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Home Computing Chair Advice

Ultimate Ergonomic Seating Definition From BIFMA, OSHA Etc.

March 23, 2023
Reading Time: 17 mins read
  • Written By Anil Ramsey
ChairsFX is reader-supported. Buying through links on our site may earn us commissions (as an Amazon associate or from furniture brands). This has no influence on our editorial content. See our Affiliate Disclosure for details.

Keeping the meaning of ‘ergonomics’ obscure is good business for office chair peddlers. That makes it easier to hype extraneous features. To be fair, nobody’s lying — a universal definition of ‘good ergonomics’ doesn’t exist! Even so, most institutional guidelines and comprehensive reviews reach the same physiological conclusions. Most also share a consensus on what ‘ergonomic’ actually means! ChairsFX has verified those principles in practice. All of that info combined yields the ultimate ergonomic seating definition — by 2023 standards.

Core ergonomic components on a chair
Gaming AND ergo office chairs both use the same trio of components to support good sitting postures.

The broad seating definition of ‘ergonomic’ = any chair with adjustable lumbar + arms + tilt-lock reclining backrest. In 2023, more people are figuring out that proper usage is more important than the type of chair being used.

Neutral posture side sitting view in 4 premium ergonomic chairs
Healthy neutral postures L-R: Steelcase Gesture; Herman Miller Aeron; Secretlab Titan; DXRacer Craft.

You can see for yourself. With planted feet, a supported lumbar spine, supported arms, and a customizable recline (100° is ideal), the type of chair being used doesn’t matter.

Neutral sitting posture examples
Neutral sitting postures in a $1300 Herman Miller Mirra 2 (left) and $550 Secretlab Titan Evo 2022.

These are manifestations of ergonomic guidelines carved out in the 1990s. The gist boils down to a proper technical application of neutral sitting positions:

Tuck your hips, plant your feet, and support your lower back with a backrest set to 100°. Beyond a good ergo chair, that’s all you need to lock down healthy long-term sitting habits. Learn more:

Neutral Posture Technical Quickstart: For Gaming AND Office Chairs

Neutral Sitting Postures

The healthiest way to sit for long periods is using neutral sitting postures. These align the spine into a healthy standing position. That includes a 0° neck tilt and 25-45° lower back curve.

Neutral body postures in zero gravity
Neutral body postures from measurements of 12 people in zero gravity aboard Skylab.

This technology landed from outer space in 1973. Then, NASA scientists observed astronauts aboard the Skylab Space Station. They noticed that when relaxed, astronauts always fell into neutral body postures (NBP).

In 1994, the Herman Miller Aeron debuted as the world’s first mainstream ergonomic chair for the computing era. By the late 1990s, a famous review of ergonomic literature(1) boiled healthy sitting mechanics down to three parts:

  1. The healthiest way to sit for long periods is with a neutral posture. This aligns the spine into a healthy standing posture (25-45° lower back curve and 0° neck tilt).
  2. To support neutral postures, an ‘ergonomic’ chair needs an adjustable lumbar, adjustable arms, and a reclining backrest.
  3. Fixed neutral postures strain muscles and clog circulation. As a result, users should strive for dynamic neutral postures with frequent movement.
Neutral sitting posture examples in mid-back and full-back ergonomic chairs
Neutral sitting postures: benchmark vs Herman Miller Mirra 2 vs DXRacer Craft.

Based on these guidelines, ergonomic seating is easy to define:

Ergonomic Seating Definition

A chair qualifies as ‘ergonomic’ by having three key adjustable components. Adjustable lumbar support aligns the spine. Adjustable arms provide extra bracing to hold the spine upright. A reclining backrest lets a seated body move.

Core ergonomic back support components
The 24 Series meets modern ergonomic standards without any gimmicks or frills.

Combined, these features support the spine into a healthy standing alignment. That includes a 25-45° lower back curve and a 0° neck tilt. Then, users can sit for long periods without muscle strain.

Aeron gaming chair ergonomic support
A 0° cervical tilt + 25-45° lumbar curve produces a picture-perfect neutral sitting posture.

Without muscle strain, the brain gains more power. As a result, esports and desk working professionals enjoy long periods of comfortable, energized computing with razor-sharp focus.

