An office chair is a type of furniture that is designed to help employees sit in a single location for extended periods of time. Many office chairs can swivel, and this will allow the workers to reach different places without having to get up. The seat of these chairs will conform to the shape of those who sit in it, and they will often have armrests and backing to support the spines of those who sit in them. The goal of an office chair was to make the worker feel comfortable so that they could concentrate on performing various tasks. Because of the environment, the chairs that were used by executives differed from the employees.

Traditionally, office chairs that were designed for executives did not have the ability to swivel, and this showed that the executive had no need to move into multiple places, and could reside in a single position. Over time, the executive office chair became large, and many of them also featured closed arms, and are made with luxurious materials. Most executives today have office chairs that are large and elaborate. While office chairs were first designed in the 19th century, it wasn't until the 1970s when ergonomics was used in their design.

Because those sitting in chairs for extended periods of time would experience back pain, an emphasis was placed on designing chairs that would be as comfortable as possible, and would prevent those sitting in them from getting stress injuries. This led to office chairs that were adjustable in many ways. A person of a different height or size could adjust the chair in a way that fits them. The best contemporary office chairs can be adjusted to fit a person of virtually any size. Despite this, sitting down in any chair for extended periods of time will bring stress to the back. Even those who sit in the best chairs will want to get up and move around once every 30 minutes.

People who spend lots of time sitting in an office will want to make sure they purchase the correct chair. While being cheap with other forms of office furniture is generally not a problem, you should want to invest money in a good chair that will bring comfort to your back. Using office chairs which are ergonomic can help you avoid back problems. The best office chairs are those which offer support to your lower back. There are hundreds of office chairs available on the market, and no one chair is considered to be the best, even if it is the most expensive. In addition to back support, a good office chair should have an excellent amount of depth. The standard depth for office chairs is a maximum of 20 inches.

The height of the seat is also important. For most people a height about 16 to 20 inches is usually sufficient. This is a height which should allow you to rest both of your feet flat on the floor. It is also important for office chairs to support your lower back, because chairs that don't support the lower backs of those who site in them will cause them to slouch, and this will add even more stress to their lower backs.