Choosing Right Office Chair Armrests for Better Productivity

When it comes to ergonomics, office chair armrests are actually controversial. Opponents say they may exert pressure on the soft tissues of the elbow and forearm, causing tendinitis, and they prevent the user from getting close to the desk.

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A high quality office chair has many features that make it a top choice. For starters, it has a strong frame to live up to the strength standard, has a comfortable design, offers adjustability for the user, and in short, is ergonomically friendly. A modern ergonomic work chair is much more different than the chair of old times in many ways.

Similarly, office chair armrests are a common feature you would see in a modern chair that improvises the overall seating experience of the user. For example, a desk chair with armrests supports the arms and the shoulders and keeps the subject free from any stresses. Many studies prove the benefits of an office chair with adjustable arms, but how exactly does an armrest work in an office chair, and what is the best type of armrest for the desk chair you need?

However, all the arguments against armrests can be addressed by choosing the right ones for your workplace and body type. Now, the question is, what are the ideal armrests in an office chair?

In this article, I&#;ll go through all the factors you should consider when choosing desk chair arms in an ergonomic chair, to avoid shoulder and forearm strain.

What are Office Chair Armrests?

For those who work desk jobs, armrests are an important tool in making their seating posture much more comfortable and health-friendly. In addition, armrests prevent physical fatigue by keeping the arms and shoulders set at a safe level.

The forearm support, provided by the armrests, plays a vital role in forming and strengthening the user's posture. And with computer chair adjustable arms, the benefits increase by various folds.

Since it has been a common discussion that whether or not a chair should have armrests, the point is to have adjustable armrests if one wishes to avail the maximum benefit of this accessory.

Now there are different types of armrests for desk chairs, and some of them are mentioned below.

Why are Office Chair Armrests Important?

A good office chair should support a variety of postures to allow the user to work effectively and comfortably. Many factors affect armrests usage, including the design of the chair and the task. Also, armrests must accommodate a diverse range of users and task requirements. For instance, females sit more upright compared to males.

However, whether used continuously or intermittently, armrests are a crucial form of postural support. A study found that forearm support, which is provided by properly configured armrests, can reduce discomfort or pain in your neck or shoulders. According to the researchers, without forearm support and good shoulder positioning, the upper trapezius and the deltoid muscles, which affect this area, are continuously active at the low-intensity level. This continuous activation may lead to the onset of neck pain in the office.

The arms and hands together comprise about 12% of your overall body&#;s mass. That&#;s a lot of weight to be holding without help for many hours. Fortunately, studies show that using properly configured armrests can reduce the weight on your spine by about 10% of your body weight.

Also, using the armrests as support when standing up reduces the force in your hips by 50%. This is crucial for older people or those with hip problems.

Office chair armrests also significantly reduce the onset of fatigue. Without armrests support, extending the hand forward by eight inches leads in fatigue in less than 10 minutes. With office chair armrest support, the time is extended significantly.

After noting all the benefits of armrests, let&#;s now dive into the conditions that armrest for desk chair must meet to be ergonomic.

Common Styles of Desk Chair Arms

A common misconception with office chair armrests is that they provide just a resting surface for the user. However, armrests prevent shrugging and slumping in the shoulder, so no upper body part experiences strain or pressure.

Even though the primary focus of an armrest remains the same regarding the type and the nature, here are some different types of armrests one might come across during the right office chair hunt.

T-Arm

The T-arm is attached to the chair's seat and has a post that runs perpendicular to the seat. The actual armrest makes a T shape on top of the pillar. This type of armrest can usually be lifted and lowered to obtain the perfect height for you and your workplace.

T-arm is also the most commonly seen type of armrest in an office chair. Since it has been there for a while, chairs with T-armrest don&#;t cost a lot.

Loop Arm

With a little extra take for extra support, the loop arm is commonly the type of armrest you can find and is also very easy to use. As the name suggests, Loop armrests form a complete circle rather than an open T shape. These armrests are available in two styles: fixed and adjustable. The biggest benefit is providing extra support for your arm while you recline on your chair. Some users, however, enjoy the aesthetic of a loop design.

