What is an ergonomic chair?
An ergonomic chair places the human body in positions to reduce injury from sitting. While this is a simple definition, design viewpoints for proper ergonomics vary widely. Ultimately, whether an ergonomic chair is basic or complex in design, an ergonomic chair is one which fits the individual.
Ergonomic Sitting:
It is important to understand ergonomic sitting, before discussing ergonomic seating. The following links provide useful information, but it is important to recognize that there are different views on ergonomic means. The objective of this guide is to provide you with information for your research, rather than tell you what is right or wrong for you.
OSHA
This information is geared towards users of computer workstations, and focuses primarily on task chairs.
Seacoastonline.com
This is a good, short article hitting some high points of office ergonomics.
Cornell University Ergonomics Web
CUErgo presents information from research studies and class work by students and faculty in the Cornell Human Factors and Ergonomics Research Group. Links to articles, research and guides in virtually any aspect of ergonomics.
Allsteel's ergonomic philosophy is to put adjustment control in the hands of the user, as opposed to Humanscale's philosophy of engineering away the need for adjustment.
Humanscale
Humanscale’s philosophy is that people often don’t use or understand the adjustment capabilities on many ergonomic chairs. Some people really like the results of sophisticated engineering in Humanscale chairs that eliminates multiple adjustment levers, while others prefer the control offered by other ergonomic chair manufacturers.