Institutional Ergonomic Guidelines

This section summarizes ergonomic definitions from institutional ergonomic leaders. All share the same recommendations:

  1. Neutral postures are the healthiest while working at a desk.
  2. To support dynamic neutral postures, an ergonomic chair needs an adjustable lumbar, adjustable arms, and a reclining backrest.

OSHA Computing Chair Guidelines

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration documents safety standards for American workers.

Core Modway chair features
Core ergonomic features: adjustable lumbar; adjustable arms; reclining backrest.

Its ergonomic seating guidelines(2) rehash the need for three essential adjustable features:

  • Backrest: should recline at least 15 degrees from a vertical position.
  • Lumbar support: should be height-adjustable to fit the lower back.
  • Armrests: should be adjustable so that the arms fall freely from the shoulders.

OSHA guidelines also advise: “adjust your chair along with appropriately placing your monitor, keyboard, and desk.”

How to sit at a desk for optimal health
Beyond supporting good posture, an ergonomic chair should also sync with a workstation.

BIFMA ergonomic guidelines

The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) was founded in 1973. It serves North American furniture manufacturers by providing furniture safety standards. Manufacturers can then test their products to determine if they meet BIFMA standards.

BIFMA chair testing procedure
An ergonomic chair undergoing BIFMA usability tests.

In 2002, the BIFMA organization first released ergonomic guidelines for office furniture. Its latest 2019 seating guidelines(3) contain these seating points:

  1. Height of seat: should allow the user’s feet to plant onto the floor or a footrest.
  2. Depth of seat: should be deep enough so that the back of the knees do not touch the front of the seat.
  3. Seat width: should be wide enough to accommodate the user’s hips.
  4. Backrest: should conform to the shape of the user’s spine. It should also have lumbar support that maintains the lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine.
  5. Armrests: should be adjustable up and down, plus in and out. This helps to relieve neck, shoulder, and back stress.

BIFMA also recommends that an ergonomic chair provide a healthy range of motion. The seat and backrest should allow varied postures.

Specifically, the backrest should recline from 90° to at least 115°. The only guideline for seat tilt is to ensure the torso-to-thigh angle is not less than 90°.

Staples Hyken recline modes
Synchronous tilt functionality is a luxury extra; it doesn’t influence the quality of a chair’s back support.

This is important to keep in mind when peddlers try to upsell people on synchro tilt. That feature tilts the seat in proportion to the backrest as the user reclines. Based on BIFMA Guidelines, it’s a luxury, not a necessity!

Human Factors and Ergonomics Handbook

The Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics documents the latest standards in workplace design. Its fourth edition came out in 2012.

Human factors and ergonomics book cover
The 2012 edition focused on good back support standards for desktop computer users.

The fifth edition came out with a major update in 2021. Even so, it retains most back support fundamentals of the legacy edition:

Legacy Seating Essentials

Both the 4th and 5th edition Handbooks share the same ideas about ergonomic seating:

The purpose of good seating is to provide stable body support and a dynamic posture. It should be comfortable over long periods and physiologically sound. It should also be appropriate to the task being performed.

The user’s workstation should support good posture with a few basics. First, they should be able to see the screen without moving their head. As well, the keyboard, mouse, or document they are working on should be within easy reach.

The Handbook cites five key features that all ergonomic chairs should have:

  1. Chair adjustment controls should be easy to operate from a seated position.
  2. The chair and adjustment mechanisms should be rugged.
  3. Chairs should have adjustable armrests.
  4. The seat should be padded to ensure comfort.
  5. The chair should allow alterations in posture and freedom of movement.

