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Choosing a Chair
The workchair is the most important item of office
furniture you will ever buy. As a product that is in contact with
your body for the majority of the working day, the workchair can
be the best investment you can make in ensuring that staff remain
productive for longer, suffer less fatigue and stress and take less
time off sick. Back pain is the biggest medical problem experienced
by office-based workers.
So, what should you expect from a workchair? A workchair
must be stable in use and have adjustable seat height, separately
adjustable back and height rake and be available with or without
armrests. These basic requirements should make the chair suitable
for most office uses. In addition, many chairs offer options designed
to enhance the comfort level and ergonomic integrity of the product.
With seating, as in life, you get what you pay for. Better quality
seating, invariably, lasts longer and provides a greater degree
of comfort for the user. During their life span, most office chairs
are used by more than one person. It is essential that each time
a different chair is provided, the user understands its functions
and features and is able to set it to a comfortable and supportive
position. Below are the main technical features associated with
the Broadstock seating range, along with a brief description.
Lumbar Support
Every task chair has some form of shaped padding within the backrest,
providing support to the lumbar area of the spine. The padding can
take many forms and may be adjustable to accommodate different sizes
of user.
Permanent Contact Back or Freefloat
This allows the backrest to be set to a free movement mode, following
the user as they lean forward or backwards. If required, the backrest
can also be locked into a number of positions of the movement arc.
Allowing the body to move freely improves blood flow and prevents
muscle strain.
Synchronous Movement
With permanent contact backrests, the seat is fixed in a horizontal
position. Synchronous movement allows the seat to tilt backwards
in a fixed ratio to the backrest (normally 2.5:1). This should maintain
a more natural posture and open the pelvis to relax pressure between
the thighs.
Torsion Bar Weight Control
This is normally associated with synchronous movement and regulates
the ease by which the seat mechanisms move to suit differing body
weights.
Height Adjusting Arms
As the name suggests, these arms adjust independently for height,
normally through 6 or 7 positions on a ratchet mechanism. 2D height
adjusting arms allow the top pad to move in or out, or even swivel
through 180 degrees, allowing the user to sit closer into the workstation
for prolonged keyboard use.
Seating Guarantees
Unless otherwise stated, these relate to the structure of the chair
only and do not allow for fabric wear and tear. The specification
of the fabric will always include abrasion resistance measured in
cycles. Basically, the higher the number, the more hardwearing the
fabric. Guarantees also relate to ‘normal office use’,
which is judged to be office hours of approximately 8 hours a day,
5 days a week. If your chairs are going to be used for longer periods,
the guarantee will reduce accordingly. If in doubt, please ask us.
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