Cue the textbooks, book bags, and the isles of stationery items: it’s back to school season! While shopping for school supplies, don't forget to add an ergonomic chair to your checkout cart. A comfortable working chair can become your best friend during long study nights and finishing school assignments.  

Why Students Should Prioritize Comfort

Students of all ages are too familiar with back and shoulder strain. In a study on undergraduate students, 58% of them experienced some form of back pain. Researchers found that smoking and long hours sitting at the computer attributed the most to the backaches students underwent. 

While an ergonomic chair won’t be the miracle cure to your pain, it can certainly make a difference. Ergonomic chairs were designed to support your neck, shoulders, and back by helping you maintain correct posture and evenly distributing your weight while sitting. For students, this means that you can sit comfortably for hours while you study or listen to lectures. 

Benefits of an Ergonomic Chair for Students

• Prevent injuries

An ergonomic chair has all the features in place to help you practice correct posture. Good posture is more than just looking good and confident.

When you sit or stand with bad posture, you place more pressure and stress on the various tendons, muscles and joints running along your back. The overload on your muscles causes neck stiffness and back pain that many students experience.

It’s incredible how simply correcting your posture can prevent backaches and properly align your spine. As a bonus, this means fewer trips to your chiropractor. 

• More productivity

Back pain is not only uncomfortable, but it is also a distraction. Your mind will naturally concentrate on your discomfort. However, since ergonomic chairs help prevent back problems, you'll have more mental clarity to focus on your assignments and tasks. 

Greater focus means the more you can give your all and achieve that A. If you were interested, read our previous blog to learn more about how ergonomic chairs can maximize your productivity. 

Ergonomic Chair Features Students Should Look Into

Each ergonomic chair comes with different styles, features, perks - it gets overwhelming. That's why we've highlighted a few characteristics (along with our most loved ergonomic products) you should consider when shopping for a comfortable ergonomic chair.

 

• Neck and Head Support

Neck and head support prevent you from excessively tilting your head which can lead to strained muscles. Students who position their laptops far below or above eye level often experience this the most. Without proper neck support, this causes headaches and migraines.

Ideally, you want an ergonomic chair with an adjustable headrest, allowing you to tailor the positioning of the neck support to your body. Our ErgoDraft is one to consider. It comes with a 2D adjustable headrest - not only can you move it up and down, but it tilts accordingly to your head position. 

• Back Support

A differing factor between many ergonomic chairs is the type of back support provided. Some appear more intricate and technical, while others offer simple lumbar support. We recommend you choose an ergonomic chair that fits your needs and your daily lifestyle. 

A chair like the Palette Lumbar has manual adjustable back support to conform to your body type. Beyond this, the chair also supports a 135-degree recline, so your back is supported regardless of your positioning. 

Alternatively, the Ergo3D provides a different set of back support qualities. The Ergo3D has a 3-dimensional lumbar support system that aligns with your entire spine. The dynamic lumbar means that it responds to how much pressure you place on the back support as well. 

• Style

Beyond the technical aspects, style is arguably just as important. Finding an ergonomic chair that suits your aesthetic can elevate your room decor and make you more comfortable when doing schoolwork. 

Consider the colour, design and general appearance - can you visualize yourself sitting in the chair every day? Your choice in style comes down to your personal preference - there is no right or wrong in this case. 

• Comfortable Material

The fabric and material of an ergonomic chair play a large role in your comfort. Some material qualities you may want to consider are:

• Texture: Some ergonomic chairs are made from soft or rigid fabric. We recommend sitting on chairs with different materials, so you gain an understanding of what you prefer. 
• Breathability: If you hate the experience of sweating from sitting for long hours, you should purchase a chair with more airways. For example, we designed our ErgoTask with ElastoMesh to allow optimal airflow. 

Think about purchasing an ergonomic chair as an investment in yourself and your studies. Instead of worrying about the knots in your back from studying long hours, students can focus on coursework and things that matter. There's so much to gain and little to lose when investing in an ergonomic chair!