Ergonomic Functionality Requirements

The handbook also adds brief standards that ergonomic seating should meet:

  • Seat Height: should be adjustable by the user so that the feet rest flat on the floor. If the operator is too short to rest feet on the floor, they should use a footrest.
  • Seat depth: the seat should be deep enough so the user can sit far enough back to use the backrest without putting pressure on the knees.
Ergonomic chair seat depth standards
You need a deep enough seat to sit against the backrest without placing pressure on the inside of the knees.
  • Backrest height: the backrest provides back support in various postures. For full support, the top of the backrest should be at least 18” higher than the compressed seat height.
  • Lumbar support: this helps to maintain the natural curvature of the lower spine. The lumbar support area of the backrest should be between 6” to 10” above the compressed seat height.
Lordotic sitting in an ergonomic chair
The backrest should be high enough to support the entire back. Lumbar support should induce mild lordosis.
  • Backrest angle: studies have shown that recline angles reduce fatigue. If adjustable, a backrest should recline to at least 115◦.
  • Armrest height: armrests at the right height support the neck and shoulders. Armrests should be height adjustable with a range of at least 4″.
Backrest recline and adjustable armrests
A supportive reclining backrest plus adjustable armrests are essential ergonomic features.

Updated Ergonomic Standards

The biggest difference from the (2012) fourth edition is a shift in priorities. The previous edition focused on back support that mitigates musculoskeletal problems.

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics 5th edition
The latest fifth edition frames multi-device computing as the greatest ergonomic priority of our time.

The fifth edition cites multi-device computing as a greater priority. As people immerse in near-virtual worlds, physical and mental technostress issues have arisen.

In sum, beyond good back support, a modern ergonomic workstation must also do two things. First, provide multi-device support for the back and neck while desktop or mobile computing.

Magnus Pro desk providing multi-device computing support
Healthy neutral postures while sitting, mobile computing, and standing.

Second, provide more opportunities to move. At present, an ergonomic chair plus a sit-to-stand desk best supports these new standards:

2022 Multi-Device Ergonomics: Why You Need A Sit-Stand Desk

Cornell Ergonomic Guidelines

Alan Hedge is a Professor in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University. His 2013 paper on ergonomic seating(4) compiled the findings of several leading studies.

Sitting With Lumbar Lordosis Is Ideal

A key point in his paper is that healthy sitting requires a pelvic rotation that creates lumbar lordosis. When the angle between the thighs and the body is too small, the lumbar curve flattens or bends outward.

That is called lumbar kyphosis. Kyphosis occurs because of the restrained rotation of the hip joint. That forces the pelvis to rotate backward, placing pressure on the spinal discs.

Kyphosis vs lordosis
Sitting with a slouch causes kyphosis. Sitting with lumbar support induces mild lordosis.

One trick to inducing lumbar lordosis is by using a lumbar support. Another method to reverse kyphosis is by using a reclining backrest.

Ergonomic sitting essentials

There are five key findings that lead to ergonomic chair recommendations:

  1. Proper sitting requires a pelvic rotation that creates lumbar lordosis.
  2. Lumbar, thoracic, and cervical muscle activity decreases with a backrest incline to 110°.
  3. Lumbar disc pressure and back muscle activity are lowest with a supported recline angle of 110° – 130°.
  4. A high proportion of chair users make height adjustments to their lumbar support.
  5. After 1 hour, there is spinal shrinkage with static sitting. In contrast, the spine expands with dynamic sitting where the seat pan swivels.

Movement Breaks Are Necessary

Beyond Dr. Hedge’s suggestions, ergo.human.cornell.edu(5) adds these recommendations:

Every 20 minutes, stand for eight minutes — while moving for at least two minutes. The absolute time isn’t critical — use these as rough guidelines. The important thing is to take a posture break to stand and move for a few minutes. Only standing is insufficient. You need movement to get blood circulation through the muscles.

Condensed guidelines

OSHA, BIFMA, Dr. Hedge, and the 5th-edition Human Factors Handbook all agree that ‘ergonomic’ means adjustable. To support dynamic neutral postures, a chair needs adjustable lumbar support, adjustable arms, and a reclining backrest. Here’s how those features apply to a full-back gaming chair:

Below is a closer look at what leading scholars advise for each adjustable part:

Lumbar Support

This is the most important component in any ergonomic chair. Mild pressure applied to the lower back reflexively triggers the upper back to straighten.

A picture of three popular types of lumbar support systems for gaming chairs
L-R: external lumbar pillow; 4-way integrated lumbar; classic gaming chair lumbar pillow.

