Upgrade Your Home Office: Selecting the Best Office Chair for Work At Home Mums

As a busy mum working from home, I know first-hand that a home office chair isn’t just another piece of furniture you can cheap out on.

My home office is my command centre – where I juggle my work life and my family life. During a busy week, I can spend half my waking hours in the office and my office chair.

Using a low-quality chair can be uncomfortable, and cause back pain, fatigue, and a serious drop in productivity. Long term this can make your home office a nightmare and have ongoing impacts on your health.

Choosing the right home office chair is about comfort, health and efficiency. Finding the right chair for you helps to keep you in the flow, pain-free, and ready to tackle your to-do list.

I first became interested in chair ergonomics when I was choosing the best office chair for my pregnancy. I probably don’t need to tell you that I needed all the help I could get! 🙂

This article will help you understand what to consider when selecting the best office chair for you.

 

What to consider in choosing the best office chair for you

Ergonomics and comfort

The focus of ergonomics is optimising how humans interact with their work place, systems and equipment. Think of your home office, desk, computer, phone and, of course, your chair.

For a chair to be ergonomic, it needs to support your body’s natural posture, adapt to your movements, and minimise the strain on your muscles and joints. (I’m highlighting “your” because ergonomics are intensely personal. An ergonomic setup for me may not work for you, and vice versa.)

So what makes a chair “ergonomic”? You need to look for features like

• An adjustable contoured seat,
• adjustable backrests and arms rest, and
• lumbar support that is adjustable and aligns with the natural curve of your spine.

The goal is to feel as comfortable at the end of the day as you did when you first sat down

(…physically, at least! It won’t help with your emotional state). Sitting in a chair for a full grueling day is an endurance test – good ergonomics will help get you through.

 

Adjustability and Support

Did you notice something in my list ergonomic feature list above? Adjustable!

Adjustability is necessary – it allows you to personalise your chair for your specific body shape. This can change month-to-month, day-to-day, or even hour-to-hour.

Most crucial would be the ability to adjust your lumbar support. Lumbar support is the part of the chair that cradles the lower back. This is where we collect tension throughout the day.

You also want to be able to adjust seat depth and height, armrests, and the backrest angle. This way your best office chair will accommodate all aspects your unique body shape and size.

Adjustable armrests, including height and tilt, help you reduce shoulder strain. A recline function allows you to periodically shift your body’s position and balance. You’ll definitely want a swivel base so you can easily access different parts of the desk without twisting your body into all kinds of awkward positions.

A high-quality, adjustable chair encourages what they call “dynamic sitting” — a fancy way of saying “moving slightly”. This helps to encourage blood flow and reduce muscle fatigue. You want a home office chair that moves with you and supports you, not one that fights you!

 

Materials

Light, breathable fabrics, like mesh, allow for airflow all around you. This is great for keeping you cool during those hot days and stressful meetings (even if some of them leave light imprints on your skin). There’s nothing worse than sitting in a chair and getting sweaty and damp.

A well-padded and contoured seat cushion helps prevent the feeling that you’re sitting on a rock by 11am. Be careful though, you’ll want to find a cushion that’s soft enough to be comfortable, while still firm enough to provide support. A chair with too much padding can encourage poor posture and lead to long-term discomfort.

It can be a tricky balance and you want to choose wisely, so I’d recommend you testing potential home office chairs in person.

 

Posture and health

I hope I’m making it clear that the best office chair is one that supports your body’s natural alignment.

Your chair should allow your feet to rest flat on the ground, your thighs should be parallel to the floor. This ideally creates a 90-degree right angle at the knees.

To avoid back strain, your backrest should comfortably align with the natural curve of your spine, with particular attention to the lower back lumbar area. This is why adjustable lumbar support is so important.

And don’t forget about “dynamic sitting” – a chair that will move and adjust with you throughout the day will help keep you ache-free.

 

Price vs quality

Researching all the different price tags on home office chairs, which vary wildly, is overwhelming.

On one hand, you can find there are a whole lot of budget-friendly options. They look fine and can be very appealing, especially with today’s cost of living.

Then again, it’s hard not to notice the very expensive premium chairs. These chairs look great, are super stylish, and seem to promise blissful comfort and durability.

Here’s my recommendation, please don’t go too cheap.

You can consider your premium chair an investment in your health and productivity.

Think about how much time you spend sitting. A well-built chair should last you years. In the long term, this will save you the cost (and discomfort) of frequent replacements, not to mention the medical costs and pain of a crook back.

It’s just like buying a bed mattress. You need a high-quality one for your comfort and overall well-being. If you don’t have a decent one that gives proper support, then your body is going to suffer long-term.

Please don’t get me wrong – you don’t need to break the bank. Instead focus on the features that matter most – adjustability, support, and material – and what works for you. There are so many home office chairs available – you’re sure to find the sweet spot between price and quality for you.

 

Ready to buy your next home office chair?

Choosing the best office chair for your home office is so important. It helps to create a productive and healthy work environment, and will look after you for years.

When trying to find your next home office chair, prioritise comfort, support, and adjustability. Please remember – the best office chair for you is the one that supports your unique body. So try to get out there and test the chair before you purchase.

Please don’t choose the cheap and nasty option, especially if you haven’t tested it first.

Investing in a comfortable, highly adjustable home office chair will make your work life a little less of a chore. It’ll look after you every day.