5 Problems with cheap Office Chairs

5 Problems with Cheap Office Chairs

Ever heard of the saying buy cheaply, pay dearly? This saying is no different when it comes to buying an office chair. While the cheapest office chair on the market might seem appealing for your home office, or the large team in telesales, it could end up costing you a lot more. Here’s why:

5 problems with cheap office chairs:

[1] They lack support

Cheap office chairs only feature the most basic functions, such as seat height adjustment, and therefore severely lack support. Good quality office chairs will provide some or all of the below functions:

- Back and spinal support through a lumbar support pad and/or ergonomically shaped backrest or adjustable backrest.

- Arm and shoulder support through adjustable armrests that allow you to position your arms in the best ergonomic position.

- Swivel & tilt or Synchro mechanisms that allow you to recline backwards in your chair.

- Adjustable headrests for proper neck and head support.

- Other ergonomic features such as a sliding seat, backrest that twists etc.

Cheap office chairs lack these functions and therefore provide no support to its user. This can lead to poor posture, back and neck strain and pain, poor circulation and discomfort.

[2] They have short or no warranties

As these chairs are made from poor quality mechanisms and materials, they usually come with an extremely short warranty or none at all. This means that should any parts of the chair stop functioning, or break, you will have to purchase a completely new chair.

[3] They aren’t durable

The lack of a warranty also shows the manufacturers poor trust in their product. Due to the poor quality mechanisms and materials used in cheap office chairs, they usually have a short life-span and break, stop functioning, or wear and tear quickly. This means that you might have to replace your cheap office chair 3 or 4 times before you would have replaced a better quality one, making it the more expensive buy in the long run.

[4] They are made from poor seat cushioning

Cheaper office chairs are usually manufactured with cheap foam pads, which tend to flatten out after a short period of time, and then no longer provide adequate cushioning. These chairs can therefore quickly become uncomfortable to sit on. Poor quality seats also provide less support to its user. For example, better quality office chairs tend to have memory foam seats or innovative ergonomic seat padding. This leads to:

- Improved circulation

- Reduced back and neck strain

- Comfort

- Improved posture

A cheap office chair won’t provide these health benefits to its user.

[5] They are uncomfortable and lead to poor productivity

As cheap office chairs lack much needed support, and proper cushioning, they become extremely uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time. They can also lead to health issues such as back and neck strain or pain, and poorer circulation. Severe discomfort, together with these possible health issues, will then not only lead to a poorer quality of life, but also to bad job satisfaction and reduced productivity. And these come at a much greater cost.

Taking the above issues into consideration, it becomes clear that cheap office chairs can cost you a lot more over a longer period of time – financially and physically. It is therefore important to do proper research on a chair before your purchase and to consider a larger budget that will ensure your needs are met in the long run.