This comprehensive 2009 peer review(6) summarizes the key technical factors:

  1. When standing, the optimal lordotic angle is between 20-45 degrees.
  2. Unsupported sitting reduces lumbar lordosis by 50%. It also increases intradiscal pressure at the third lumbar vertebra by 40%.
  3. When sitting with a back angle of 110° and a lumbar support 4 cm deep, lumbar lordosis averages a healthy 47° angle.
  4. The depth of the lumbar support depends on the individual. If lumbar support causes discomfort, it means it is set too high, too low, or too deep.
  5. A sustained lordotic sitting position decreases disc pressure and thereby disc degeneration.

For best results, it’s important to combine these factors with physiological realities. The average adult spine is around 30″ long for men and 24″ long for women.

Gaming chair lumbar support
Lumbar support applied to the right spot preserves a healthy lower back curve while sitting.

The average man should position his lumbar support around 7.5″ above the seat. An average-sized woman should aim for support set to around 5.5″ higher than the seat.

Lumbar Support Biomechanics For Healthy Sitting

Related: Best Lumbar Support Types – Good Ergonomics Vs Gimmicks

Reclining backrest

The point of an ergonomic chair is to reduce pressure on your back. With a backrest recline of 110°, lumbar, thoracic, and cervical muscle activity decreases.

Gaming chair versus office chair recline
Office chairs have fixed back angles; gaming chairs can recline at various angles.

With a supported recline between 110° and 130°, back muscle activity is the lowest.

Adjustable armrests

A human arm weighs around 6% of one’s total body weight. A 170-pound person’s arms weigh around 10 pounds each. Without armrest support, your spine bears the load of holding your arms up against gravity.

Lack of armrests cause posture problems
Without arm support, the spine must carry around 20 pounds of extra weight. When it tires, slouching starts.

While computing, that places unnecessary strain on the spine, shoulders, and neck. As muscles tire, the weight of the arms forces the head to tilt forward.

Harmful spinal effects of slouching
A 15-degree forward head tilt places a 27-pound strain on the spine, neck, and shoulder muscles.

In a neutral position with a 0° neck tilt, an adult head places around a 10-pound load on the spine(7). As the head tilts forward by 15 degrees, the spinal load increases to 27 pounds.

Sitting up straight in a gaming chair
Adjustable armrests support the forearms while providing extra bracing to hold the spine upright.

At a 30-degree forward tilt, the load increases to 40 pounds. That’s where adjustable armrests come in. With planted feet and arms synced with a desk, sitting up straight becomes much easier.

Ergonomic Goal: Musculoskeletal Relief

Humans are not designed to sit for long periods. We know this because the lumbar spine falls out of alignment when in a sitting position. When standing, a healthy lumbar spine curves inward at a 20-45° angle. Sitting without lumbar support cuts that angle in half(8).

Why sitting is bad for you
Unsupported sitting flattens the lumbar curve by 50%. Once back muscles tire, it flattens almost completely.

Then, back muscles must work harder to hold the spine upright. Once muscles tire, the upper back bends. That flattens the lumbar curve to less than 10°. Long periods in that position shortens hips flexors, pulling the whole body out of alignment.

The lower back tightens, while core stomach muscles get longer and weaker. At the same time, quad muscles tighten the front of the leg, while hamstrings elongate and weaken from the rear.

Body distortion caused by sloppy sitting habits
Over 80% of American adults suffer from anterior pelvic tilt.

Misaligned bodies caused by poor sitting habits are endemic. In America, some studies estimate that 80% of adults suffer from anterior pelvic tilt(9). In that state, misaligned muscle pairs work against each other. That twists the pelvis from a neutral position to a tilted one.

Common Musculoskeletal Disorders

Common desk worker musculoskeletal disorders
Failure to use modern ergonomic techniques can cause serious long-term health problems.

A tilted posture places excess stress on tall body parts. As that builds up, myriad musculoskeletal disorders emerge. These include:

  • Low back disorders: the leading cause of disability in 160 countries.
  • Chronic fatigue: misalignments overwork muscles, leaving users perpetually exhausted.
  • Migraines: forward head posture strains neck muscles until pain arises.
  • Wrist pain: 4 million Americans suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • Neck pain: the fourth-leading cause of disability in America.

Long-term, MSDs can lead to serious chronic health problems.

Human de-evolution
The technology-driven descent of the athletic human form.