Fixed Armrest

While adjustability is considered the biggest virtue in an office chair, fixed armrests are the opposite. But to some, fixed armrests can be a trouble as the chair you have might not fit your arm placement or cannot be moved to work in different positions.

But, if you don't spend a lot of time in your office chair, a model with fixed armrests can be a good choice. Remember that you won't be able to make any revisions, so try out a few alternative options before making a final decision. Budget office chairs and executive-style leather chairs typically have fixed armrests.

Types of Computer Chair with Armrests

The armrests in chairs range from fixed armrests making a product right in your budget to adjustable armrests most commonly seen in an expensive chair. The types of the armrest are designed according to different comfort levels and ergonomics incorporated into the chair. Here are some common types of computer chairs with differing armrests.

Height Adjustable

Height adjustable armrests are the simplest yet most common type of armrest that you would find in an office chair. These armrests are made to lower or elevate the level of armrests, so your arms, shoulders, and necks are prevented from any extra stress. That being said, height-adjustable armrests are also the most commonly found type of armrests in office chairs.

Another advantage of such armrests is that they are easy to control. There is either a button or a lever-type mechanism that can be used to set the height to a safe level. If you need to know the right height for your arms, the shoulders should be relaxed, and the arms should be close by your side, so there is no shrugging or slouching.

Width Adjustable

Ergonomics also requires the armrests to be closer to your body. The farther the armrests, the greater the angle of your shoulders, which will cause a certain level of discomfort to the user. This accounts for the width adjustability of armrests.

Armrests that may be moved closer or further away from your body are available on several office chairs. This is yet another technique to produce personalized comfort that is tailored to your specific body type. These Office chair armrests are also known as pivot armrests as they move around a certain point to relax your upper body even further.

360 Degrees Rotation

As the name suggests, 360 degrees rotation in Office chair armrests allows you to move the armrests freely completely. The arm pads can swing up to 360 degrees, and you can also slightly rotate them in or out to match the comfort level.

What is the Correct Height for Your Arm Rests?

Even if your chair has armrests, if they aren't set to an ergonomic position, you will experience a lot of discomfort. Armrests should be positioned just beneath a neutral elbow position to keep the shoulders in a neutral (i.e., comfortable) position.

An armrest essentially supports the arm's weight, allowing the shoulders to 'rest.' The optimal position for keeping the shoulders relaxed is in a neutral shoulder stance. The shoulders should neither be elevated or depressed, and the upper arm must not be flexed away from the user's chest.

5 Factors to Consider When Looking for Office Chair Armrests

From the height, width, length to pivot, the more adjustable the armrests are the more precisely they will support an ergonomic sitting posture and body type.

1. Height

Most desk chairs with armrest are height adjustable. However, one of the major arguments against armrests is that they can prevent you from getting too close to the desk, making you strain your neck and back as you try to reach your workspace. Measure the clearance space under your desk to get the proper measurements.

For instance, a typical non-adjustable desk is 29 inches high. So, based on that, look for armrests that can extend up to 29&#; or more, and go down to 27&#; or less. Also, consider the height range of the seat pan when calculating your numbers.

2. Pivoting armrests

Normally, pivoting armrests are angled inwards or outwards to form a &#;V&#; shape.

If you often assume arm positions, such that your wrists are close to each other without desk support, pivoting armrests will be highly beneficial in offering full support to your forearms in those positions.

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Pivoting armrests can help you identify the most comfortable position for your neck and shoulders. This is true, especially if you&#;re prone to kyphosis, a postural condition where your upper back rounds forward. The pivot feature helps you stretch the pectoral muscles in the front and contract the rhomboids in the back; these are the exercises often given to office workers, anyway. So, why not let your office chair armrests help you?

Computer chair with armrest that pivot inwards are more beneficial than those that pivot outwards. To get the maximum benefit off of pivoting armrests, look for a minimum of 15 degrees tilt.

