What is comfort? A buyer’s guide to choosing a chair

When choosing a chair, most people have about 30 seconds before they decide whether it is going to be comfortable or not. Is this enough time to gauge the true comfort of the chair? Well the short answer is, no.

The following feature is a guide to helping you select a comfortable chair and outlines how the Reee chair will suit your needs. There are a few things that you should consider when choosing a comfortable chair. These include: How are you using the chair? How do you sit? How long you are sitting for? Answering these questions should point you towards the chair you need.

How are you using the chair?

There are many different uses for a chair, so firstly you have to pick the category of chair you are looking for. Obviously an armchair is good for relaxing but if you sit for hours hunched over your laptop, it can be quite the opposite. Make sure you choose chairs that are designed for what you need, otherwise you may be trying to fit a ‘square peg in a round hole’.

The Reee Chair is designed for cafés, conference centres, office meeting rooms, home offices and dining rooms. The durable plastic finish is wipe-clean and the ribs allow air to flow through the seat and back.

How do you sit?

The first time you sit on a chair you will tend to cloud your judgement of its actual comfort. Only allowing a short time to test the chair, most people sit with their legs pointing forward with an excellent posture, maybe give the chair a little bounce, and stand up. Is this how we all sit all of the time? Well, no. I know I shuffle about even if I am sitting on what I think is a very comfortable chair. Some people sit sideways, some cross their legs, some sit on the front edge, some lean back. What ever way you like to sit, try it out. See if you can find any pressure points. People can sit on most things comfortably enough, no matter what shape: it is the pressure points that make something uncomfortable. The obvious solution to that is to buy a chair with a thick cushion. However if that isn’t possible make sure you find a chair without sharp points that will dig into your legs/back/arms after time.

The Reee Chair has a large ‘waterfall’ on its front edge and softly curved sides. These help reduce pressure points in a variety of seating positions which enable you to sit more comfortably, without the need for cushioning.

How long are you sitting for?

Long-term comfort is the hardest aspect of choosing a chair if you only have limited time and/or a lot of chairs to try. Some chairs, when you first sit on them, can feel good but then after 30 minutes or so can start to become increasingly uncomfortable. This is often the case with chairs that use a thick cushion to hide a poorly designed seat base. As I said above, try shifting around your weight on the chair. If you find any pressure points, these will only become more apparent the longer you sit on the chair. Before making your final choice just take an extra minute or two in one position. Even in this short time, pressure points will start to build. This may save you from regretting your decision an hour after you buy your new chair.

The Reee chair was designed to be sat on for about 0.5-1 hours at a time, with the aim of giving ergonomic comfort to students sitting exams. For that reason it also encourages an attentive seating position, which makes the Reee chair comfortable when doing desk-based work for extended periods.

To sum up, choosing a comfortable chair is pretty straight-forward but it takes time and thought. Figure out exactly what you want the chair to do before you sit. Secondly, take a little time to figure out what makes that chair comfortable or uncomfortable. Once you have the facts, your decision will make itself.