Should Office Chair Have Armrests? Read & Find Out

Working all day in an office requires you to sit down all the time in front of your computer or toil on dozens of paper works. As a result, you may experience some muscle pain that comes with the uncomfortable position you have throughout the day. Aside from giving you muscle pain, it also affects your posture and makes you quickly tired.

Luckily, a lot of ergonomic products have been popping up in the market today that might help you with your problems. One of these products is office chairs with armrests. This product claims that it can give you a more comfortable day at work without all the pain and usual slouching.

However, you might be asking: “are armrests good for my office chair?” because you don’t see any difference in using a chair without. There might be doubts on your mind about the importance of these armrests, so in this article, you will read some essential facts about it.

Why Should Office Chair Have Armrests?

Reasons why armrests are recommended:

  1. Reduces muscle strain and stress from the body

You might have experienced these things every day because you are using the wrong office chair at work. With the armrests, you can adjust it to your desired sitting position that can help you in decreasing strain and stress on your body.

Maybe before you encountered this useful feature: you believed that sitting at a 90 degree-position can help your muscle relax. Unfortunately, that is a wrong perception of most people working in an office. Moreover, sitting in that position does not improve your posture at all.

  1. Suitable for most working-class people

Since office chairs with armrests have adjustable settings, it can fit everyone no matter the size and height. Stop thinking that chairs are not a one size fits all, maybe this applies to some, but these chairs are an exception.

In choosing an office chair, the first thing that should be on your mind is the comfort that it can offer. Luckily, these ergonomic chairs can adapt to your weight, width, and height, which makes it more comfortable compared to other chairs in the market. The adaptability feature of this chair is one of the crucial requirements when choosing the right product.

Take note that adjusting the chair doesn’t mean the comfort it offers would be compromised. It cannot cause any health-related problems like shoulder, arm, and neck pain.

  1. Cost Efficient

Office chair with armrests can be more expensive compared to regular chairs, but it has a better design and functionality. There is a slight difference when it comes to price when the armrests are adjustable and not the fixed ones. However, a few extra dollars spent are worth it when you feel the comfort while you sit on it.

If you think that it is still expensive, you can always compare products of different brands and see which of them fits your budget without compromising the quality.

  1. Adjustable and convenient

If you are thinking that having a chair with armrests could be inconvenient because it can hinder you from doing things like fitting in under the desk, then you are wrong. You might also think that it can be in the way when you are trying to write or type something.

Earlier in this article, it has been mentioned that there are adjustable armrests. It means that you can adjust it according to your preference or needs. If you want it out of the way, you can always rotate it, and voila, it is not a hindrance anymore.

It is also convenient in a way that you can always rotate it back if you need support for your arm and wrist.

  1. Relaxes arm and shoulder

When you are in the office, all the pressure is in your arms and shoulder because they are the parts of your body who do the work. You may be writing, typing, or drawing, and these actions require you to exert weight on your hands. As a result, you might experience pain after work or even during work.

The most common action of office workers is to lean or slouch on the chair, which could significantly affect your posture. With the armrests, your hands will feel relaxed while working, and you can avoid slouching as well.

Since they are for support, you can always rest your arms on it while thinking about what you should do next. Moreover, with the help of the armrests, the tension on the wrist and joints will decrease, and you can avoid health issues in the future.

  1. Reduces Upper Body Pain

Holding your upper body for eight or more hours in a day can put a toll on your upper back and shoulder. Luckily, with the armrests, you can help your shoulders relax, and upper body can relax.

You might say that you can survive without an armrest and be fine, but there could be some risks to your health that you cannot see now. Without the armrests, your arms or shoulders will feel discomfort. If you have past injuries, your muscles might experience depression.

Moreover, it can help you avoid RSI or Repetitive Strain Injury, which is caused by the incorrect posture of arms, wrists, and hands while typing.

The support that the armrests can offer can make you keep your hands close to your body while working. It ensures that your shoulders are relaxed and your forearms adequately supported.

Take note that it would be more useful to have adjustable armrests height, so you can adequately level it to your body’s needs.

Final Thoughts

Do those facts answer your question, “should office chair have armrests?” There are still a lot of reasons that could answer the question but the ones mentioned above are the most important. You should always remember that your best companion in an 8-hour work is a good comfortable office chair that you can sit comfortably in for a long time.

It is always better to prevent health problems in the future by taking precautions, and ergonomically designed products can help you with that.