Sizing Up the Right Petite Chair for Smaller Users Just as with those individuals who are taller or heavier than the average body, petite people have a difficult time finding a chair that fits properly. Most chairs, even when adjustable, are designed to fit the 5th – 95th percentile. A 5’2″ female is technically right at the 5th percentile, but will still find that most chairs are really not scaled properly. An improperly sized chair can present genuine health risks. A seat that is too deep can create circulatory problems for the lower legs. A properly fitting seat has two to four fingers’ width of space between the front of the seat edge and the back of the knee. Too high a seat can also cut off circulation to the lower extremities; however if seat height is the only fit problem, a foot rest is a quick and inexpensive fix. Many chairs have a seated height that starts anywhere from 16″ to 19″ or more. Given that the correct seated height for a 5’ tall person is 14″ and only 15.5″ at 5’4″, too high a seat is a common problem.
Arms that are too far apart limit support for the shoulders and arms. Proper support of the arms is part of the solution to prevent hand, arm, thoracic, and neck problems, so improperly placed chairs arms can rule out an otherwise great chair. In addition to these fit issues, the lumbar may hit in the wrong place and the headrest miss the head if the chair back cannot be adjusted to fit the smaller person. Note to heavier people: a heavier, short person might not need as shallow or narrow a seat as their hips will require a larger space to fit comfortably and may be perfectly suited for a standard sized chair, provided it is equipped with a shorter cylinder to offer a lower seated height range. Great chair options for petite ladies Three chairs we’ve found that fit an amazing range of bodies are the Steelcase Amia chair, Steelcase Leap chair, and the Steelcase Think chair. In addition to having a generous seat depth range, these seats are narrower than many, and the standard arms can be slid inward, close to the body.
These chairs are especially well suited for corporate environments where one chair may have to fit many users over its lifetime. Neutral Posture, Bodybilt, Ergocentric and Via all offer chairs with the option of a small or even extra small seat. Seating Inc. has several models that offer a petite version that is scaled to fit a smaller body. Thus it is possible to offer an entire office a uniform appearance while fitting different body sizes. All of these companies offer arm options as well, that at a minimum are width adjustable. Some models have arms that will pivot inward or offer a double pivot, allowing the user to bring them closer to the body. Some of our favorites In addition to the Steelcase chairs named above, The Ergocentric GeoCentric chair is comfortable, well built and an excellent value. The Neutral Posture XSM Petite chair is designed for the ultra-petite, under 5’ tall person and can work well even for an extremely petite person – as short as three feet tall.
I’m 5’1″ and bought a Neutral Posture NPS8500 chair for my personal use (without the headrest) and absolutely love it. A great home office chair at a budget price is the ErgoCentric Saffron Apt chair, which starts just above the $200 mark. The Bodybilt J2406 chair or Bodybilt J3406 chair are the ultimate in comfort and are highly customizable, making them the best choice for those with serious pain issues. All of these can be customized into a drafting stool with height adjustable foot rings for leg support to accommodate a taller desk or a sit to stand workstation. In summary, just as with any other body size, getting a chair that fits the body correctly is the key factor to all day comfort and injury prevention. While it is more challenging for the petite person to find a good chair, there are excellent options out there. Ergonomic Chairs for Petite People Your Complete Guide to Ergonomic ChairsHome > Home > Sit down and relax in our favorite office chairs Anyone who works a typical 9-to-5 job knows that sitting is the bane of their existence.
Our backs and overall body structure aren’t made to withstand hours sitting at a desk, but work often demands just that. Opting for the proper office chair, one designed to cradle you as you work and provide you with the ample comfort, is a practical and well-advised solution. More: Don’t just sit there, check out the best standing desks you can buy The best chairs go beyond what you’d expect. Many offer resounding ergonomic benefits, breathable mesh backing, and excellent lumbar support, while simultaneously granting you a swath of customization options spanning everything from colors to contours. None of them are going to be a cure-all for your workday woes — at least, not in the way a standing desk might be — but customized suspension and the appropriate aesthetics go far in the long haul. The Best: Herman Miller Embody So, what is it about the Embody we hold so revered? It’s a fair question, sure, especially considering the Embody’s lofty price tag and accompanying shipping costs.
Well, for starters, the chair offers a dynamic matrix of “pixels” that allow the seat and back to automatically conform to your body’s every movement, while the chair’s central spine and flexible ribs work to maintain proper posture regardless if you lean forward or recline. Said movement capabilities help promote better blood and oxygen flow, and if that wasn’t enough, the advanced tilt mechanism helps combat unwanted hip, neck, and lumbar strain. The chair even sizes to fit your body perfectly, comes in a swath of colors, and features a skin-like covering for increased airflow. Buy one now from: DXRacer Formula Series DOH/FH08/NW ItalModern Bungie High Back Office Chair Office Star Air GridHumans were not built for sitting hunched in front of a computer screen for hours. And that is something we are spending more and more time doing - when we are not sitting in a car or slumped in front of the telly. Back pain affects 60 per cent of adults and costs British industry an estimated £5 billion a year.
If you are self-employed and using a computer at home, posture-related pain is a real threat - to your well-being and to your income. It could pay dividends to give your work station a revamp and invest in a good office chair. When it comes to choosing a chair the key word is adjustability. 'Ergonomics depend on the size of the operator,' says Tim Hutchful of the British Chiropractic Association. 'The chair needs to fit your body shape.' So look for a chair that is as adjustable as possible. Seat height and back recline are not enough. Look for a seat that tilts and slides backwards and forwards to take into account the length of your legs. Lumbar (lower back) support can cause more harm than good if it is in the wrong place for your body size, so a height-adjustable backrest is ideal. You should be able to fix arm rests to support your forearms at desk height, too. If your budget will run to it, a chair with a free-float mechanism, allowing you to move around while seated, is a fine thing.
Don't choose an 'executive' leather chair. With the seat slanted you could slip forwards. Advance Seating Designs makes fully adjustable Opera chairs to fit most body sizes. If it hasn't got one to fit you, it will make one. The Opera 20 range (from £373) has a free-float 'rocking' mechanism. Look out for discounted ex-display and end-of-line chairs. For an extra £22.50 it will deliver the chair, set it up and teach you how to drive it. The best office chair on a limited budget is from Ikea. The Verksam swivel chair adjusts and costs just £155. There are a lot of inexpensive things you can do to make your work station back-friendly. If you are working on a laptop at home, Hutchful recommends investing in an extra keyboard to plug in and propping it up on telephone directories. Hand towels can be folded to create a seat wedge and a lumbar support such as the Rest-a-Back (£26.74) from BackChairs Direct can be fixed to your non-ergonomic chair back. 'Populations who squat rather than sitting on chairs don't suffer from back pain.
I blame the Pharaohs for starting to sit on thrones,' says Michael Arding, designer of the 'pelvic posture' chair. 'Even in a chair with lumbar support the pelvis automatically rolls back causing a sharp bend in the lower part of the spine which leads to lower back pain.' Rather than lumbar support, the base of the backrest on the Task pelvic posture chair from Pledge (from £347) supports the iliac crests at the back of the pelvis, thus maintaining the spine's natural curve. Adrian Preston, managing director of Want Don't Want discovered the pelvic posture chair following severe lower back problems eight years ago. He swears by it. 'Now I feel as good at the end of the day as I did at the beginning,' he says. The main thing to remember is that our muscles and joints were not made for keeping still, so get up and move around at least every 20 minutes. Advance Seating Designs www.asd.co.uk 020 8578 4308BackChairs Direct www.backchairs-direct.co.uk 01732 459190; British Chiropractic Association www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk 0118 950 5950