Selecting the right office chair plays a crucial role in DSE (display screen equipment) assessments and is essential for maintaining employee comfort, wellbeing, and productivity. Good workplace ergonomics, including high-quality DSE seating that is well designed and properly adjusted, can improve upright seated posture and support a neutral seated position, thereby enhancing comfort and reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries associated with prolonged desk work.
With numerous options on the market, this article does not focus on specific brands or models. Instead, it outlines the key functions and adjustability features that define effective office chair ergonomics, helping you identify chairs tailored to individuals. The aim is to help you identify office chairs that can be tailored to fit the individual needs of your workforce, ensuring your investment supports both employee health and workplace performance — particularly in preventing common musculoskeletal injuries such as back, neck, and upper limb pain.
Stable and Mobile Base
A high-quality office chair should have a five-point base fitted with castors appropriate to the flooring type in your workplace. This design ensures the chair remains stable while allowing users to move easily around their workstation. Additionally, a full 360-degree swivel seat pan provides flexibility, enabling employees to reach different areas of their desks without straining.
Adjustable Seat Pan for Supported Posture
One of the most important adjustments is seat height. Chairs with adjustable seat height enable employees to position themselves so that their elbows—bent between 90 and 120 degrees—align comfortably with the desk surface while keeping shoulders relaxed. If the seat is too high or too low, it can cause poor posture, leading to discomfort and increased strain on the back, neck, and shoulders.
When seated, there should be approximately a 3 cm gap between the front edge of the seat pan and the back of the knees to promote healthy leg circulation. A sliding seat pan feature enables users to adjust the seat depth to match their leg length, ensuring optimal support and comfort throughout the workday.
Backrest Support and Adjustability
The chair’s backrest should support the entire back up to roughly shoulder height. It should offer height adjustment and allow users to tilt or recline the backrest for comfort during different tasks.
Lumbar Spine Support
The lumbar spine is the lower part of the back that naturally curves inward. When sitting without adequate support, this natural curve can flatten or slump, increasing pressure on the lumbar discs that sit between the bones (vertebrae) of the spine. Compared to standing (considered 100% pressure), pressure on these discs can increase to 180% when sitting unsupported or slumped in an office chair. However, with the backrest adjusted to an upright position and well-positioned, supportive lumbar support in the lower back, pressure is reduced to approximately 140% — a significant improvement over unsupported posture.
Providing effective lumbar support helps maintain the spine’s natural curve, reducing strain on the discs and surrounding muscles during prolonged sitting. This helps prevent discomfort and lowers the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including low back, middle back, neck pain, and other associated conditions.
Customisable Armrests
Armrests should be adjustable in height, depth, width, and rotation, allowing employees to rest their arms comfortably with elbows close to their body and forearms and wrists straight and aligned at desk height. However, if armrests restrict movement or prevent users from sitting close enough to their desks, it is advisable to remove or avoid using them—provided there is sufficient space on the desk to rest the forearms.
Office Chair Weight Limit
Check the manufacturer’s recommended weight capacity to ensure the chair is suitable for the user, and meets health and safety requirements.
Benefits of Investing in Ergonomic Office Chairs
Investing in ergonomic office chairs and seating solutions supports musculoskeletal health and helps reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), leading to improved employee wellbeing and workplace productivity. Where possible, encouraging staff to trial chairs before purchase can help ensure the best match for individual needs.
Completing your office ergonomics with expert DSE assessments
Selecting the right office chair is a vital step toward creating a healthy workstation, but it represents just one part of a comprehensive DSE workstation assessment. A full DSE assessment evaluates not only seating but also all equipment the user interacts with—such as monitors, keyboards, mouse devices, and handsets —as well as everyday desk items like coffee cups, document holders, and paperwork that can affect posture and comfort. The assessment also considers how users interact with these items and whether they are necessary or could be better organised to improve ergonomics. It further examines the work environment, including factors like lighting, glare, reflections, air temperature, and noise levels. Job tasks and work habits like breaks, micro-breaks, and movement are reviewed, along with psychological factors such as workload, stress, and organisational changes. Physiological factors including posture, aches and pains, eye health, hearing, body shape, and size are also taken into account—all aimed at optimising comfort and reducing the risk of musculoskeletal problems.
For organisations seeking to enhance their workplace health and wellbeing, completing a CIEHF-accredited DSE Assessor Course provides the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct thorough, HSE-compliant (Health and Safety Executive) assessments tailored to individual employee needs. This qualification equips participants to identify hazards, minimise risks, recommend appropriate adjustments, and support long-term employee health and productivity.
Alternatively, professional DSE assessment services can be commissioned to ensure your workforce benefits from expert advice and practical solutions, helping to foster a safer and more comfortable working environment.
Conclusion
Choosing the right office chair is an essential part of promoting workplace health and productivity. However, to create a truly ergonomic workstation tailored to individual needs, organisations should consider comprehensive DSE workstation assessments and specialist DSE training. Investing in expert ergonomic assessments and targeted DSE training programmes can help improve workplace comfort, reduce musculoskeletal risks, and boost overall employee wellbeing.
For more information on how our DSE assessments and training services can support your organisation, please contact us.
