Most people know the term "Ergonomics". They understand that ergonomic furniture is better for your body. It helps maintain natural positions and reduces stress on the bones, muscles, nerves, and joints. However, Ergonomic Chair India companies and ergonomists may use terms that are not familiar to consumers about the functions and designs of ergonomic chairs. Here are some terms that you might need to be familiar with.
Lumbar Support
This feature is essential for an ergonomic chair. This device prevents lumbar spine flattening that most people experience when they are seated. The lumbar support is a gentle curve in the backrest that allows for more comfort and a longer time of sitting.
Adjustable Backrest Height
This function allows you to adjust the height of your chair's lumbar support area. However, this feature can also be used to alter the height of your entire backrest. This function allows users to choose where and how the lumbar support curve touches the back.
Adjustable Lumbar Depth
This feature adjusts the size, and sometimes firmness, of the lumbar support curves in a chair’s backrest. It can be adjusted to accommodate different body types and preferences, similar to backrest height adjustment.
Height-adjustable Armrests
As the name implies, this function allows you to adjust the height of your armrests to fit your body. This helps to avoid having to bend or lean to one side in order to use the armrest. This feature allows the armrest to be moved away from the way for certain activities, such as arm movements.
Width-adjustable armrests
This function allows users to adjust the distance between the armrests and not the armrests. A chair with too many armrests is not ideal for ergonomic office environments. This will cause elbows to splay and wrists to bend at the sides during typing activities. This position puts the user at the wrist for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Padded Armrests
This feature is recommended as it avoids pressure on the elbows and forearms.
Adjustable Backrest Angle
This function allows you to adjust the angle between the backrest and the seat. Adjusting the backrest via an adjustment mechanism is the most common method. However, you can adjust it by flexing materials and springs within the chair shell. The chair's backrest angle adjustability allows it to support different levels of recline for the body. This transfers some upper-body mass to the chair backrest, and relieves the lower back’s intervertebral disks. This function increases the angle between your torso (and the thighs), which causes your lower back to curve inward. This curve inward in the back relieves pressure on disc.
Tilt or Chair Recline
This function is similar to the Backrest angle adjustors but not the exact same. Tilt or chair recline can change the angle of the whole chair relative to the ground. This function can be performed in a number of ways. The column tilt pivots the chair at a point above the base post, lifting the knees and lowering the back. The second type is called a "knee tilt", where the pivot point is closer to the knees and is located forward of the base post. The knee lift in a knee tilt chair is negligible but the back falls more than in a column tilt.
Seat Height Adjustability
This feature allows you to adjust the chair's height to make your feet rest comfortably on the ground or footstool, while keeping the keyboard and desk at a minimum distance. The pneumatic adjustable features are more intuitive than the mechanical ones.
Seat Depth Adjustability
With this function, chairs can adjust the seat's front-to-back ratio by using either a backrest-in-out adjustability or sliding seat pan. A shorter seat pan is better for smaller people. However, taller people will find a deeper one more stable.
Seat Pan Angle Adjustability
This function allows the user to adjust the seat's forward-back angle. This function allows the user to choose between a fixed angle or a free-floating one. This function allows them to tilt forward, which means that the thighs will slope downward. Forward tilt's main purpose is to open the angle between trunk and thighs. This causes lordosis, and reduces disc pressure.