Sitting correctly is not just a question of posture, it is above all a question of correct adjustment! Although your office chair is one of the most important companions in your daily working life, the importance of its optimal adjustment is often underestimated. A correctly adjusted desk chair is crucial to effectively preventing and eliminating pain and tension in the workplace.
In this article you will learn step by step how to adjust your office chair in the right way so that it is perfectly adapted to you and your individual needs.
Checklist for the correct adjustment of your office chair
- Moveable backrest
- Utilise the seat surface to the maximum
- Thighs are slightly sloping towards the knee
- Feet flat on the floor
- Knees are aligned at least at a 90 degree angle
Checklist: Things to consider when adjusting your desk chair.
Ergonomics may sound complicated, but it's actually quite simple: it's about making your workplace adapt to you - not the other way around. The first step is to adjust your office chair correctly.
You can find even more ergonomic tips in our guide to perfect ergonomics at the workplace.
Step-by-step guide: Adjusting the office chair correctly
Sit down - but please do it properly!
You should consider the following points when adjusting your office chair:
1. Seat height
The seating height of an office chair is often set too low. This quickly leads to an slouched posture, which can cause tension and back pain.
To adjust the seat height of your office chair correctly, you should first make sure that your feet are flat on the floor. Your knees should be at an angle of about 90 degrees or slightly higher. If your thighs now form a slightly sloping line towards your knees, the seat height of your office chair is set correctly. This ensures good circulation and prevents your thighs from being constricted.
Sitting correctly with the ergonomic Aeris Numo Task office chair.
2. Seat surface and depth
Sit as far back as possible and use the entire seat of your office chair. Your back should really feel the backrest in order to be optimally supported by it. It is important that your knees remain free. If the edge of the seat presses into the back of your knees, your blood circulation can be impaired - and it will quickly become very uncomfortable.
If the seat depth of your desk chair is also adjustable, you should make sure that there is about a hand's width of space between the front edge of the seat and your calf when adjusting it.
3. Backrest + lumbar support
First things first: the backrest of your office chair should always be flexible. This means that it should dynamically support your upper body when you lean back. There is often a tendency to set the backrest of a desk chair too high because it seems more comfortable.
To provide optimal support for your back, office chairs are increasingly incorporating lumbar support. This can be recognised by the forward curvature of the backrest. The bulge should be in the area of the lower lumbar vertebrae, approximately at the height of your waist. The upper pelvic area should always be in contact with the backrest. This provides the best possible stabilisation of the back and allows dynamic sitting.
If you feel uncomfortable pressure in your lower back when sitting, readjustment is required!
TIP:
When it makes sense to have a lumbar support and when you can do without one, you can read here.
Our ergonomic Aeris 3Dee office chair with semi-high backrest and individually adjustable lumbar support is ideal for conscious relaxation in between work.
4. Armlehnen
In fact, many armrests on traditional office chairs cannot be individually adjusted. This is a major problem, as it increases the risk of a hunched back: if they are too high, your shoulders move towards your ears, causing tension. If they are too low, your arms sag and strain your shoulder girdle... not much better.
If your office chair has adjustable armrests, make sure that your forearms rest loosely on your elbows and that your upper and lower arms are at about a right angle. No acute angles means no marathon sessions for your neck. If your chair's armrests are level with the edge of your desk, you've found the perfect position. This allows you to type comfortably without cramping your shoulders.
Speaking of comfort: the width of the armrests can be adjusted to suit your shoulder girdle. After all, we all sit a little differently.
No armrests, no problem
Armrests may be cosy, but they are actually health killers as they restrict your freedom of movement when sitting. They block your reach and keep you at a distance from your desk, so you quickly tend to adopt an unhealthy posture.
The result: A crooked back and the end of active, dynamic sitting. This is precisely why you won't find armrests on Aeris chairs.
5. Headrest
A headrest can either support the transition from the back of the head to the upper cervical spine (as a neck support) or the back of the head directly - depending on what feels more comfortable for you. It is important to keep your head as straight as possible. The headrest should neither tilt your head backwards into your neck nor push it forwards. Office chairs with a height-adjustable headrest allow you to adjust the position.
To be honest: You don't really need a headrest on your office chair for normal PC work, as your head remains upright anyway and generally has no contact with the support. A headrest is particularly useful for office chairs with a large tilt angle if you want to lean back and relax from time to time.
Why we consciously avoid many points with Aeris chairs
No backrests, no limit!
With our Aeris chairs, you'll soon realise: Headrests and armrests? No way! With our Aeris Swopper we even go one better - it doesn't need a backrest at all! True to the motto ‘less is more’ - and more movement!
With no backrest, you can move in all directions: Forwards, backwards, sideways and even up and down. At Aeris, we call this dynamic sitting, and it's what makes the difference: your body stays in motion, your muscles are activated and back pain doesn't stand a chance.
The Aeris Swopper is individually height-adjustable and the spring tension can be adjusted in intensity
Of course, our Aeris chairs can also be perfectly customised for you:
With its four spring leg variants, for example, the Aeris Swopper can be ideally adapted to your height, weight and table height. Then it's time for fine-tuning: you can adjust the spring tension for vertical swinging and lateral movement to suit your preferences. All our chairs are also infinitely height-adjustable so that you can always sit at the perfect angle.
For those who need a little more support when sitting, we have models such as the Aeris Numo Task or the Aeris 3Dee. The Numo Task has an ergonomic backrest that moves with you, while the 3Dee offers additional comfort with an integrated lumbar support. Thanks to its three-dimensional flexibility, it allows you to move freely while sitting without sacrificing comfort.
Our mission is clear:
We want to create office chairs for everyone that enable healthy and dynamic sitting. In our broad portfolio, we have the right solution for every requirement - so that everyone can find their perfect office chair.
Not sure which chair suits you best? No problem! Our office chair guide will help you familiarise yourself with the world of Aeris chairs and make the perfect choice for your workplace.
Another tip: try it! Whether with or without a backrest, find out which desk chair suits you best: Find your nearest specialist dealer now.