Examples:

  • Obesity: waist circumference increases by 3.1 cm with a 10% increase in sedentary time. As they gain weight, patients feel less compelled to move.
  • Diabetes: excess sedentary time increases type 2 diabetes risks. Regular exercise only slightly offsets this risk. Symptoms include tingling extremities, dry skin, and excessive urination.
  • Cancer: prolonged sitting increases colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, and prostate cancer risks. It also increases cancer mortality (mainly in women).
  • Hypertension: sedentary behaviors reduce blood pressure. That alters cardiac output and total peripheral vascular resistance.
  • Osteoporosis: slothful living lowers bone mineral density in the femur and hip sub-regions. That makes bones brittle and easy to break.

Learn more: Common Desk Worker Musculoskeletal Disorders In 2022

IoT Ergonomic Wild Cards

The Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics summarizes institutional trends from the world’s leading ergonomists. Ergonomic equipment exists to help users perform tasks with comfort and efficiency.

The 2012 (4th edition) Handbook focused on providing good back support for desktop computer users. However, in 2022, mobile computing is a huge part of the equation.

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics 5th edition
The (2021) 5th edition Handbook frames multi-device computing as the greatest ergonomic challenge of our time.

In response, the 5th edition Handbook (released in late 2021) makes back support a secondary concern. In its place, two other ergonomic priorities take precedence:

  1. Multi-device support for the back and neck: this demand comes from the very top.
  2. Sedentary computing solutions: more time spent computing drops activity levels to unhealthy levels. Modern ergonomic setups or strategies must address this.

Notably, the second priority is aggressively being addressed by the highest levels of pro esports. With millions in prize money on the line, most of the world’s top teams invest heavily in optimizing player performance.

Evil Geniuses ergonomic wellness seminar
Dr. Jordan Tsai and Dr. Lindsey Migliore conducting an ergonomic wellness seminar @ Evil Genius HQ in Seattle. (10)

As a result, esports performance technology has taken ergonomic development out of the lab and onto the world’s stage. This gives hundreds of millions of esports fans around the world a clear performance blueprint to emulate.

4th Industrial Revolution: Multidevice IoT

These days, the average person uses a mobile device for 3 hours every day. This is by design — a planned shift to a full-blown state of near-virtual reality.

Fourth Industrial Revolution
WEF Chair hyping the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The World Economic Forum describes what’s coming as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. An Internet of Things (IoT) will see “billions of people connected by mobile devices, with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge…”

A major hurdle to this plan: humans will need physical and mental support to fit within this vision. This is why the 5th Edition Human Factors and Ergonomics Handbook cites technostress as the greatest ergonomic challenge of our time.

Text neck examples
Unsupported mobile computing causes problems in the neck, shoulders, and lower back.

At present, three types of technostress from excessive computing have been documented. More are likely to emerge:

  1. Physical technostress: extended use of laptops, tablets, and smartphones increases the risks for musculoskeletal disorders.
  2. Mental technostress: cognitive overload comes from using too many applications at once.
  3. Techno-addiction: inability to disconnect. Techno-addicts compulsively perform work-related tasks outside of business hours.

Significance: in the modern multi-device ergonomic landscape, the importance of a good chair becomes a smaller part of the equation.

Esports Health: Beyond Ergonomics

Professional esports is one of the most intense, demanding desk jobs. Many first-person shooters demand up to 400 actions per minute. To succeed, players need elite speed, precision, hand-eye-coordination — and endurance.

Evil Geniuses esports player doing neck exercises with Dr. Jordan Tsai
Dr. Jordan Tsai teaching motion exercises at Evil Geniuses headquarters. (Pic: @EvilGeniuses)

Teams that win tournaments earn millions in prize money — and more via sponsorships. As a result, most elite teams invest heavily in optimizing player performance. For instance, Dr. Jordan Tsai manages the Physical Therapy program for Evil Geniuses.

Dr. Tsai also serves on Secretlab’s Ergonomic Advisory Board. Even so, he doesn’t hype the importance of chairs. In fact, he advised ChairsFX that a good chair is the least important part of a healthy setup!

How to get rid of technostress forever!
Exercise + good nutrition + sound sleep = esports method to perform at peak levels.

