November 15, 2021

The world of commercial furniture is full of jargon. We all think we know the names of furniture pieces but then we get into a meeting about furnishing an office and the team from the dealership starts to sound like they are in the military or planning a space shuttle launch with all the industry terms and acronyms being thrown around. In this series, we will explain some of the most common terms so you can be in the know.

What is a task chair?… and other seating explained

Seating is one of the most important parts of any office furnishing project. Think about it, you spend most of the workday at an office in a chair and if you are sitting in the wrong chair, it can get uncomfortable quickly. 

A task chair is a chair designed to be comfortable for a long period of time, an entire work shift in theory, while you do your job…or task. A task chair has a more comfortable seat with a thick cushion, adjustable supports in the arms and back all the provide the right ergonomic fit for as many people as possible. Adjustment recommended by a certified ergonomist, when assessing the cause of office aches and pains, are available in most quality task chairs. When looking to get your next task chair, it is important to ask if you need to buy brand name or if you’re okay saving some money.

I have seen many people sitting in the wrong chair at their workstation. Conference room chairs like the classic Eames chair from Herman Miller look great but are designed for meetings. Those chairs and others like them are meant to be comfortable for a few hours at most and can’t adjust ergonomically. They are also not rated or warrantied to be sat in for an entire work shift…day in and day out. The same applies to guest chairs, dining/café chairs or lounge chairs. I think we all learned that from the sitting aches and pains were earned working from home a few months into 2020.