Why Are Office Chairs So Expensive
Every home or office needs a good set of chairs that complies with everyone’s comfort while adding to the place’s aesthetic value.
Office chairs, also known as desk chairs, are a modern phenomenon. As more and more people started getting employed at desk jobs, office desks became popular.
Regular chairs could not meet the necessary ergonomic need of people working for long hours. Therefore, office chairs were built to align with the specific requirements of a modern office worker.
Interestingly, an article published by Fox News.com states that the scientist Charles Darwin attached wheels to his chair to reach his specimens more quickly.
A workplace with quality office chairs can increase its productivity significantly while improving employee satisfaction and health. All these factors ultimately support the growth of the company.
As work from home became necessary, many people purchased an office chair for their home offices.
Office chairs offer features like swivel, back support, and height adjustment, which regular chairs may not provide.
With such features to offer, office chairs have become a primary necessity for every professional, especially in the coronavirus pandemic, which has posed precarious problems for both on-site work and work from home.
How are Office Chairs Different?
Considering how expensive office chairs can be, one questions what value they add to their working experience that regular chairs cannot.
However, the difference is significant between a standard and an office chair. The primary characteristic that sets office chairs apart from traditional chairs is the ergonomic support.
Ergonomic refers to an object specifically designed to increase efficiency and productivity in the work environment.
They offer premium lumbar support and ensure that the backbone of the professional remains healthy despite working for longer hours.
These ergonomic features are not present in regular chairs, and they do not offer any lumbar support. These chairs are not meant to be used for long hours and may cause damage to the spine in the long term if used.
An office chair also offers the swivel feature that can mobility and reduce the need to get up frequently. Unlike regular chairs, office chairs provide adjustment to the armrests, back, and height.
The build material of an office chair is different from that of a regular chair.
While regular chairs may be available as a singular unit devoid of parts, office chairs comprise technical elements that enhance comforts like a gas lift, recline, or footrest.
Various office chairs are available in the market, each having a different composition. However, these are some of the fundamental features of every office chair and differentiate them from regular chairs.
What Makes a Good Office Chair?
The primary motive of an office chair is to increase productivity and efficiency at work, and an ideal office chair should be able to serve this foundational requirement.
A good office chair would primarily ensure that the spine’s structural integrity is not compromised by its prolonged usage, and it should particularly offer optimum support to the lower back.
One must never compromise on lumbar support because it may cause coccydynia, i.e., pain in the coccyx or tailbone area.
The height of a good office chair must be easily adjustable. Optimum seat height would promote good posture and reduce health risks. Good posture refers to the correct alignment and position of body parts.
One would find an office chair to be comfortable if it allows them to keep their feet flat on the ground or a footrest, relax the shoulders, and sit up straight without straining the neck.
A chair that allows good posture would help a person work for longer hours without fatigue. The fabric of the seat is also essential to maximize comfort.
A good office chair seat should be suitably padded and have breathable fabric. The seat should be sufficiently broad and deep to accommodate any user.
Generally, office chair seats are 15 inches to 20 inches wide, and the backrest should be wide enough to support the natural spine shape.
Backrests should be adjustable and have a lock that prevents recline beyond a certain angle.
Some office chairs available in the market do not have armrests. While one may prefer not to have armrests, it is generally advisable to get a chair that has them.
They should be adjustable. The motive of an armrest is to support the shoulders and the neck. Therefore, a good office chair would have armrests that do not put tension on the neck and the shoulders and allow one to sit comfortably.
A chair that swivels, or revolves, would reduce the need to get up while working and allow continuous workflow.
This feature is particularly beneficial for smaller workspaces where repeatedly getting up and down might be troublesome.
A chair with wheels serves a similar function and ensures time management and concentration. These are some of the many features that a good office chair should possess to boost productivity and efficiency.
How Does a Good Office Chair Influence your Work and Mood?
The modern age is heavily dependent on digital technologies like computers, and a majority of the global workforce uses desk setups and works on computers.
Therefore, if the seating arrangement is not ideal, it would negatively impact the workflow and health. A good office chair would help one maintain workflow and be distracted minimally.
Not only would the person have more motivation to work, but it would also be physically possible for them to devote long hours.
Modern life is infested with anxiety and depression, and it is difficult for them to be motivated.
While a good office chair is not a remedy to these ailments, it will help them modify the workspace in a way that prioritizes their comfort and well-being.
The customizable nature of office chairs would appeal to most people, and they can adjust them according to their needs.
Considering how most offices are running on the work-from-home model, it is more sensible for people to get office chairs than continue working on regular chairs.
This piece of furniture would allow them to differentiate their household space from their home office. It would help them feel more professional and focused despite working from home.
A comfortable workspace would allow quick delivery of tasks and maintain a work-life balance.
So What Makes it so Expensive?
While office chairs are incredibly comfortable, they lie on the expensive side of the price range. They are expensive primarily because they produce the desired result.
A good office chair is made of premium quality material that provides excellent comfort and stands the test of time.
Many chairs come with an adaptive cushioning material that molds itself according to the person’s body. Such chairs are expensive because they are durable.
A cheaper office chair would inevitably be made of sub-standard material, and its condition would deteriorate swiftly. It may soon start to wobble and lose balance.
The wheels may break, and the levers may stop working.
A quality office chair offers multiple levels of adjustments at various points. These technical inputs drive up its manufacturing costs which are reflected in its high retail price.
Moreover, a lot of research is done to conclude the optimum working position for the human body. As vertebrates, the spine is the foundational asset of the human build-up.
Therefore, intensive investment is made in the research pertaining to this issue so that an essential body part is not compromised.
More than the physical chair itself, the idea and execution demand money. They are designed to reduce stress and pain in the body and alleviate tension.
This research and development adds up to the retail price of the office chair and makes it expensive.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that office chairs are one of the most comfortable and expensive chairs available in the market.
However, it would be wiser to invest in a chair that genuinely understands human physiology and would survive the test of time than a chair that is only aesthetically pleasing but serves no practical function.
The final impact of such discomfort is only palpable in the long run after the damage has already been done. Therefore, it is advisable to be proactive and choose health and longevity over low costs.
Moreover, cheaper chairs may not be the bargain one thinks they are. When analyzed from the long-run perspective, office chairs are more inexpensive because they are highly durable and last a lifetime.
Unlike cheaper and poorly built chairs, they would not need frequent replacements.
The durability of these chairs also has environmental benefits as it inhibits the production of poorly manufactured chairs that have to be changed every year.
Even though it is tempting to buy a cheaper product, office chairs offer too many ergonomic, financial, and physiological benefits to be ignored.
One may perceive it as vanity, but minor stressors caused by improper posture and muscle tension can accumulate over time and result in severe health complications.
The lifestyle one leads drastically affects motivation, mental health, and overall well-being.
Office chairs are expensive but specifically designed, keeping in mind the requirements of the modern-day professional.
Therefore, one should invest in a quality office chair and enjoy its long-term benefits.
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