Monthly Archives: November 2011

Ergonomic Office Chairs, Office Chairs

Luce Chair

The Okamura Range – Getting the Right Chair for the Situation.

In an office environment, who should pay for the ergonomic office chair – the employer or the employee? This is a difficult question to answer and one which, if not addressed, could lead to greater questions being asked later.

A young worker fresh out of school will have an equally fresh body and the aches and pains that an older member of staff may suffer may not be issues. A more mature and well-experienced worker may have developed ageing disabilities, such as arthritis and rheumatism (though these problems do sometimes develop in very young people) and sitting for long periods of time could cause stiffness in joints, muscles and tendons, exacerbating an existing problem or bringing on new discomfort and pain.

Sickness causes absence and work may become delayed. Also, staff may become stressed through doubling up on work volume and expensive temporary staff may not be able to make the grade with expectations, all contributing to a drop in business standards and resulting in disheartened customers.

Ignoring people’s needs is a risky business and can end up costing a lot more than the price of a good ergonomic chair. Of course, if you know little about ergonomic office furniture, you could overspend and maybe even buy a chair that is not suitable for the staff member’s needs or the job responsibilities.

Websites bring the world of ergonomics into your own office, where you can look at designs, study the specifications, get to know the customisation and styling options and also consider the optional extras. Designs will be different, so getting the right ergonomic office chair is no different to getting the right pair of shoes. You’re looking for comfort and support and, just as high heels are not the best for hill-walking, some chairs will not be right for some people or for particular tasks.

Like good cars, the company name of good chairs goes before them and Okamura is the Rolls Royce of chairs, offering lots of changes on the same theme. While one might need the adjustments that come with the Contessa chair or the CP chair, the different specifications offered by the Luce chair or the Cruise workstation might have added extras that address the job requirements.

Lumbar support really is a must, so this should be top of your list when choosing your chair, as correct back support will prevent or alleviate pain and lessen any back-related absences from work. A wise employer will purchase sensible chairs and gain the respect of his or her workforce because of such a caring attitude. Payback and savings will be evident in the success of that business.

Luce Chair
Luce Chair

Cruise Computer Workstation
Cruise Computer Workstation from Simply Ergonomic
Okamura Contessa Ergonomic Office Chairs
Okamura Contessa Ergonomic Office Chairs
Mesh Office Chairs, Office Chairs

Mirus Office Chair

The Ergohuman range of office chairs are stunning and, although they are similar but different, you’ll be hard-pushed to choose the one for you. The Mirus is the latest addition and, like many of the other designs, it also boasts the single-lever control, which allows you to adjust the three popular features of seat height, seat depth and back tilt.

The seat height makes the seat available to short, medium and tall users, getting the seat pad in position to allow your feet to touch the floor comfortably. The seat depth complements the seat back’s purpose of addressing height, in that it allows you to make sure that your thighs are fully supported and your knees fold comfortably at the seat pad end. Like in a car, the seat tilt is about feeling right and getting your arms and hands to meet the working area (keyboard or desk as opposed to the steering wheel) at the most effective distance.

The multi-directional neck-roll gets the support just where you need it, as is the case with the 3D lumbar support facility. The seat slide manoeuvre adds the finishing touches.

The Mirus Office Chair is one of the Ergohuman range of office chairs that offer a zero-pressure seat cushion, with the purpose of distributing weight evenly and making sitting feel like a luxurious experience, rather than being simply to take the weight off your feet.

When choosing the frame, you can opt for either black or white with aluminium, or all-black, complemented by the all-aluminium base and five black castors.

Three of the nine models come with a 3D headrest and, in a choice of either fabric or mesh which both come in a range of colours, you really will be hard-pushed for choice.

The Mirus Office Chair is 98 percent recyclable and really does deserve your attention, before making your mind up about which Ergohuman ergonomic chair should be the one to serve your personal needs.

Call Simply Ergonomic to find out more

 

Mirus-Office Chair - Ergohuman Range
Mirus-Office Chair – Part of the Ergohuman Range of Office Chairs
Mirus White Frame Office Chair
Mirus Office Chair white Frame
Ergonomic Office Chairs, Office Chairs

Within these Walls – Cubicles or Open-Plan?

