The History of The Office Chair
With the advent of railroad in the mid-1800s, businesses began to expand beyond the traditional model of a family business with little emphasis on administration. Additional administrative staff was required to keep up with orders, bookkeeping, and correspondence as businesses expanded their service areas. While office work was expanding, an awareness of office environments, technology, and equipment became part of the cultural focus on increasing productivity. This awareness gave rise to chairs designed specifically for these new administrative employees: office chairs.
A working professional in today’s era spends almost 10 to 15 hours in the office. With almost all industries becoming computerised, and various softwares introduced to make work easier for the professionals, they have all the information just at the click of the mouse. Due to technological advancements, people working in offices and especially employed in white collared jobs, seldom have to move from where they are seated. Hence, the office chair becomes a constant companion and an integral part of their lives.
Office chairs first came in demand because of the railroad system. Traditional, family owned businesses were becoming less and less attractive and as large companies, like railroad companies, began to increase in numbers so did the need for administrative employees. This new type of occupational need also created a need for new types of furniture that would be specific to the administrative tasks. The office chair was created to increase productivity and comfort while tasking for long hours. Office seating was first introduced with 2 functions that set it apart from most other chairs. Office chairs had casters and a swivel function. These functions made employees much more mobile. The casters allowed for effortless rolling around a workstation or desk area. The swivel ability made it possible for 1 employee to perform multiple tasks at the same time because of the added range and movement.
The office chair was strategically designed to increase the productivity of clerical employees by making it possible for them to remain sitting at their desks for long periods of time. A swiveling chair with caster wheels allowed employees to remain sitting and yet reach a number of locations within their work area, eliminating the time and energy expended in standing. The wooden saddle seat was designed to fit and support the body of a sitting employee, and the slatted back and armrests provided additional support to increase the employee’s comfort. Like our modern chairs, many of these models were somewhat adjustable to provide the maximum comfort and thus the maximum working time.
The rapid development in our technology has created a huge demand for a number of different office chair designs. New technology creates new occupations and some of those occupations require new types of furniture. Much of the technological growth has come in administrative and information based fields. These fields have created the demand for specialized office seating like computer chairs and ergonomic office chairs. Other factors like climate and architectural design have recently influenced the office chair industry. The increased popularity of mesh office chairs in hot and humid climates is due in large part to the ability that mesh has to breathe and keep the user cool during the work day. On the other hand, chairs like the Aeron have been developed with a strong emphasis on modern, artistic design which has drawn the attention of any business trying to keep up with modern trends. There is also a big distinction in the style of chair that an executive uses compared to that of a typical employee. Executives have always had to distinguish themselves from the rest of the crowd and it is no different with executive office chairs.
Though just a piece of furniture, it occupies an important place in a working professionals daily routine. Comfort is extremely important while designing a chair used in the office, since the employee has to sit on it and work for long and continuous periods. Earlier desks and chairs were not accorded much importance when used in an office environment. But with mounting work pressures and with employees increasingly spending more and more hours in the workplace, the impact of the furniture used in offices and their effects on the employee’s health, efficiency and productivity has been closely analysed.
The culture of the office also demanded that a distinct difference exist between the chairs that the employees used and that of the chief executive. When swivel chairs were widely used, the executive sat in a straight-backed chair with no mobility to demonstrate his status. As design of the office chair eliminated the arms and added cushioned seats, the executive chair became a large, upholstered chair with closed arms and wide, luxurious seats. Even today, the size (both height of the back and width of the seat) of an office chair demonstrates the status of the user.
Computer Chairs were designed to be very adjustable and comfortable for long periods of sitting. Computer chairs usually feature an adjustable seat and backrest, casters, a swivel function and a padded seat for more comfort. Many times employees from different shifts will use the same chair. This makes the adjustability of computer chairs a big positive.
Ergonomic Office Chairs are designed to keep the user in a supportive, proper sitting position to help minimize stress and tension put on the muscles, joints and limbs. Ergonomic chairs are highly adjustable and feature high end upholstery. Most ergonomic chairs have a fully adjustable seat and backrest, fully adjustable armrests, adjustable lumbar support and an adjustable headrest (if the chair features a headrest). An ergonomic office chair should be used if the employee will be seated for more than 4 hours at a time.
Ergonomics became an important design consideration. Today, office chairs often have adjustable seats, armrests, backs, back supports, and heights to prevent repetitive stress injuries and back pain associated with sitting for long periods. Ergonomic chairs should fit an individual’s needs and provide support where the individual needs it. For this reason, one type of ergonomic chair is not the best for every body type and chairs should be tested before purchasing.
Mesh Office Chairs first came into popularity when Herman Miller introduced the Aeron Chair. Most mesh chairs are completely transparent which makes them extremely breathable. Traditionally office chairs have had a wood or plastic backing with a fabric or leather upholstery. This upholstery will often make the user hot or sweaty if used for long hours. Mesh has constant airflow keeping the user cool during the day.
Office chairs are designed in such a way so as to make an employee sit at his work station comfortably continuously for long hours, and at the same time provide mobility as well to interact with colleagues and peers. It is with this in mind that chairs with wheels or swivel chairs were introduced. The seats are usually cushioned to provide comfort to the employees.
Executive Office Chairs are usually upholstered in top of the line upholstery and almost always feature a high back or headrest. They also feature a swivel function and seat height adjustment. There is a wide range in the number of adjustments available on different models after the initial functions. Executive office chairs have typically been upholstered in leather but many executives are now sitting in mesh chairs.
The seats on these office chairs adapt to the body structure of the individuals sitting on it. These days most of the chairs used in offices have height adjustable features. The employees can adjust the height of the chair according to their own heights and the height of the desk or the workstation. The armrests and the backs of the chairs are designed to help the employees maintain a correct posture and spinal and other back problems. The main purpose of comfortable office furniture is to help the professional in forgetting about discomfiture and focus entirely on work.
While purchasing an office chair several things have to be kept in mind like the designation of the person and his working hours in the office. The right office chair does not only provide comfort to the employees, but also increases their efficiency, resulting in the overall growth of the organisation.