3. Armrests width

Apart from height adjustability, width is the most important feature to consider when picking out armrests.

For a proper sitting posture, your elbows should be directly under your shoulders. However, we all have different shoulder widths, so having armrests that can move close or away from your torso is crucial in supporting your elbows and forearms, especially if you&#;re sharing your office chair with other people.

Choose armrests whose width you can adjust up to 4 inches, which according to most studies accommodate 90% of the human population.

4. Armrests length

Some office chair armrests are length-adjustable, too. This means they slide forward and backward, maximizing support of your forearms in various postures.  This comes in handy in body positions where you are leaning forward or back.

Since length adjustable armrests have varying arm sizes, they can adjust to fit the small arms as well as the large ones promoting an ergonomic sitting posture.

5. Flip-up armrests

Finally, you can dismiss some armrests altogether when they are not in use, by flipping them up. Flip-up armrests are an ideal choice in shared office environments where some prefer a chair with armrests and others don&#;t. They are also a superb choice if you often perform tasks where armrests get in the way, such as playing the guitar. Plus, if you have a desk with a small clearance space underneath, flipping armrests is an ideal choice.

In the world of ergonomics, flip-up armrests offer a compromise. The way their hinges are designed, they offer minimal adjustability other than flipping upwards.

So, when looking for office chair armrests, you&#;ll need to weigh the pros and cons carefully and make sure the default height and width of the armrests match your desk and body type before choosing flip-up armrests. 

Conclusion

Armrests play a crucial role in promoting comfort and wellbeing, allowing you to work effectively and productively.

They encourage an ergonomic sitting posture and promote freedom of movement while stabilizing one&#;s position; reduce pressure on the neck, shoulders, and arms. Also, they reduce pressure on the spine by distributing pressure evenly on the seat.

Emerging research suggests that computer users&#; arms are properly supported when an adjustable armrest follows task-related postures and arm positions. However, the more adjustable the armrest is, the more realistically you can position it to support your arms.

This review is part of my series of reviews of ergonomic office chairs . People have wildly varying opinions when it comes to chairs, and. (See more advice on how to buy a good chair .) Don&#;t use my reviews to decide which chair to buy; use them as a starting point for your own testing.

In my review of the Steelcase Think chair, I wrote that it is a chair that doesn&#;t get the attention it deserves. This goes double for the Steelcase Please, which is a model that is almost absent from online reviews, most likely because it is only available in Europe. This lack of online prominence does not mean that it doesn&#;t have its ardent fans. I&#;ve dealt with two salesmen at my local Steelcase dealer &#; both told me outright that they prefer the Please to all other Steelcase chairs, despite the fact that its current version turned 14 years old this year, and, in theory, should have been superseded by newer offerings like the Leap v2 and Gesture.

If I were to sum up the &#;unique selling proposition&#; for the Please, it would be this: Please will support your entire back, even at a very wide angle of recline. As I explained in my chair buying guide, most chairs have a &#;lumbar gap&#; that appears when you recline. I understand &#; you&#;re a busy person, you don&#;t want to click through to that article. Let me just copy & paste the drawing that explains how the gap arises:

The Please is one of the few chairs that are specifically designed to minimize this effect. It achieves this goal with some interesting mechanical design. The backrest is split into two parts &#; thoracic and lumbar. The lumbar part is attached at a fixed angle to the seatpan, which tilts only a little bit. The thoracic part is attached to the lumbar part. Here&#;s how it works:

The result is that not only is there no lumbar gap, the lumbar part of the backrest actually pushes into your lumbar spine when you recline. Don&#;t worry though &#; the lumbar assembly is mounted on springs and you can adjust its firmness, so it won&#;t feel like an elbow in your back. Reclining in the Please makes you feel like your entire back is supported, in a way that is equaled only by the Humanscale Liberty. Furthermore, the backrest reclines very far, enabling you to achieve a fully neutral 135° hip angle at maximum recline.

