lide about very easily. Also, they can shine your clothing like well polished shoes, so expect to replace you outfits more frequently.

And you definitely want to avoid cheap leather, only go for top quality like hide leather.

6. The specification says it's ergonomic so it must be a quality chair.
By and of itself the term ergonomic when describing a chair really means nothing at all. If you asked five people to define the term ergonomic chair you'd likely get widely differing answers. Guess what, chair manufacturers will exp

When you go to buy a new office chair it's important that you don't fall into some common traps and end up picking the wrong product, chairs aren't cheap and you may have to suffer your error for some time.

In this article I want to consider the ten most frequent mistakes I see people make in office seat selection and how you can avoid them. They aren't in any particular order, each one matters so judge each on its merits and how it may apply to you.

1. Big chairs are cool.
Actually big chairs are only cool if they fit you and your shape. Yes it's nice to look important and what better way than a big chair? If the chair isn't a good fit for you, you will come to regret buying it. Lesson one then - don't buy a big chair unless it fits you.

2. One piece shell chairs are great.
One piece shell what's that? These are chairs where the seat and back are made in a single piece. They might look great but they just aren't that great for your posture. So avoid those great armchairs on wheels that you might be tempted to buy, they just aren't flexible enough.

3. A cheap chair is all you need, why waste money I'll just buy a $50 chair from an online auction it'll be fine.
If you are only going to sit in it ten minutes a day I might agree. But if you spend any length of time in your office seat, you must look further than the cheapest chair you can find. Really cheap chairs lack the adjustments you need for true comfort and may well harm you in the longer term.

4. Why should I waste money on adjustable arms, fixed arms are fine. You might just strike lucky and find that fixed armed arms are set correctly for your needs, but it's not very likely. So, go for a chair where you can set the arms up to your personal needs. However, if you prefer no arms, that's OK as long as your support your arms on your desk top.

5. Leather chairs are the business.
Leather chairs are frequently seen as the ultimate choice of office chair and there's no denying that they can look really good. However, they do have some key disadvantages. For a start they can be difficult to sit in as the smooth surface tends to make you slide about very easily. Also, they can shine your clothing like well polished shoes, so expect to replace you outfits more frequently.

And you definitely want to avoid cheap leather, only go for top quality like hide leather.

6. The specification says it's ergonomic so it must be a quality chair.
By and of itself the term ergonomic when describing a chair really means nothing at all. If you asked five people to define the term ergonomic chair you'd likely get widely differing answers. Guess what, chair manufacturers will exp

nd your shape. Yes it's nice to look important and what better way than a big chair? If the chair isn't a good fit for you, you will come to regret buying it. Lesson one then - don't buy a big chair unless it fits you.

2. One piece shell chairs are great.
One piece shell what's that? These are chairs where the seat and back are made in a single piece. They might look great but they just aren't that great for your posture. So avoid those great armchairs on wheels that you might be tempted to buy, they just aren't flexible enough.

3. A cheap chair is all you need, why waste money I'll just buy a $50 chair from an online auction it'll be fine.
If you are only going to sit in it ten minutes a day I might agree. But if you spend any length of time in your office seat, you must look further than the cheapest chair you can find. Really cheap chairs lack the adjustments you need for true comfort and may well harm you in the longer term.

4. Why should I waste money on adjustable arms, fixed arms are fine. You might just strike lucky and find that fixed armed arms are set correctly for your needs, but it's not very likely. So, go for a chair where you can set the arms up to your personal needs. However, if you prefer no arms, that's OK as long as your support your arms on your desk top.

5. Leather chairs are the business.
Leather chairs are frequently seen as the ultimate choice of office chair and there's no denying that they can look really good. However, they do have some key disadvantages. For a start they can be difficult to sit in as the smooth surface tends to make you slide about very easily. Also, they can shine your clothing like well polished shoes, so expect to replace you outfits more frequently.

And you definitely want to avoid cheap leather, only go for top quality like hide leather.

