| chairs are the most critical purchases for the | | | | of mesh and molded chairs is that they are easily |
| workplace as well as for your home office. And, it | | | | cleaned. You also need to make a choice of hard |
| can also be the most confusing purchase because | | | | or soft casters; hard casters are for chairs on |
| of the vast number of choices. Let's start with | | | | carpeted floors and soft casters are for hard |
| the most important aspects. Office task chairs | | | | floors. |
| must be comfortable, they must provide | | | | If you are purchasing one or several new chairs, |
| adequate body support, adjustment should be | | | | the process shouldn't be too difficult as you can |
| easy, and they must fit into your budget. | | | | involve the users in the decision. However, if you |
| If you take all the available models into | | | | are developing standardized office task chairs to |
| consideration and all the options for each model | | | | be used throughout your facility, then you need |
| there are literally thousands of choices. There are | | | | to take this purchase very seriously. If you live in |
| high-quality chairs made by dozens of | | | | a major city where manufacturer's have |
| manufacturers on the market today. | | | | showrooms I suggest that you and a couple |
| Then there are the ergonomic requirements. That | | | | "logical thinking" people at your company make |
| term is thrown around so much lately that I | | | | showroom visits and test the chairs. This process |
| looked up the definition in Webster's dictionary and | | | | works best if you contact the furniture dealer |
| here it is: "an applied science concerned with | | | | first as they will show you chairs by more than |
| designing and arranging things people use so that | | | | one manufacturer. |
| the people and things interact most efficiently and | | | | If you live in a more remote area, the sales |
| safely -- called also human engineering." | | | | executive from the furniture dealership should |
| Some of the adjustments available on task chairs | | | | have several chairs available for you to try out in |
| for your office are seat height, seat depth, arm | | | | your office environment. When you sit in each |
| height, arm/armrest angle, lumbar depth, lumbar | | | | chair take your time. The sales representative will |
| height, forward tilt, tilt tension, tilt lock, back stop, | | | | demonstrate each task chair for you, but you |
| back height, high/low cylinder height, back recline, | | | | should sit in each chair and try all of the |
| headrest, foot ring, and lumbar support. There are | | | | adjustments. Does the chair roll smoothly? Does |
| also models that come in more than one size; | | | | the chair feel sturdy and durable? Also, ask for |
| such as low back, mid-back, and high back. Then | | | | the warranty information and find out if labor |
| there fabric, leather, mesh, or molded. A benefit | | | | costs for warranty parts are included. |