How To Adjust A Home Office Chair

Nearly 8% of all adult Americans have problems with their back, neck and shoulders. Much of this may be due to the use of poorly adjusted office chairs.

The good news is that you don’t have to join them. 

Once you know how to adjust a home office chair, you can do it quickly whenever you need to and never risk injury again and here’s how.


The Six Steps To Adjusting A Home Office Chair Safely And Comfortably

Please note: a good home office chair will allow for you to carry out all of the following adjustments. 

However, if your chair doesn’t allow for all of these adjustments, it may still be fine to use, if you can stay comfortable in it all day long without pain (see how home office chairs cause back pain for an example). 


Adjusting The Height

Adjusting The Height

This is the most important aspect of getting a chair set correctly for your body, if your chair can’t be adjusted for height, you should strongly consider buying a new one (see the list of the best sustainable home office chairs for ideas). 

You can’t achieve good posture and take care of your body without this. 

To adjust it – find the lever on the right hand side (often marked with up and down arrows) and then alter the height of the chair so that your elbows can rest comfortably on your desk. 


Check Your Feet Are Flat On The Floor (If Not Buy A Footrest)

Your feet should be flat on the floor. To check this, sit right back in your seat and make sure that they are. 

If not, you could be doing damage to your upper back. The good news is that you don’t need a new chair to resolve this issue as you can simply buy a footrest online. 

You can buy a footrest here


Adjusting The Angle Of The Chair

Adjusting The Angle Of The Chair

You should adjust the angle of the chair as necessary throughout the day (if you can adjust it). You will find a lever on the right toward the back of the chair, if you can. 

When the seat is horizontal or sloping slightly backwards, it can be very comfortable but it can also move you away from the desk you’re working on.

When it’s tilting forward, it places less pressure on the thigh and helps you to set with better posture. 


Adjusting The Angle Of The Backrest

The backrest lever is usually on the right and has backwards and forwards arrows on it. 

When you’re working at your desk, it’s best to keep the back upright to give you solid posture.

But when you’re on calls or in meetings? Tilt it back, it’s more comfortable and it’s good to change things up for your back every now and again. 


Adjusting The Height Of The Backrest

Adjusting The Height Of The Backrest

You may also be able to adjust the height of the backrest either by using a knob or dial on the base of the back of the chair or by simply pulling it up and pushing it down. 

If you can, then bring the most cushioned part of the backrest in line with the small of your back. 


Adjusting The Height Of The Armrests 

If your armrests won’t adjust, it’s not the end of the world, but if they can, you should place them so that they fit under your desk while you work. 

This allows you to get close to the keyboard and keep solid posture while you work.


Final Thoughts

So, there you go, it’s not hard to adjust your home office chair and it’s very much worth doing if you don’t want to discover that your home office chair is killing you at some point down the road.

Why not take just 5 minutes, right now, to adjust your chair to your body? Then make a point of doing it on a regular basis.  

If your office chair isn’t moving properly, you may also want to clean the wheels, we’ve got a great guide on how to clean the wheels on your home office chair here.