If you order online, you would be surprised when you see the item in person for the first time. For instance, you checked out an ergonomic office chair and days later, it arrived on your doorstep. You are shocked to see that it is bigger than you initially thought. But don’t fret; you don’t really have to return the chair and demand for a new one. It’s easy to fix the chair height issue if you get to the root of it.
The first thing every customer does to a new chair is adjusted its height according to their body and their needs. But what happens if the chair is just really too tall for you. What can you do to solve this problem? We discuss it below to help you figure out a solution for your concern.
Understanding What a "Too Tall" Office Chair Means
There is a difference between "too tall" and "too tall but workable." Ask yourself what made you say that it was too tall. Say you are really a short than an average person so it’s not uncommon that standard office chairs are too tall for you. Of course, designers of office chairs based the height range from a person of typical average height and go up from there. There are chances that you won’t fall within this range.
Another possibility is that you weren’t able to adjust the chair to its lowest possible setting. Double check and pull the appropriate lever to lower the gas spring. There are times that you might have simply not adjusted it all the way down. To be sure, read the instructions again and follow them step by step.
Another thing to look at is if there are any obstructions. Your chair might be crashing into something that is preventing it from being lowered down. Again, check and adjust accordingly.
You should also pay attention to your posture. The feet must be flat on the ground when you sit in the chair, meaning it is just the right height for you. There might be other issues in your office setup that you have to look at but are not directly related to your chair.
Why Not Use a Standing Desk?
Your desk might really be the cause of discomfort. The chair might absolutely be fine but your desk doesn’t go well with it. You could get a taller desk if this is your predicament. Choose from a regular desk that goes along with your chair and will give you the height that you need. Or you may opt to invest in a standing desk. You don’t want to make some mistakes so bring out a calculator and compute the height that you need so you get a desk that is neither too short nor too tall.
Advantages of Standing Desks vs Regular Desks
If you want a more flexible workplace, then standing desks are the way to go. Most standing desks, if not all, have height adjustment features. It lets you adjust the desktop from the extremes of sitting and standing to small inch-sized movements in between. Adjust the height of your desk to what is comfortable for you in both sitting and standing positions.
FlexiSpot's Pro Standing Desk (E3/E5) boasts a lot of features that will blow your mind. You will be guaranteed a superior ergonomic sit-stand office experience that will help boost your productivity at work while enjoying premium comfort. It combines advanced functions and is sold at a reasonable price point.
You will enjoy a ton of benefits when you use standing desks and are able to stand at any point in time while working to disrupt your long hours of sitting down. You will find yourself comfortable when the height is adjusted to your preference. There will be no trouble in locking a posture that’s comfortable for you once you are able to sit properly in your chair or use an anti-fatigue mat.
If for instance, the chair is too tall for your office, a standing desk that can adjust upwards while sitting is a great alternative. You could conveniently set the perfect height by just touching one button instead of manually using a hand-crank to adjust the height every time you need to.
Raise The Height of Your Monitor
For some, they think that their chair is “too tall” because of the shadow that it casts over their computer screens. Ergonomics say that the ideal position of your screen should be level with or lower than your eye line. You shouldn’t be craning your neck upwards every time you look at your screen.
There are other instances that the computer screen is too low, which can also cause problems. You build poor ergonomic posture when you have to look down at your screen, causing neck strain, upper back pain, and other issues.
One solution you could try is to simply raise the height of your screen, which you can do by adjusting the height of your standing desk. This will raise the height of your keyboard and other interface devices which leads to other ergonomic issues.
You can also use a monitor mount, which might be a more expensive option but you get better adjustment ability. Monitor's arms come in various styles. If you think you need one, you may check out FlexiSpot's monitor stand which lets you configure your screen in many ways.
Final Thoughts
It’s important that you know the basic measurements of your height including the height of your knees, elbows, and eye line so that you buy the perfect ergonomic chair for you. These measurements will be looked at side by side with the measurements of the furniture that you are thinking of buying. In this way, you make a smart and informed purchase.
There are also other options that you could check out. You could invest in a footstool and a new standing desk to reduce the problems that you encountered with your office chair, customizing your workstation to meet your body and work’s specific needs.