His view is consistent with the 5th edition Human Factors Handbook: movement and fitness take precedence. Good back support remains relevant as a secondary priority. “Rest/nutrition/exercises > breaks > good posture > good chair.”

Another esports doctor that ChairsFX spoke to concurred. According to Dr. William Duncan, performance-oriented gamers should “work on strength & endurance and use a good chair.”

Tfue streamer health habits
Tfue is one of many mega-successful streamers who incorporate movement and fitness into their routines.

From an esports physical therapy perspective, here are the priorities for healthy deskwork (in order of importance):

  1. Healthy lifestyle: regular exercise, good nutrition, sound sleep.
  2. Good posture: try to sit straight in whichever type of chair you use.
  3. Frequent breaks: walking breaks reset the brain, boosts blood flow, and activates sedentary muscles.
  4. Good ergonomic chair: choose whichever type aligns with your preferences.

Esports Health Priorities 2022: Good Posture + Fitness

Gaming Vs Ergonomic Office Chairs

Gaming chairs emerged in 2006 as niche items. Against a multi-billion-dollar ergonomic office furniture industry, they thrived. In response, many office chair industry players tried to stem the tide.

Neutral postures in Embody and Titan chairs
Perfect neutral postures: in a $1700 Embody and $560 Titan chair.

“Gaming chairs are not ergonomic” is the most common defense. But according to OSHA, BIFMA, and the Human Factors Handbook, this is misinformation.

In fact, any chair with adjustable arms, an adjustable lumbar, and a reclining backrest qualifies as ergonomic. These features on any type of chair are meant to support healthy neutral sitting postures.

Key ergonomic chair features
All chairs that qualify as ‘ergonomic’ come standard with three adjustable features.

Both full-back gaming and mid-back ergo office chairs use the same support techniques. Adjustable lumbar support, armrests, and a reclining backrest give users the tools they need to sit straight – with movement.

Neutral sitting Titan vs Aeron
Neutral postures in a Titan gaming chair and Aeron ergonomic chair.

The biggest difference between the two styles is the backrest. Ergonomic office chairs come with mid-back support; gaming chairs are full-back. Mid-back chairs provide more accurate sitting support; full-back styles provide better WFH versatility.

Full-Back Chairs Are More Versatile

Psychological comfort is not a factor in office ergonomics. There, businesses prefer their staff alert — not relaxed. But when working from home, strict office chairs that force you to sit upright may feel confining.

Staples Hyken compared to gaming chair
Staples Hyken mid-back chair vs Secretlab Titan full-back gaming chair.

A holistic physiological comfort assessment considers psychological, physical, and environmental factors. Psychologically, a full-back chair incites a greater expectation for comfort.

Office chair vs gaming chair headrest
Full-back headrests support all seven vertebrae in the cervical spine.

Physically, it fills that expectation with more flexible posture support techniques. For instance, stiff mid-back chair headrests only hit flush on parts of the neck. In contrast, a full-back headrest adapts to the user by cradling the entire cervical spine.

Further, most mid-back office chairs have limited recline ranges that force users to sit upright at all times. In contrast, gaming chairs have deep recline functionality.

Gaming chair vs task chair recline
Reclining in a full-back gaming chair is more comfortable than in a mid-back chair with a headrest.

In a work-from-home context, a mid-back chair will limit your options to preserve postural integrity.

Gaming chair versatility
Full-back gaming chairs provide versatile all-day sitting support.

In contrast, a gaming chair provides better versatility for all-day sitting support. Learn more:

Full-Back Gaming Chairs Vs Mid-Back Ergo Office Chairs

Conclusion: Ergonomic = Adjustable

If you thought that ‘ergonomic’ meant super-engineered magic, now you know better. ‘Ergonomic’ simply means ‘adjustable’. We can see the effect of adjustable lumbar + adjustable arms + a reclining backrest in various seating styles:

Neutral posture side sitting view in 4 premium ergonomic chairs
Healthy neutral postures L-R: Steelcase Gesture; Herman Miller Aeron; Secretlab Titan; DXRacer Craft.

The above picture tells the story. Any chair qualifies as ‘ergonomic’ by having three adjustable features:

  1. Adjustable lumbar support: maintains a healthy lower back curve.
  2. Adjustable armrests: these support elbows and forearms while positioning hands close to the mouse and keyboard.
  3. Reclining backrest: a recline range of 90° to 130° (with lumbar support) reduces spinal pressure.

