Where Should Lumbar Support Be Placed on Your Office Chair?

The lumbar region in your back supports the majority of your upper body weight. It can be subjected to a lot of stress and strain if you slouch or if you sit on a chair that doesn’t support it properly. But it doesn’t just provide support for the upper body weight; it also helps you to move your torso from one side to the other, it protects your spinal nerves, and it’s responsible for leg movements and feelings. Given that it’s responsible for so many vital bodily functions, thinking about where lumbar support should be placed on your office chair is a good way to ensure that you can carry out your daily tasks with minimal back pains and aches.

Some of the things you can do to check that lumbar support is in the best position for you include:

1. Making sure that the height of your chair is correctly adjusted to allow your feet to lay completely flat on the floor and your arms to sit comfortably on the top of your desk.
   
   
2. Checking that your seat can enable you to rest your knees at an angle that’s as close as possible to 90 degrees and that your lower back is resting comfortably against the back of your chair.
   
   
3. Ensuring that the lumbar support fits your spine's natural curve and the small of your back rests properly against the chair back. The small of the back can be located a few inches above your tailbone. Women tend to have curvier spines than men and require stronger support as a result.
   
   
4. Sitting so that the top of your monitor is at eye level and the keyboard is kept at arm’s length.

Who Requires Lumbar Support?

The short answer is everyone. Everybody can benefit from ensuring that their lumbar area, also known as the lower spine, is comfortable to avoid the pain and discomfort that can come when their back starts aching whenever they move or sit still. However, there are some people who particularly need to pay attention to where lumbar support is placed on their office chair, including:

• People with an acute or chronic history of back pains, shoulder strains, and neck aches.

• People with disorders affecting their joints and bones, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a genetic condition where bones can pop out of their sockets, or osteoporosis, in which bones become weaker and more prone to fractures.

• Anyone whose work or hobbies involve being seated for long periods of time, such as desk workers, drivers, video gamers, or bloggers.

• Anyone whose chair doesn’t have built-in lumbar support.

• People who spend long periods of their day standing, such as healthcare workers, including paramedics, pharmacists, surgeons, and nurses, retail workers, hairdressers, hospitality workers, or warehouse operatives and supervisors.

What Are the Best Chairs for Optimum Lumbar Support?

At Smart Office Furniture, we have a range of seating options to suit all functional and ergonomic needs. Some of our best office chairs that provide lumbar protection include:

1. Eden Media Ergo with Lumbar Support Chair

   This chair and seat can be fully height and depth adjusted to ensure that your knees are at the appropriate near 90-degree angle and the small of your back rests in the correct position against the back of the chair.
   
   
   

2. Konfurb Luna Grey Mesh Back Chair

   This chair has been designed to improve posture by promoting natural, flexible movement. The depth of the seat can be adjusted to guarantee leg and spine comfort and correct positioning.
   

3. Eden Silhouette Chair

   A boardroom chair with that moulds to the shape of the lower spine and chest for full support. It features many layers of foam padding to provide you with complete comfort.
   
   
   

4. ES Swivel Highback Black Chair

   Intended for a relaxed posture whilst leaning back, this chair can also be locked upright for working at your desk. The front of the seat can be easily tilted to reduce pressure on the back of the knees, allowing you to keep your feet flat on the floor.
   
   
   
   

5. Bambach Saddle Seat
   

   This is a great ergonomic solution for use in healthcare organisations, by laboratory workers, and for people with posture-related conditions. It comes with adjustable height, seat tilt, and backrest mechanisms for enhanced lumbar support.
   
   
   

6. Lux Executive Lowback Chair

   Ideal for the boardroom or your home office, this chair features a mechanism for adjustable knee tilting that will help you keep your feet firmly flat even when reclining.
   
   
   
   
   

Can Lumbar Support Completely Remove or Prevent Back Pain?

While lumbar support does help alleviate the stresses and strains that poor posture and sitting down can put on the lower spine area, it may not be a complete solution for everyone. Factors such as pre-existing conditions, and the design of the chair, all come into the equation. You should combine lumbar support with regular breaks from sitting either by going for a walk or using a standing desk, developing a proper posture, and practising exercises to relieve or prevent back pain.

You could also place additional lumbar support on your office chair if the existing support doesn’t provide you with adequate protection from back and muscle pain. These could include a lumbar cushion or roll that can be positioned behind the small of your back to provide extra support and improve your posture.

If you have any questions about our ergonomic office chairs with lumbar support or our standing desks, please contact us to speak to one of our experts. They’re here to offer recommendations that suit your budget and needs.