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Is My Office Chair Too Large?

Last updated on July 31, 2020 By Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT Leave a Comment

determining which office chair size is correct for you
Too many people sit in a chair all day that is simply too large. Here are some simple things that you can check to see if you need to consider “upgrading” your chair.

1. Both of your feet should comfortably be touching the ground. Dangling feet are a very bad thing, as you are losing a significant amount of lumbar support through your legs.

2. The backs of your knees should not be touching the front portion of the chair while you are comfortably seated. You should have a minimum of 1-2 inches of space between the back of your knees and where the seat of the chair starts.

3. The back of your chair should support you up to the level of your shoulder blades. This means that you should be able to sit “all the way back” into your chair as you work. If scooting back into your chair causes your feet to lift off the ground, or if it causes the backs of your knees to cram against the chair, you need a larger chair!

4. The arm rests of your chair should be able to move up and down to accommodate where your elbows are as you type. Many chairs that are too large have arm rests that do not lower enough to comfortably support the elbows. You should not feel as if you have to “shrug” your shoulders in order to rest your arms comfortably.

Realize that most office chair manufacturers make three (3) sizes for chairs, A, B, and C. Check with the companies websites to see what category you fall into based on your height. Your body will thank you for making the necessary changes.

Filed Under: Ergonomics, Featured



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About Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT

Dan is a licensed Physical Therapist in the District of Columbia, license #PT2916. He has a Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Dan specializes in sports medicine & upper extremity rehabilitation. He is a Certified Hand Therapist, certified by the American Society of Hand Therapists (initial certification date 11/6/2004, certification #1041100023). Dan has extensive continuing education in manual therapy from the Michigan State University School of Osteopathic Medicine.
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DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for Educational Purposes Only and is not designed to diagnose, treat, mitigate, prevent or cure any health conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated statements about these health topics or any suggested product compositions. Answers to questions submitted are merely the opinion of the physical therapist and should not be taken as a prescribed course of action. Any advice given by the therapist must be cleared with the treating physician involved in direct patient care. The person posing the question absolves the responder of any liability in regards to opinions given. PhysioDC insists that all patients receive approval from a prescribing physician prior to starting a structured exercise program involving any of the exercises included on this site. PhysioDC.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com; proceeds from product sales help cover the operational & maintenance costs for the site.