The best office chair for back pain 2022

February 2, 2022

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Best office chair for back pain – what to look for

When it comes to ergonomics, posture, and health, there is a lot to look out for. Millions of years of evolution probably didn’t account for sitting at a desk 8+ hours a day, every day. This means there are inherent health risks associated with it. The vital aspects of an office chair for back pain are adjustability, lumbar support, and neck support. If these characteristics are present, then you have the makings of the best office chair for back pain. Funnily enough, gaming chairs tend to rank very highly in terms of ergonomics as they are designed for the, let’s face it, ridiculously long hours that gamers log in front of the screen. Gaming chairs boast the most adjustability out there and often go through more R&D cycles than the typical office chair you’re used to.

Lumbar support

You’re probably already aware that the human spine has a natural ‘S’ shape to it, when standing up straight, this is the default position of the spine. Ideally, you want to maintain this shape when sitting, and one of the features that can help with that is lumbar support. Of the 26 vertebrae in the spine, 5 of them, designated L1-L5 make up the lumbar, which is usually referred to as the lower back. this area of the spine is convex, curving out towards the front of the body. Typical office chairs do not account for this, and usually cause the user to either straighten out this curve via slouching back, or reverse it by hunching forward.

Of course, the spine is capable of a lot of mobility, but extended periods of sitting can be problematic as it forces the spine out of alignment for too long. Most chairs that attempt to rectify this issue do it either with an adjustable section of the backrest or with a pillow. Chairs like the Secretlab Titan EVO 2022 utilize an inflating lower section which can be dialed in via a control nob on the side, many other chairs like their Omega series instead use a memory foam cushion. Regardless of the method to produce lumbar support, it’s very important to maintain the aforementioned curve of the spine. If the lumbar support is insufficient, it can lead to aches and pains from prolonged strain on the muscles of the lower back.

Neck support

The neck comprises the top 7 vertebrae of the spine, and it’s equally important to properly support it. Without adequate neck support, most people have a tendency to slump forward, producing prolonged strain on the neck. This can lead to aches, stiffness, even tingling in the extremities due to the nerves of the spine being compressed. A proper neck support pillow will cradle your neck into the ideal position. Unlike lumbar support, there aren’t really any wild inflating adjustable solutions for this, just a pillow, ideally memory foam.

Adjustability

Humans come in all different shapes, sizes, and weights. This means that the best office chair for back pain needs to be fully adjustable to cater to the individual. Height is an important consideration here as it’s recommended to sit with your knees at a 90-degree angle. Obviously, the height of the chair needs to be adjustable to facilitate this position depending on the person in question’s height.

The height of the shoulders and arms is important too, as improper positioning can lead to strain. To combat this, ergonomic chairs have adjustable armrests so you can make sure your arms are properly aligned with your desk.

Additionally, the angle of the backrest relative to the seat needs to be considered. Somewhere in the range of 90-110 degrees is ideal. This allows for optimal configuration.

All these things are needed for a truly healthy seating position, so this list will only feature chairs that have lumbar support, neck support, and sufficient adjustability options.

What is the best way to sit in a chair?

It may seem like a silly question, but we’d wager that right now, you aren’t sitting in a healthy position. The ideal position comprises the following