O Where O Where my plus-size chair...and why is it uncomfortable and broken already? Few things are more disruptive to your work life and productivity than using the wrong tools for the job. A craftsman performs better with an electric saw, as does a chef with a good sharp knife. But when it comes to spending 8‐10‐12 hours per day in an office chair, we find ourselves working in some of the most counter-intuitive ways imaginable. And while this ergonomic issue is important for everyone working in office chairs, it is particularly critical to people of size, who are often working in chairs inappropriate for their bodies, uncomfortable, and potentially dangerous.
The first thing to know when shopping for a plus-size chair is it’s not, ‘just a chair.’ Speaking as a healthcare professional, I have seen first-hand the transformation that comes when the right piece of equipment is added into a person’s daily care, and not just because there’s no more discomfort and the body is now positioned naturally and healthfully--but due to the reduction in body stress. Because stress is a stealthy assassin, it comes in the details. The arm digging into your side, the seat's edges pinching your thighs, and most importantly--the rigidity from holding your body as if you might fall, all add to the stress.
The right user interface in the office (your chair, your desk, the position of your monitor) should turn invisible when they are all in alignment. They should be doing everything they are supposed to do and nothing they are not. But how do you find an invisible chair?
The product choices available today are plentiful. Many companies have added plus‐sized products to their offerings, but only some of them address a need whereas others have merely identified an opportunity for profit. There are special considerations when it comes to the plus‐sized client and it takes more than merely making a ‘big chair’ to address a customer’s specific needs. No two bodies are ever the same. This holds regardless of the community to which, you belong. And so, in your search, look for a company that specializes in serving plus-size or disabled customers. Find someone who wants to talk to you about your chair, not the one they can sell you, but the one you need.
In a chair, there’s a basic set of VIP Figures we have to consider. Before we worry about the articulating headrest or the foldaway arms, or even the high‐end leather, we have to consider and address what takes the stresses off of our bodies. Let’s talk about those dimensions for a moment.
Armed with these three vital chair‐to‐body specifications, we have what we need to get into building the ‘invisible chair’. If you can’t get an exact match to your body’s needs in these, get as close as possible, and if you can’t get close, move on. Now let’s get a bit more advanced.
There are some other workday-enhancing items you can choose from, like lumbar, articulating headrests, coccyx cutouts, foam upgrades, and neck rolls/headrests. These are fun personal choices, and the need for these items varies by person.
Finally, there is one last piece to consider before you buy; the categories of the industry. Most people don’t know that there are different categories of chairs, no matter plus‐sized or not. And as you would guess, each category also falls into a general budget. The categories are:
These are the chairs you find in box stores. They usually cost between $300‐$600, offer very few customizations, and use extremely simple mechanisms, (and often, low-quality upholsteries.) These are intended for very light use for maximum product life, 4‐8 hours per day. These chairs usually have a 1‐year warranty and are typically imported in bulk. These are the chairs you roll out to the curb and buy another when they break.
Professional office plus-size chairs usually cost around $1-$1.5K, come with many options, and are usually made in the USA or Canada. Domestic manufacturing offers critical advantages including, shorter lead times, and the opportunity to customize. These chairs typically utilize professional upholsteries and are intended for a single-shift daily usage of 8‐12 hours. Professional office chairs usually come with a warranty of greater than five years and have good product support. More, these are ‘component chairs’, meaning if something breaks whether in or out of warranty, you can buy parts to keep them going and every part is available.
These chairs can be quite expensive, in a range of $1.5-$4K, but they are ‘chairs for life’. They have all the options and are designed for round‐the‐clock use, 24/7/365 days a year. They utilize high-end professional upholsteries and usually come with ten-year warranties or greater.
These chairs are usually specific to an industry, for example – Cleanroom Chairs are built in such a way that they can be utilized in a sterile environment; Teller/Drafting Stools are specific to elevated workstations, etc.
The plus-size chair industry has grown and matured over the past 25 years, and there are many quality choices for consumers. 'Fully functional' chairs, meaning they offer all of the options that quality standard-weight chairs offer, are readily available up to 500 lb capacity. But options dwindle as weight capacity increases. In part, this is due to some inherent design challenges to properly designing for larger bodies, like making use of tilt mechanisms. While they are abundantly featured in chairs with capacities of 550 lbs or lower, they are very difficult to make sturdy enough in chairs with higher weight capacities. Also, the very nature of a gas cylinder is that it will lose strength over time. It’s unavoidable, and finding gas cylinders with capacities above 550 lbs is difficult. There are product options that address high-capacity, tilt, and 550+ lb cylinders, but they are rarer.
Purchasing a plus‐sized chair is easy with just a few mouse clicks, but getting the RIGHT chair, the ‘invisible chair’ requires experience, knowledge, and care. Don’t just buy one online because it 'seems' right. Open a dialogue with the company and talk about your needs frankly and openly. If you take care and find a knowledgeable representative, you’ll get much closer to ensuring that your body and your mind are rid of the stressors of discomfort.
Looking to start your search for the perfect plus-size chair.