Offices used to have four walls but, as time moved on, open-plan moved in and, instead of having private space in which to perform one’s job, ‘one office for all’ became fashionable, making a quiet working environment a thing of the past.

Then the cubicle design arrived in the late sixties, giving a feeling of privacy but a continued problem with background noise.  Described as an acoustic sieve, our understanding the difficulty of this environment probably only hits home when we phone a call centre for some kind of advice and can hear everyone else but the person that is helping us.

As office space became smaller, the computer industry seemed to respond, large monitors being replaced by flat screens and filing cabinets being replaced by CDs and pen drives.  Research in America proved that by removing all the then redundant filing cabinets, offices could be smaller and the cost of renting space could be greatly reduced.

However, working in a cubicle can be very stressful, since background noise does make concentration very difficult.  Personal space may now be down to a ten feet by ten feet square (although it is only three-sided), within which you have everything you need.  Your office is transforming into an Ergonomic Office, so makes sence to have a good ergonomic office chair. Your ergonomic desk may now be L-shaped against two walls, so the flat screen lifted from the desk top by an adjustable monitor arm makes sense, as it not only creates more workable space but allows you to adjust its angle without exerting yourself.

Getting the best office chair for you is now paramount, as all actions will most likely be done from a sitting position. An adjustable chair should not only address appropriate back support but have swivel movement and be correctly sized to fit both the user and the designated work space.

Research has also indicated that the two most important points that need to be addressed in a successful working space are the ability to work uninterrupted and to have easy and frequent interaction with others.  If these two factors are realised, team work and job satisfaction can increase by as much as twenty three percent. A cocktail office may therefore be the answer.  Rather like a cubicle but with a sliding glass door, this office will improve the acoustic situation and an open door can indicate the occupant’s agreement to interruption at selected times. That same door will also have a positive psychological effect, as having one’s own office does give a feeling of importance, which often displays itself in the increased quantity and quality of work produced.

Ergonomic Office chairs – choose yours

Ergonomic Office Chairs
Ergonomic Office Chairs

Office Chairs

Ergohuman Plus

It can get very difficult to differentiate between some ergonomic office chairs, particularly when the names are very similar but, suffice to say, the Ergohuman Plus is the top of the range in the Ergohuman stakes, with plenty to offer the health-conscious office worker. The Ergohuman Plus is the top of the range mesh office chair.

This model is ninety eight percent recyclable and has more aluminium detailing than its close relatives, so it’s a smart looking chair with a strong frame. Its long list of adjustment possibilities mean the Ergohuman Plus can be altered to suit everyone.

One lever controls the three main adjustment areas of seat height, seat depth and back tilt, all of which get the chair to fit the smallest or tallest person. The height adjustment can cater for five foot to six foot four inches and the seat depth is particularly important, as correct adjustment keeps your back in contact with the back rest, while reducing any pressure that could fall on the knees, if the seat pad didn’t match you leg length. Like in a car, the back tilt gets the body in a good position for the arms to reach their place of work comfortably.

Arm rests are really important, as they support your arms and therefore also reduce any pull on your shoulders, guiding your hands to the desk or computer keyboard. The arm rests on the Ergohuman Plus offer multidimensional adjustments, meaning up, down, backwards, forwards and also in and out. Making sure that your elbows are placed comfortably near your body rather than splayed at a wide angle makes a huge difference to overall support.

The Plus has a seat tilt option which helps take pressure off the spine but only when adjusted correctly for its user. It really does pay to get all adjustments set to meet your needs, or the ‘ergonomic’ quality of the chair will be there in name only.

Lumbar support is essential and this ergonomic office chair boasts autoflex zones for added comfort and that important support. Adjusting the seat back will get this important feature to work for you and make long days seems less stressful.

With a matching headrest, this office must-have oozes comfort and, in a choice of either mesh or leather upholstery, you really do feel loved.

Ergohuman Plus Office Chairs
Ergohuman Plus Office Chairs