How to build an ergonomic office space using ergonomic office chairs and ergonomic desks

We already know that workplace ergonomics has a direct correlation with employee performance. So how exactly do you build an ergonomic office? 

Whether you’re building an ergonomic office space at home or in your company office, there are a few pieces of ergonomic office furniture you should include if you are to expect it to support you ergonomically and enable you to work comfortably, productively and efficiently all day. 

Ergonomic chair 

It starts with the seat. You're sitting in the office for an average of 8 hours a day in the office, so ensuring that your chair can tailor to your needs is important to give you maximum support throughout the day. Sylex Ergonomics believe that there are a number of features that should be designed into an ergonomic office chair for it to effectively allow you to complete the task at hand.  

These features include: 

• Adjustable seat height 
• Seat tilt 
• Backrest tilt 
• Seat tilt pivot point 
• Mechanism action 
• Tension adjustment 
• Lumbar support 
• Adjustable armrests 
• Foam/Mesh quality 
• Seat depth adjustment 
• Backrest height adjustment 
• Appropriate Castors 

Investing in a chair with a number of these adjustability features will give the user maximum control over their personal posture to improve ergonomic support. We’ll look at the significance of personal posture in depth later in the piece, but ultimately, regardless of the number of boxes an ergonomic office chair ticks, if you’re not adjusting the chair settings appropriately, your chair won’t reach the potential it can to give you the support you need.  

Depending on the demands of your work, different ergonomic chairs may be better suited to you. Sylex’s operator and task chairs are ideal for daily office use for most desk jobs, but if you’re conducting long work hours, investing in a chair with an AFRDI rating that is designed for a more intense work load would be better suited to your needs.  

If you don’t know which chair is best for your needs, our team of ergonomic specialists can offer a free consultation to ensure you’re selecting the right furniture for your workplace. 

Ergonomic Desks 

Ergonomic desks are often left out of the rhetoric when it comes to creating an ergonomic office. When choosing an ergonomic desk for your space, it’s important to consider accessibility and height. Accessibility in this context refers to ensuring that everything located on your desk is within reach to prevent overstretching. 

A good ergonomic desk will feature height adjustability. Ensuring your desk is set to your height will prevent hunching and strain on the shoulders, neck and back. As a guide to setting your desk height, your arms should be able to rest with your elbows between 90-120 degrees.  

Taking this height adjustability a step further, sit stand or stand-up desks are becoming increasingly popular as an ergonomic desk solution – and for good reason. Sit stand desks allow you to easily transition from a seated to standing position throughout the day to prevent sedentary behaviour and encourage movement in the office. Standing desks have been proven to have significant benefits on an individual’s health when integrated in the workplace, including reduced back pain, improve mood and improvements to your cardiovascular health. 

Flexible Seating 

 Flexible seating is an alternative seating solution to encourage movement in the office. It plays an important role in creating an active and ergonomic workplace by enabling you to avoid sedentary behaviour and encourage physical activity. 

Investing in flexible seating like wobble stools and lounges can provide a temporary seating option to give yourself a break from sitting in one position all day. Additionally, flexible furniture in the workplace has been proven to improve focus, encourage collaboration, increase productivity, prevent restlessness and fatigue and improve comfort. 

Personal posture 

It would be remiss of us to insinuate that ergonomic furniture alone will cure your back pain forever. Whilst there is no doubt that ergonomic furniture has significant benefits to your overall posture and health, maximising the benefits of such ergonomic products is heavily reliant on the way in which you set up and use the ergonomic equipment.  

In order to reduce the number of ergonomic hazards in the workplace, individuals must adjust all the features on their ergonomic furniture to their personal height, weight and comfortability.  To maintain a positive seated posture, your feet will need to be flat on the floor, with your thighs parallel with the floor. Your back should be supported with an ‘S’ shaped back rest and your shoulders should be relaxed and in line with your hips. 

Poor ergonomics can have serious ramifications on your health including musculoskeletal disorders, back and neck injuries, headaches and migraines. That’s why it’s important that you’re taking your ergonomic health seriously in the workplace, particularly because you’re spending large amounts of time here.  

If you’re ready to improve your ergonomic health, get in touch with our team of ergonomic specialists to help you find the right furniture to improve your overall productivity, comfort and efficiency at work.