There are health concerns related to a sedentary lifestyle, including repetitive stress injury (RSI), back and neck pain, and other injuries that are now widely recognised consequences of office work. All these can affect one’s quality of life and make performing even simple daily activities difficult.
Today, there are different ergonomic office furniture and various types of chairs designed to help alleviate the aches and pains associated with prolonged sitting and computer use. Among the different types of chairs, reclining office chairs, in particular, are meant to help prevent some of the negative health consequences of sitting all day at work.
But what makes reclining desk chairs so special?
Here, we’ll talk about reclining computer chairs, including the benefits they offer, factors to consider when shopping for one and a list of great reclining office chairs by Arteil.
Benefits of a Reclining Office Chair
The impressive benefits of a recliner chair include the following:
- It keeps you comfortable. Making adjustments to the angle of the backrest and other similar modifications in a reclining office chair can make it more comfortable. Also, changing positions gives your joints and muscles a break from being in the same position all day.
- It helps you maintain good posture. Recliner chairs are designed to be comfortable and supportive. Certain adjustable features – such as the backrest, armrest, chair height and lumbar support – all work to ensure your back and arms are properly supported. All you need to do is to find the right adjustments that suit you.
- It can reduce the risk of neck pain. Reclining office chairs usually feature a high back, with some even including a headrest. Both these features can substantially decrease your risk of developing neck problems because of the support they provide.
- It can prevent back pain. Lower back pain is sometimes viewed as a natural consequence of desk work. However, it should still be remedied as back pain can lead to other health problems. And with a good-quality reclining desk chair with a backrest that follows the natural curvature of your spine and provides adequate support, you can avoid developing chronic back pain.
- It reduces pressure on the hips. Your hips usually bear the brunt of prolonged sitting, as they prop up the spine and carry your upper body weight when you are seated. Good thing recliner chairs have padded seats that add some degree of comfort and help to reduce stress on the hips.
How to Choose the Best Reclining Office Chair
To reap the benefits offered by reclining office chairs, you need to take into account certain factors because not all reclining desk chairs are created equal.
So, when you shop around for a reclining computer chair, be on the lookout for the following features:
- Ergonomics: Sitting for long hours is stressful for the body, so make sure you choose a chair that’s well-adapted to your body shape.
- Adjustable features: In general, the more adjustments a reclining office chair offers, the better for you. These adjustable features include the backrest angle, seat height and armrest. You may also opt for one that swivels if you usually find yourself reaching for files or documents in the course of your workday.
- Lumbar support: Optimum lumbar support is crucial to prevent back pain. If you can, find a chair that has adjustable lumbar support, too.
- Padding and cushioning: Since you’ll be spending several hours in a day sitting at work, make sure you find a reclining desk chair with comfortable seating and cushions or padding for the back and arms.
8 Best Office Recliner Chairs in Australia
Arteil is well known for high-quality office chairs. But if you’re looking for the best office recliner chairs, here are eight that make the cut:
Best Ergonomic Recliner Chair
The best reclining office chair for you should mould to the shape of your body and not the other way around.
Synchro Mesh Executive
The Synchro Mesh Executive is an ergonomic reclining office chair that can accommodate as much as 136 kilograms. It’s also one of the most highly recommended ergonomic recliners for home offices within its range.
It features a ratchet height-adjustable mesh backrest that’ll keep you cool during summer. It also has height-adjustable lumbar support, sliding seat and synchro-tilt with four locking positions. It can also be fitted with an optional adjustable headrest and height-adjustable arms.
We offer delivery of the Synchro Mesh Executive to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, ACT, Darwin, Hobart, and Perth.
Best Leather Reclining Office Chair
Leather reclining office chairs have a premium feel and are highly durable.
Regal Executive High Back Office Chair
The luxurious Regal Executive High Back Office Chair is ideal for executive and board room use. It’s supremely comfortable, features upholstered leather (including the armrests), and has an adjustable seat height with a synchro-tilt and four locking positions. It’s available in gorgeous black, tan and chocolate colours.
Best Reclining Executive Office Chairs
When it comes to the best reclining executive office chair category, you have three Arteil chair models to choose from.
President Executive Chair
For maximum comfort, it has three chair adjustments, namely the seat height, seat tilt and locking seat angle with a locking swivel and tilt mechanism.
Sterling High Back Executive Chair
The Sterling High Back Executive Chair is upholstered in premium leather, with leather arms and three chair adjustments: seat height, seat tilt and locking seat angle with a locking swivel and tilt mechanism. This highly supportive reclining chair is suitable for executive and home office use.
KAB Executive Chair
It features height and tilt-adjustable headrests, height and tilt rocker tension adjustment, body-contoured cushions and tip-up armrests you can flip up out of the way or adjusted down to 30 degrees to fit under your work desk. Its air lumbar support adjusts to your lower back and backrest.
Best Reclining Mesh Office Chairs
Reclining mesh office chairs are not only comfortable but are designed to keep you cool even during hot and humid weather.
FILO A1 Mesh Office Chair
The Filo A1 Mesh Chair, which features a mesh backrest, includes synchro-tilt, adjustable headrest, seat slider and optional adjustable arms for support and comfort. It also has four chair adjustments, namely the seat height, seat angle, back angle and sliding seat with synchro mechanism.
Best Heavy-Duty Reclining Office Chair
Arteil offers heavy-duty reclining office chairs that are highly functional and adapted to heavier body types.
Humanscale Freedom Task Chair – Heavy Duty
The Humanscale Freedom task chair features a recline mechanism that adjusts to the body of the user, adjustable arms, a seat slider and two chair adjustments for the seat height and seat tilt.
Best Swivel Recliner Office Chair
Swivel recliner office chairs are great if you want the convenience of being able to reach for files and other documents anytime while seated.
Sapphire High Back Executive Heavy Duty
The beautifully coloured Sapphire High Back Heavy Duty office chair has a guaranteed capacity of up to 150 kilograms. It features adjustable arms, a 100-millimetre gas lift and four chair adjustments: seat height, seat angle, back height and back angle for maximum support.
How do recliner chairs work?
Recliner chairs typically have a solidly built hardwood or plywood frame aligned with heavy-duty screws. These are designed to allow the chair to recline smoothly or with ease.
The frames of recliner chairs, though sturdily built, are usually made to support specific user weights and motion. If the user is too heavy and they sit and pull the lever to adjust the recline, the chair may not last as long as it should. This is why it’s crucial to get a chair that can easily support your weight.
That said, the arms of most recliner chairs are separately fastened together using crossbars for stability and total immovability. The arms allow for easy and smooth back and forth pushing of the chair.
There are recliner models that require you to push the chair back while simultaneously pulling a lever or pressing a button that’s located below the armrests. There are also models that bend easily with a little push.
Aside from manual recliners, there are also electric recliners. The latter are designed to help seniors and people with mobility issues easily get in and out of their chair, as the springs expand and return to their original position automatically.
Office Chair Won’t Recline: How Do I Make My Office Chair Lean Back More?
Are you having trouble with your reclining office chair? If so, then your primary concern would be how to make your office chair lean back more. To do that, you need to find out what’s causing the problem.
Depending on the reclining chair mechanism, the problem may be due to a loose bolt holding the arm, a missing nut in the lever or a problem in the lift mechanism itself. The cable might have slipped off the lever or is broken, or there may be bent or damaged parts somewhere in the mechanism.
In any case, it’s not advisable to attempt to fix the problem yourself, especially since recliner chairs tend to be bulky and difficult to manipulate. If you have a warranty that’s active, tinkering with the recline mechanism could void it, so it’ll be best to take your chair to the store where you bought it or to an authorised service centre.