In modern society, we spend a substantial amount of time sitting down. Whether your job requires you to sit for long periods or you relax after work by kicking back and relaxing in front of the TV, sitting is a normal part of our day. Unfortunately, what’s not normal is paying attention to our posture while we sit – which is crucial for maintaining a healthy, strong back.

The importance of supporting your back can’t be overstated. Sitting in a chair that’s good for your back is one of the most important ways you can help maintain your overall health. Sitting in the wrong chairs can cause back, shoulder, and neck pain, as well as a host of other medical conditions.

Thankfully, it’s possible to find a chair that helps develop supportive posture without causing pain and allows for long periods of sitting. Let's look at criteria you should consider when looking for a chair that is good for your back.

Pain Relief

On the surface, it’s simple; we don’t like to be uncomfortable. What’s more difficult is finding a chair that’s comfortable in the present and will be good for your body long-term.

One key factor of a chair’s ability to provide pain relief is proper lumbar support. Discomfort in your lower back likely means your chair is not providing essential lumbar support. Your lumbar is a crucial area of your spine that takes the weight from the top half of your body and disperses it across the lower half.

Back support is one of the most important factors when searching for your ideal chair. A chair with proper lumbar support can help your posture improve over time.

When your body is tired, muscles that hold the spine upright weaken, and the head and upper back may lean forward to help compensate for the weakened lumbar muscles. Choosing a chair with lumbar support helps reinforce the natural inward curve of the lower back, so you don’t have to slouch to make up for weakened muscles.

When you’re considering a new chair, pain is a red flag that doesn’t always show itself immediately. You may initially feel good in your new chair, then develop pressure and stress over time that isn’t ideal.

You should generally focus on positioning your shoulders over your hips, keeping your back naturally straight, and placing your knees at ninety-degree angles with your feet resting on the floor. This position allows the weight from your top half to distribute evenly over your lower half.

An ergonomic chair is designed to help achieve maximum performance. When a chair is created to be comfortable and efficient, it uses the structure and shape of your body to help maintain essential support.

Unlike an aesthetic design that requires users to awkwardly constrict themselves, ergonomic chairs use your body as the starting point. They place your body into a position that allows it to perform at its best. In short, an ergonomic chair will provide three things: comfort, support, and efficiency.

Comfort should be a huge factor in your decision-making. Proper lower back support may be the bottom line, but you won’t be sitting long unless your chair is actually comfortable.

A chair made with premium materials, like our eco-friendly BackStrong C1, marries support and ergonomics along with all-day comfort and quality.

Efficiency is key to improving workflows and ensuring you’re as productive as possible.

An ergonomic chair accommodates your body type while helping your overall posture in the long run. It can promote efficiency by helping you focus. You’ll be more at ease in a chair that works with your body rather than against it. Sitting in a comfortable chair that caters to your body’s needs can make your day-to-day life more enjoyable. If you’re looking to enhance productivity, reduce discomfort, and improve your posture, an ergonomic chair is the way to go.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, you have enough knowledge to start looking for the chair that is right for you. However, what about some other additional features that may be worth noting?

The material you buy should fit your needs. If you tend to run hot, consider cooling Vegan Leather. If you want more choices in colors, consider fabric. At all33, we have both options, and our chairs are made from recyclable, high-quality materials that are built to last.

A chair may be comfortable, built well, and provide superb lumbar support, but if it doesn’t make sense for your height, it won’t help you in the slightest. If your feet act like free weights dangling in the air, tension will build up in your muscles, contributing to pain. Look for a chair that allows for height adjustments to help avoid that tension and pain.

While well-made back support may help keep your spine in alignment, if you are sitting in a chair with too much depth or not enough depth, it can promote slouching, leading to tension and discomfort.

Armrests might seem trivial, but they have an important purpose. Your arm muscles need occasional breaks from typing at a 90-degree angle, which is where your armrests come in.

Additionally, you should be within arm’s reach of your monitor for you to work ergonomically, and your armrests should not push you further than that ideal distance. Our armrests at all33 fold up, allowing you to get closer to your desk and avoid eye strain.

Having a chair that is equipped to swivel is particularly convenient in an office setting. This allows you to reach what you need in your office and switch between monitors without breaking your flow of concentration.

Here at all33, we believe in our product so much that we not only give a limited lifetime warranty but we even offer a free 60-day trial period because we know you’ll love our products.

Quality isn’t cheap—but it doesn’t have to break the bank. Finding products built for long-term use at an affordable price is not impossible. We work hard to create a product that is worth every penny.

Now you know what to look for when searching for a chair with excellent back support that’s healthy for you.

The BackStrong’s slouch-proof, ergonomic design and its Sit In Motion® technology can help improve your posture and flexibility, promote better blood flow to reduce fatigue, send more oxygen to your muscles, and provide relief from shoulder and neck strain. It has everything you need in a supportive chair and more, plus it’s backed by a 60-day satisfaction guarantee.

However, the best advice you can take is that of personal testimony. Finding a highly-rated chair by satisfied customers should be one of the most important factors you consider.

At all33, our chairs are not only built with quality and environmentally-responsible materials, but have also garnered hundreds of five-star reviews. For a closer look, check out the BackStrong C1 here.

Sources:

• Office ergonomics | Mayo Clinic
• Anatomy, Back, Spinal Cord | NCBI Bookshelf
• Spinal anatomy | Mayo Clinic