7 Office Chair Buying Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Did you know that you could increase your employee’s productivity by 17.5% if you buy the right office chairs? 

It’s a statistic that often surprises people, but as an office manager, it can prove to be useful. It puts a lot more pressure on you to find the right office furniture. 

There are many office chair-buying mistakes that you can make. However, we’ve put together this guide so you can avoid them. Keep reading so you don’t have to stress about choosing the wrong office chairs.

1. Buying Without a Plan

As a business owner, it's vital that you don't make decisions without having a plan. Before making your decision, take the time to evaluate your needs. You may be surprised to learn that there are many factors that you need to consider before purchasing office chairs. 

During your initial planning period, be sure to consider your budget. While you don't want to make your entire decision based on price, it's a mistake not to think about it. 

You don't want to put yourself in too much debt over office furniture. It can be easy to do if you don't have a budget in place.

Staying within your price range will mean less stress for you in the future. You don't want to be in a bad financial situation later on because you overspend on chairs.  

You should also consider your company's potential growth. Will you be expanding in a year or two? Will you be moving to a new building?

These are questions you must ask yourself before you place the office chair order.  

2. Ignoring Upholstery

When you’re looking at options for office chairs, don’t forget to consider upholstery. While it should look good, it should also be comfortable. Some materials also last longer and are easier to maintain. You'll want to choose a material that is durable.

Chairs are going to be one of the most used pieces of furniture in your office. You don't want them to need to be reholstered every six months. Leather, vinyl, and polyester are three of the most common materials for office chairs, take your time weighing the pros and cons of each.

Fabric chairs, like polyester, typically come in more colors and patterns. However, they tend to be more difficult to keep clean. 

While leather and vinyl are easier to clean if there's a spill, there aren't as many options to choose from. Color may not be a big deal for you, but it's something to consider. 

3. Not Paying Attention to Chair Size 

Oftentimes, office chair features include height adjustments. This can prove to be beneficial, as your employees are not the same height. 

The standard office chair will fit more than half the population, but you'll need to have options for those employees who are plus size, taller than the average person, or petite. It can be easy to forget that not everyone is the same size, but as a business manager, you are responsible for making sure everyone is properly accommodated. 

When considering chair size, you'll also need to pay attention to the back height. Whether you choose mid-back or high-back will be dependent on how tall your employees are. In order to accommodate everyone, consider ordering some of both.  

4. Choosing Non-rolling Chairs 

It may seem obvious, but choosing chairs without casters for your office is a big mistake. It will lower employees' productivity more than you think. 

Your staff will likely need to move around their cubical to get documents and if their chairs don’t move, it will make moving around their workspace much more difficult. Don’t make the mistake of ordering fixed office chairs for your staff.

If you’re purchasing office chairs for your lobby or clients to use, you may not need roller chairs. This is why planning ahead of time is so important. There are so many factors to consider and they can be easily forgotten.

Buyers often forget about their flooring when they are looking at office chair options. If you have tile, laminate, or wood floors in your building, you'll want to get chairs with soft casters. Hardcasters are going to be a better option for offices with carpets.  

5. Failing to Consider Headrests 

Another of the more common office chair-buying mistakes is not thinking about all their employees and their future employees' needs. Taller individuals may need headrests.

Others may need one to help stabilize their necks if they have any prior injuries or medical conditions. It could cause issues if you don't have chairs with adjustable headrests. 

6. Forgetting About Lumbar Support 

Office chair adjustments are critical, and adjustable lumbar support is just one of the many features that buyers tend to forget about.

Your employees sit for hours every week. Having an adjustable lumbar helps ensure proper posture for everyone no matter their weight or height, which leads to less pain and discomfort. 

7. Not Considering Armrests

Have you thought about which armrests you're going to choose? If not, don't worry, it's often a feature that is often forgotten.  

There are several different options to choose from starting with fixed arms, no arms, and adjustable arms. With a large staff, adjustable arms may be the way to go. 

Your taller employees will be able to raise them high enough for their comfort and if someone doesn't like them at all, they can be removed. 

Office Chair-Buying Mistakes

We know choosing the right office furniture can be stressful and overwhelming. There’s a lot of pressure and it’s easy to make the wrong decision. However, now that you know what office chair-buying mistakes to avoid, you can move forward with your purchase. 

Take this guide with you as you continue your search for the perfect office chairs. Don’t put off the decision any longer. We have an array of office chairs to choose from, so start shopping here.