Haworth has developed a very useful online library with research and recommendations for all types of office furniture. The Ergonomic Seating Guide is a particularly interesting document. It looks at the ergonomics of office seating in a lot of detail – including less common features like asymmetrical lumbar support and pelvic support. Of particular interest to employers purchasing large numbers of office chairs at one time is the summary of minimum standard features. These include:

• Adjustable lumbar support
• Height adjustable, padded armrests
• Synchronous recline (that moves the seat pan and seat back at the same time)
• Recline tension adjustment and locking
• Seat depth and height adjustment (2” and 5” respectively)

For conference rooms, Haworth suggests chairs that don’t have so much adjustment – more of a “one-size-fits-most” approach. This ensures that most users will be reasonably comfortable for at least a short time. To read all of Haworth’s recommendations, see the full handbook here.