Evaluation of Office Chair Comfort

Abstract

The studies of office chair constructions have identified differences in perception of comfort provided by different types of seats. Four seat constructions and the comfort provided to the users were compared by means of subjective indicators. After a two-day sitting on each of the studied chairs, the subjects scored their perception of comfort and discomfort, using the questionnaire with 17 statements. Unlike most similar studies, subjects evaluated seats on their own work places and in the environment to which they are accustomed. Constructional forms of the seat and materials that contributed more to the sense of comfort by minimizing fatigue and pains developed by sitting were determined. Results have shown that the chair with a net is significantly more comfortable than other chairs. The chair with molded PU foam is significantly more comfortable than the chair with springs, but statistically it does not differ significantly from the chair with slabstock PU foam. It has been concluded that the chair with a net got higher scores, which might be attributed to its frame construction and the absence of a hard base under the sitting surface.

Keywords

• subjective method
• sitting
• comfort
• discomfort
• offi ce chair
• office chair