From a back support perspective, gaming chairs and office chairs with the necessary components do the same thing. So how to decide on one type or the other?

Surprisingly, the best answer we’ve come up with has nothing to do with good back support. Many studies have shown that when a chair looks more comfortable, users will find it more physically comfortable.

2023 seated comfort rating factors
A healthy, disiplined life + flexible ergonomic seating yields happy, healthy sitting experiences.

In other words, subjective psychological preferences are a major comfort factor. So are user-powered habits. With proper usage, whichever type of fully-ergonomic chair appeals to you has potential to be ‘the best’. Learn more:

2023 Seated Comfort Factors: Physical Vs Psychological Vs Usage

Footnotes

  1. D D Harrison, et al. ‘Sitting biomechanics part I: review of the literature’, J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1999 Nov-Dec;22(9):594-609. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10626703/, (accessed 8 March 2022).
  2. OSHA. ‘Computer Workstation Components: Chairs’. https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/components/chairs, (accessed 8 March 2022).
  3. ‘BIFMA Standards Descriptions’, September 2019. https://www.bifma.org/page/StandardsShortDesc, (accessed 8 March 2022).
  4. Professor Alan Hedge. ‘Ergonomic Seating?’ Cornell University, August 2013. http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/studentdownloads/DEA3250pdfs/ErgoChair.pdf, (accessed 8 March 2022).
  5. CU Ergo. ‘Sitting and Standing at Work’. Cornell University Ergonomics Web. http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/CUESitStand.html, (accessed 8 March 2022).
  6. Jennifer Pynt, Martin G Mackey, ‘Seeking the Optimal Posture of the Seated Lumbar Spine’. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 17:5, 2001, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224029048_Seeking_the_Optimal_Posture_of_the_Seated_Lumbar_Spine, (accessed 9 Jan. 2022).
  7. Laura Sullivan. ‘Keep Your Head Up: ‘Text Neck’ Takes A Toll On The Spine’. The Two-Way, November 20, 2014. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/11/20/365473750/keep-your-head-up-text-neck-can-take-a-toll-on-the-spine, (accessed 8 March 2022).
  8. Kaja Kastelic, et al. ‘Sitting and low back disorders: an overview of the most commonly suggested harmful mechanisms’. Collegium Antropologicum 42(1):73-79, March 2018. Read the abstract (accessed 20 Feb. 2022).
  9. Lee Herrington. ‘Assessment of the degree of pelvic tilt within a normal asymptomatic population’. Manual Therapy Volume 16, Issue 6, December 2011, Pages 646-648. doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2011.04.006 (accessed 20 Feb. 2022).
  10. Secretlab Blog. ‘Secretlab EAB X Evil Geniuses: Ergonomic Wellness Seminar’. September 15, 2022. https://blog.secretlab.co/stories/secretlab-eab-evil-geniuses-ergonomic-wellness-seminar/ (accessed 4 October, 2022).
  11. Matthew P Reed, et al. ‘Posture and belt fit in reclined passenger seats’, Traffic Injury Prevention 20(sup1):S38-S42, June 2019. DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2019.1630733, (accessed 10 April 2022).

Secretlab Titan gaming chairs on sale in March 2023

Details: Secretlab March 2023 Sales Guide

Table of Contents

  1. Ergonomic Seating Definition
  2. Institutional Ergonomic Guidelines
    1. OSHA Computing Chair Guidelines
    2. BIFMA ergonomic guidelines
    3. Human Factors and Ergonomics Handbook
    4. Cornell Ergonomic Guidelines
  3. Condensed guidelines
    1. Lumbar Support
    2. Reclining backrest
    3. Adjustable armrests
  4. Ergonomic Goal: Musculoskeletal Relief
    1. Common Musculoskeletal Disorders
  5. IoT Ergonomic Wild Cards
    1. 4th Industrial Revolution: Multidevice IoT
    2. Esports Health: Beyond Ergonomics
    3. Gaming Vs Ergonomic Office Chairs
  6. Conclusion: Ergonomic = Adjustable

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