As people return to the office, one thing is clear: Standards have changed. People want more comfort and amenities in their offices, and managers need to adapt. This means that you’ll want to consider investing in newer office furniture, and your seating arrangements will be a perfect place to start.
When you’re looking for new seating, you’ll want to consider a few different things:
- Comfort
- Durability
- Ergonomics
- Sanitation
- Style
How to Choose the Right Office Chair
Picking out office chairs is a complex process, which is why OnePointe Solutions is always here to help. We have a wide selection of commercial office furniture, and all of it is custom-made to fit your needs.
When choosing an office chair, corporate managers should be aware of a seat’s ergonomics. The adjustability and padding of each seat should be evaluated, and every seat should be adaptable enough to fit anyone.
Good office chairs will have adjustable armrests, backrests, and seat height.
The key features to look for when you’re picking out office chairs are:
- Back support
- Coverings
- Padding
- Sitting style
- Storage
Back Support
For employees, companies will want to choose office chairs that feature plenty of back support. Close attention should be paid to the middle and lower back, which experience the most stress during long sitting sessions.
Classic picks for employee chairs tend to be adjustable, ergonomic, and mobile. Examples include:
These seats are also common features of corporate meeting rooms.
In some cases, you’ll need more back support for an employee’s comfort. High-backed seats provide additional support for an employee’s upper back, shoulders, and neck.
As a result, employees enjoy better posture while seated and increased comfort.
High-backed seating is often associated with rank and expense. If someone noticed an Auburn Executive Chair, they’d likely assume it belonged to a CEO.
However, many modern office chair companies are now offering high-backed executive seating for all employees!
Different Seating Styles
In addition to traditional office chairs, many office chair companies have started to manufacture ergonomic chairs for different sitting “styles”. Examples of these unique chairs include stools, kneeling seats, and medicine balls.
These may be fun, but they often require a fair bit of adjusting and tailoring. Unconventional seating options are best reserved for individual offices, and they should not be used in general sitting or waiting areas.
Padding
When someone sits in a chair for an extended period of time, they’re applying pressure to their joints. The lower back and hips receive the brunt of this force. These areas will become sore without proper padding.
For employees facing more seated work than they may have been accustomed to at home, properly padded seats are a must. A Bakhita Stackable Polymer Chair may be fine for short periods of time, but employees will experience considerable discomfort if they have to use this as their primary seat.
To avoid discomfort and distractions, you’ll want to pick chairs that have appropriate padding. Cushioned options like the FLYT Modern Task Chair provide employees with a soft sitting surface.
Depending on your needs, these seats can be further customized with foam, polyurethane, or ergonomic padding.
The most common padding materials are:
- Closed-Cell Foam: An extremely expensive variant of foam. This option is good for extended use, as it does not retain moisture.
- Down Seat Cushions: A traditional type of filling that is somewhat expensive. It offers a light feeling, but it isn’t as durable as modern options.
- Gel: An expensive but extremely effective option. Gel seats conform to a user’s shape and relieve pressure, but they have a high cost per unit.
- Molded Foam: A firmer type of foam commonly seen in mid-range seating.
- Traditional Foam: Perfect for general use, but prone to moisture retention without proper coverings
Sanitizing Office Chairs
It may not be on the top of the list of necessities, but having a non-porous surface to clean is essential to maintaining a clean office environment. Cloth and fabric may look and feel nice, but these seat covers will need to be professionally laundered to remove any germs and bacteria.
They are also prone to harboring mold and moisture.
Instead, many companies utilize molded plastic, vinyl, mesh, or leather. All of these options repel moisture and provide maintenance workers with an easily sanitized surface.
However, each of these options will also come with its own drawbacks:
- Leather is expensive. It’s best used in executive suites, and maintaining it requires special knowledge.
- Mesh is breathable and easy to clean, but it can also be easily damaged. Some types of mesh are not suitable for extended sitting.
- Molded plastic doesn’t usually have padding. This means that it offers little comfort for extended use.
- Vinyl may be extremely versatile, but it’s prone to fading. Over time, this may make your office feel “cheap”.
Storage Options
Outside of offices and cubicles, commercial office furniture companies also need to consider how chairs will be stored. In public spaces, chairs should be able to adapt to any situation.
Something like our classic Elegant Beach seat is perfect for waiting rooms, but it’s hard to move around and cannot be easily disassembled or stacked.
In situations where the seats will need to be frequently moved and rearranged, (i.e., breakrooms, cafeterias, and meeting spaces) companies should consider using stackable seating. Our Popcorn Stacking Chairs and Duet High-Density Stacking Chairs are perfect for these settings.
It should be noted that these stacking chairs also feature hard, non-porous surfaces. This makes them easier to clean. Companies should pay close attention to this feature, as stacking chairs will be subject to plenty of use and abuse.
Visual Appeal
Finally, corporate offices will obviously want their seating to match their existing décor.
At OnePointe Solutions, we offer our seats in a variety of colors. Upholstery can be applied to fit your needs, and many of our options can be further customized to suit your office.
More conservative and traditional offices will enjoy options like our ObusForme executive seat, while modern spaces are better suited for options like our Zoa Wood Veneer seats.
Need Chairs for Your Commercial Office?
If you’re looking for ways to upgrade your office, OnePointe Solutions is the place for you. Unlike commercial office furniture companies, we handle every aspect of a remodel.
Yes, we can sell you office chairs, but we can also provide you with an entirely new office design. Our skilled design team has worked with plenty of companies, and we’ve turned bland offices into modern oases.
We also sell and manufacture customized office furniture, including desks and dividers.
If you’re ready to see the difference between your office today and the office of the future, then give us a call at (866) 612-7312 or fill out our contact form. We’re always ready to help, and we’d love to see how we can help you.