You got the right chair, but are you using it correctly?

So you landed that first WFH Salesforce role. You’re excited and you bought yourself a good chair, but are you using it correctly?  Many people have purchased ergonomic chairs because they know the benefits/importance, but aren’t using them correctly so they aren’t receiving said benefits. Do you know the proper way to set up your chair to fit you correctly? Well, let’s take a dive with this quick checkup.

Seat Height: This is the first and easiest adjustment to make. You should be able to comfortable have your feel flat on the ground with your knees at 90 degrees. (If you’re seat doesn’t go low enough it’s probably worth buying a footrest)

Seat Depth: Most quality ergonomic seats allow you to adjust the seat forward and back. You should be have about 1 inch between the front edge of your seat and the back of your leg.

Back: If your chair has adjustable lumbar support, this should fit into your lower back. If lumbar depth is an option, adjust based on preference. Backrest tension should provide support but not restrict movement.

Armrests: Armrests should be at elbow height. If they adjust in width or forward/back, adjust to preference

Headrest: This varies based on the design of the headrest. Most quality ones should be at the base of the head. It should not be pushing your head forward. As a general rule, I prefer forgoing the headrest as this part is easy to get wrong and many are not built ergonomically.

If you don’t have a chair yet, what should you get? That depends on your budget and body type, but I do have some general recommendations at varying price points. (And check if you work for a company that will buy it for you! Mine was provided by my employer and it’s a top tier chair!)

If you want the best of the best (over $1000):

• Herman Miller’s Aeron or Embody are both amazing for different reason, just know the Aeron will punish you if you sit improperly with the hard edges, which could be either a good or a bad thing.
• Steelcase Leap v2, Gesture, or Amia are also solid options. The Amia is actually my current daily driver and it can actually often be found in the $700’s
• Haworth’s Fern is also a top choice here.

For those that don’t have as deep of pockets:

• btod.com does an excellent refurbishing of the previously mentioned Steelcase Leap v2. You can get a like new Leap for $599 with a 12 year warranty! If the leap fits you, I can’t think of a better value.
• Haworth’s Soji is a solid choice just north of $500 depending on configuration
• The HON Company’s Ignition 2.0 is also great, usually found in the upper $300’s. This was my previous home office chair. Great for the price.
• Finally, The Clatina Mellet is the best chair you can get under $300. This is usually gonna be around $210.

What about gaming chairs? The main issues with gaming chair is the bucket seat design restricts movement and the flat back design limits support. Generally the lumbar support is just a cheap pillow. I also don’t like their marketing gimmick where you MUST post yourself using it on social media in order to get the full length of the warranty. That being said, they do have the advantage of the deep recline for relaxing, so I can understand the appeal.

As of this writing there are only 3 gaming chairs I’d be ok recommending.

• Secretlab’s Titan Evo 2022 actually has decent lumbar support and build quality
• DXRacer USA’s Master or Air are decent as well and have an awesome modular design and attachable accessories.

All this said, even the best ergonomics is not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle.

Now get back to work!