture. Good lumbar support should prevent slouching and keep your spine aligned all the way from your neck to your pelvis.
- Seat: The seat is a cushioned platform that you sit on. This should be positioned so that your knees are at a 90-degree angle to get the best ergonomic benefit.
What is the bottom of an office chair called?
The bottom of the chair is also known as the chair base. It is made up of five legs that stick out in a star formation, often made from a strong material such as steel, plastic, or aluminium.
A centre column reaches up from the chair base where the gas lift, otherwise known as a chair cylinder, is housed to adjust the height of the chair. A chair mechanism might also be attached to this centre column which can allow the user to adjust the angle of the chair, furthering their ergonomic position and the comfort of a chair.
At the end of the five legs on a chair base were the castor wheels. These allow the chair to glide over any type of flooring easily, no matter whether it’s carpeted or hardwood floors.
Some chair bases come with seven legs to provide more stability, while budget office chairs might only come with three legs.
Are office chair bases universal?
There are many office chair base replacements on the market for you to choose from, most coming with the legs, centre cylinder, castors, and gas lift. These are universal as long as you have the tools to fix the metal plate to the base of your office chair seat.
You can also replace only the five legs, which is most commonly known as the chair base. These are not universal as they don’t come with the centre cylinder. However, office chairs often come with a similar diameter for the centre cylinder.
This means that you’ll need to measure the centre cylinder for your office chair and find the chair base that coincides with this. Otherwise, the centre cylinder will be either too large or too thin for the hole in the chair base and not work with your office chair.
These chair bases can either come with castors or without. Castors are universal so you can pick from the bunch if you’re needing to replace these.
You should also consider the size of the chair base replacement that you’re getting and how it will compare to your office chair seat. The chair base should be slightly larger than the seat to keep you stable while sitting and moving around the office.
However, the chair base replacement should not be too much larger so that it is taking up too much floor space.
Are office chair cylinders universal?
Yes, all office chair cylinders are universal and can be used with different chairs. However, there are a few considerations that you should take to ensure that you’re choosing the right chair cylinders for you.
The majority of office chairs will come with a cylinder, also known as a gas lift, measuring at 5 inches, however, they can range from 4 to 10 inches depending on the chair. Most office chairs will come with a gas cylinder measuring either 4, 5, or 6 inches.
You will need a taller gas lift if you are taller. A 4-inch cylinder will be best for people under 5’4”, while a 5-inch cylinder will be better for people between 5’4″ and 6’2″ tall. A 6-inch cylinder will suit anyone taller than 6’2”.
You should also measure the seat height to make sure that your chair cylinder will keep your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
So, while office chair cylinders are considered universal to use on different chairs, you should make sure that you’re using the correct length for your height.