6. The specification says it's ergonomic so it must be a quality chair.
By and of itself the term ergonomic when describing a chair really means nothing at all. If you asked five people to define the term ergonomic chair you'd likely get widely differing answers. Guess what, chair manufacturers will exp

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3. A cheap chair is all you need, why waste money I'll just buy a $50 chair from an online auction it'll be fine.
If you are only going to sit in it ten minutes a day I might agree. But if you spend any length of time in your office seat, you must look further than the cheapest chair you can find. Really cheap chairs lack the adjustments you need for true comfort and may well harm you in the longer term.

4. Why should I waste money on adjustable arms, fixed arms are fine. You might just strike lucky and find that fixed armed arms are set correctly for your needs, but it's not very likely. So, go for a chair where you can set the arms up to your personal needs. However, if you prefer no arms, that's OK as long as your support your arms on your desk top.

5. Leather chairs are the business.
Leather chairs are frequently seen as the ultimate choice of office chair and there's no denying that they can look really good. However, they do have some key disadvantages. For a start they can be difficult to sit in as the smooth surface tends to make you slide about very easily. Also, they can shine your clothing like well polished shoes, so expect to replace you outfits more frequently.

And you definitely want to avoid cheap leather, only go for top quality like hide leather.

6. The specification says it's ergonomic so it must be a quality chair.
By and of itself the term ergonomic when describing a chair really means nothing at all. If you asked five people to define the term ergonomic chair you'd likely get widely differing answers. Guess what, chair manufacturers will exp

d armed arms are set correctly for your needs, but it's not very likely. So, go for a chair where you can set the arms up to your personal needs. However, if you prefer no arms, that's OK as long as your support your arms on your desk top.

5. Leather chairs are the business.
Leather chairs are frequently seen as the ultimate choice of office chair and there's no denying that they can look really good. However, they do have some key disadvantages. For a start they can be difficult to sit in as the smooth surface tends to make you slide about very easily. Also, they can shine your clothing like well polished shoes, so expect to replace you outfits more frequently.

And you definitely want to avoid cheap leather, only go for top quality like hide leather.

6. The specification says it's ergonomic so it must be a quality chair.
By and of itself the term ergonomic when describing a chair really means nothing at all. If you asked five people to define the term ergonomic chair you'd likely get widely differing answers. Guess what, chair manufacturers will exp

lide about very easily. Also, they can shine your clothing like well polished shoes, so expect to replace you outfits more frequently.

And you definitely want to avoid cheap leather, only go for top quality like hide leather.

6. The specification says it's ergonomic so it must be a quality chair.
By and of itself the term ergonomic when describing a chair really means nothing at all. If you asked five people to define the term ergonomic chair you'd likely get widely differing answers. Guess what, chair manufacturers will exploit this for all it's worth, so buy your chair on its features and functions not what it says on the label.

7. Big lumbar supports are great.
I'm afraid that large exaggerated lumbar supports are rarely a good thing on an office seat and frequently a bad thing. Some manufacturers like to include deeply molded foams to try and convince unwitting buyers that they are important, when all that is needed is light shaping or molding on the chair's back.

8. A high back chair is really important.
Well no, actually a high back on a chair is relatively unimportant, what really matters is that the back supports your lower back area properly. You will find that if it does then it somehow set your back posture up pretty effectively. So, concentrate on how the chair back supports your lower back rather than its overall size.

9. An adjustable back doesn't matter that much.
If you want to be properly and comfortably supported by your office chair then you'll definitely want to choose a chair where the back can be adjusted for both height and angle, otherwise you won't be comfortable for any length of time sitting in it.

10. Inflatable lumbar supports must be essential.
Well, if you don't have any limit on your budget you may be able to justify buying a chair with inflatable lumbar adjustment. But, in reality this feature just isn't necessary a properly designed chair back will be just as effective if you adjust it correctly.

So, there you have my list of the ten most easily made mistakes you can make when buying a new office chair. Use this checklist as a double check when buying a new chair and you won't go far wrong.