What is ergonomic office furniture?

Today I would like to demystify the subject of ergonomics. We often get this question, so the start of the new year is a good opportunity to get to the bottom of the matter.

Misunderstood, or perceived as technical jargon used only by specialists, it is important to grasp its meaning before undertaking research on the subject or before buying new ergonomic office furniture. What is ergonomic office furniture?

Adaptable, adjustable, versatile, flexible, mobile, easy to use... these are all synonyms used to talk about the ergonomics of a piece of furniture, a chair or an office accessory.

In general, office ergonomics aims to create a harmonious relationship between humans and their tools.

The easier a piece of furniture is to use, the more we can say it is ergonomic

The easier a piece of furniture is to use, the more we can say it is ergonomic. However, it is not always so simple when it comes to office furniture or office chairs. Office furniture may well be ergonomic for one person and not at all for another.

This is why manufacturers of office furniture design new ergonomic products with a maximum of adjustment possibilities. The objective is to make the furniture usable by the largest possible number of people.

The design of ergonomic furniture is based on the following three elements:

• Who is the target user? What are the person's physical characteristics, and those of the position they occupy. This may include age, experience, weight, size, strength, and cognitive and sensory skills (such as vision, hearing, etc.), or any other characteristic likely to influence the design of office furniture.
  
  
• What is the primary purpose of this furniture? In other words, how will it be used? Does it protect its user against harm, while accomplishing the purpose for which it was designed?
  
  
• What is the working environment in which the office furniture will be used? Factors to consider are spatial organization, the size of the workspace, the number of people working in the same space, lighting, air quality, etc.

Browse our ergonomic accessories  Browse our ergonomic chairs
 

Is the role of ergonomics a little more clear now? If not, let us know your thoughts now!