We all have a question in our hearts about the armrests of office chairs: are the armrests of office chairs really useful? Is there a need for existence? When working, we often place our entire arms on the table and rarely use armrests. The armrests are just decorations, which is the voice of most people. In this issue, the editor combines Steelcase's research on ergonomics to explain the correct opening method of office chair armrests.
The Evolution of Office Chair Armrests:
In the 1980s, when personal computers were first equipped in the office, the armrests were just accessories of the CEO's chair, with simple and non adjustable settings.
By the late 1980s, with the increasing demand for computer work, the design of office chairs had undergone changes. In order to promote longer sitting time, the upper and lower armrests were adjustable, designed to closely match the relaxation height of the human elbow during sitting. The calculated height adjustment range of 7-11 inches is still applicable to the needs of most office employees today.
In the 1990s, advanced ergonomic seats added armrests with adjustable width and angle. Width adjustment ensures support for both arms close to the body, while angle adjustment ensures further support for a range of arm postures. In addition to the height adjustment function, these functions, especially the function of moving the armrest support inward close to the edge of the seat, are more crucial because regardless of the user's body shape, it can provide natural support for both arms from the arm to the shoulder and from the wrist to the elbow.
In the past decade, some office chairs have also added depth adjustment features to their armrests. This is because flat computer monitors have replaced traditional thick displays. In order to free up more valuable desktop space, users can push the monitor to the deepest part of the desktop. However, it has also caused collisions between the front end of the armrests and the desktop or computer keyboard brackets, which not only affects the appropriate viewing screen distance, but also leads to awkward sitting posture, Bending forward or leaning forward can cause discomfort to the neck and shoulders. The front and rear sliding armrests can ensure that many users are closer to their work and help them maintain a healthier posture.
New Discoveries in Armrest Design
Steelcase's ergonomic researchers conducted a systematic analysis of the sitting posture of 2000 employees from 11 countries on six continents. Building on other trends, researchers have discovered that new and smaller touch screen based devices, such as smartphones and tablets, are changing the sitting posture of the human body and the way employees handle work. This study fully demonstrates that the diversity of postures adopted by employees today far exceeds the range that existing seat armrest designs can accommodate.
Providing an appropriate armrest height and increasing the width adjustment range can provide corresponding support for people using mobile phones and tablets, move the device to the appropriate line of sight level, and avoid head and neck bending. In addition to providing a wider range of adjustments, ease of use is also an important consideration for office chair armrests.
