Photo A.J. Heightman

Editor’s note: Originally published in July 2008, the following article contains timeless tips regarding intensive-use chair selection for comm centers.We thought it was worth revisiting.

Almost all of the office chair manufacturers offer a 24/7, multi-shift chair in their product lineups, but in this article, we’ll be referring to a 24/7, intensive-use chair. What’s the difference?

A 24/7, intensive-use chair is built to withstand the rigors of testing under the GSA FNEW-83-269E Intensive Use Ergonomic Furniture testing guidelines. These testing guidelines are anywhere from 10 to 100 times more difficult to pass than the ANSI/BIFMA testing standards.

Specific considerations: You want a chair with:

• Casters no smaller in diameter than 60 mm: Consider the surface material on your floor. You want a hard caster for chairs on carpeted areas and a soft caster for chairs on hard tile or concrete floors.
• A base that has at least five legs: More legs will add stability and strength to the chair. A larger diameter (27–29″) will add even more stability than a 25″ diameter base.
• Heavy-duty, height-adjustable cylinders: For the range of heights, more than 95% of the U.S. population will use a 17″ to 21″ range of height adjustments. Can the vendor supply a cylinder that will give you a lower starting height or a cylinder that will go higher? If only we were all built according to specs, one product would fit everybody. (Note: DIN Class 4551-4 rating is a good heavy-duty rating.)
• A tilt mechanism that will your lock seat in the upright position or allow it to recline. This will take pressure off of the spine particularly in the lumbar region. If you have large staff members (more than 250 lbs.), then the tilt mechanism can take quite a beating. It should allow some tension control.
• Arm rests that adjust up and down to fit the varied sizes of the users.

You should also consider the following features:

• Seat pan: Ideally, there will be a two-finger width distance between the back of the user’s leg (when seated) and the front edge of the chair. This will allow the user’s legs to have normal circulation and won’t put pressure on the nerves in the back of the legs. Also, a waterfall front, a front edge that is sloping down, is helpful. Some manufacturers use other materials that won’t interfere with blood circulation and nerve activities.
• Seat back: To support the lumbar area, a curve or a mechanical lumbar support should be built into the seat back. An air bladder system is another method that supports the lumbar area. This system pumps air into a bladder that fills and supports the lumbar area.
• Thoracic area (upper back): A chair that gets narrower at the top can’t give the support needed, especially if you have staff with large upper bodies.

If you’re buying a chair to be used only six to eight hours a day, the newest craze of mesh seats may be a good choice. If you’re going to use that chair 24/7, you want a covering that has been tested to a minimum of 1 million double rubs on the Wyzenback Abrasion Resistance test. Also, leather will add a richness and luster to the environment and be easier to clean.

Read the warranty. Creative writing has no place in a warranty. In some states, the courts have guidelines in the truth in sentencing guidelines that the judges are to follow and “LIFE means Life!” If a manufacturer says “lifetime” shouldn’t it mean” lifetime” without the buyer having to read the small print?

Lastly, ask your chair vendor to bring a chair to you and let you try it for a few days, because then you’ll have first-hand knowledge of how it works and feels. This will help you make the right buying decision.

Contributed by Concept Seating Inc.
Adapted with permission from an article published in Concept Seating Inc.’s corporate newsletter.

Originally published in Public Safety Communications magazine, Vol. 74(07):48-50, July 2008.