The adjustments on the Please are nothing short of spectacular:

• As expected, you can adjust the resistance of the backrest. As a bonus, you get a little dial which displays the number corresponding to the current resistance setting, similar to a date window on a wristwatch &#; this is a nice touch that is helpful when sharing a chair with other people. Instead of fiddling with a continuous, unlabeled knob, all you have to do is remember your number.
• There is a separate knob, with four settings, that controls the firmness of the lumbar part of the backrest. The correct setting will depend on your individual lumbar curve. This is not unheard of in ergonomic chairs, but definitely not common, so kudos to the Please for having this feature.
• Finally, the entire backrest can be moved up or down. This is something I haven&#;t seen on any other chair, yet it makes so much sense &#; people have torsos of different height, so their lumbar curves are located at different heights. Not all chairs have &#;height-adjustable&#; lumbar supports, and if they do, these are often just extra pieces of stiff plastic placed on top of the standard curve of the backrest. Here, you are moving the curve of the backrest itself.

Once adjusted properly, the Please is probably the most anatomically correct chair you can buy. I said &#;the most anatomically correct&#;, not &#;the most comfortable&#;, because the Please is not a &#;comfy&#; chair. While the seatpan is perfectly normal, the foam padding used in the backrest is quite firm. If you&#;re used to a soft chair, the Please will feel a little like an ergonomically designed wooden plank. You know it&#;s probably good for your back, but it doesn&#;t give you the visceral feeling of indulgent comfort that you get when you sit down in a well-cushioned chair like the Leap or Amia.

Is this firmness a problem? I don&#;t think so. In fact, if you are bothered by it when you first try the chair, I would like to urge you to see past it. Firmness is something that people get used to rather quickly (as evidenced by the millions of people sitting on Herman Miller chairs &#; har har har), so first impressions can be misleading here. A friend of mine initially complained about the Please&#;s hard backrest, but after extended testing he got used to it, and ended up buying the chair.

The foam on the Please may be a bit hard, but the tilt limiter is what takes the cake. It has zero shock absorption, so hitting a tilt limit feels like that time when you rode your bike into a concrete wall. It is easily the most unpleasant tilt limiter that I have ever experienced. I cannot believe Steelcase did not see the need to put some kind of spring in there. Fortunately, I never felt the need to use the tilt limiter, as the Please has a &#;sticky&#; backrest, which tends to stay wherever you put it.

Speaking of which, the backrest on the Please is similar to that on other Steelcase chairs like the Amia or Gesture. For a detailed discussion of sticky backrests, read my chair buying guide &#; here, I&#;ll just note that a sticky backrest makes it easy to choose your desired recline angle &#; all you have to do is push against the backrest (or take your weight off it) &#; and stay in it (because there is static friction that keeps the backrest in the current position). On the flip side, because the backrest resists small movements, there is no way to rock in the chair.

Like the backrests on the Amia and Gesture, the one on the Please achieves a nice balance between how stable it is and how easy it is to change positions, unlike the Leap&#;s, which feels sluggish in comparison. Things aren&#;t so good when it comes to micromovements &#; not only is the mechanism sticky, the backrest lacks the flexibility that would permit even limited rocking (for an example, see the Leap clip in my FAQ).

The fact that the backrest is not springy doesn&#;t mean that it&#;s rigid. Although the backrest is made up of stiff plastic panels with padding on top, the thoracic part of the backrest is mounted elastically (there is a rubber joint and two flexible plastic hinges). It changes orientation in two directions &#; for instance, when you turn your torso left or right, it turns with you.

The thermal performance of the Please is pretty standard for a foam chair &#; in side-by-side comparisons, I could not detect a difference in thermal comfort between the Please and the Leap. It&#;s not ideal for working in temperatures exceeding 25 °C, but not as dramatically bad as the Gesture.

There is an exposed piece of the frame to which the lumbar backrest is attached &#; if you keep your keyboard very close to your body (practically above your lap), it is possible to bump against the frame with your elbow. It also depends on the height of your armrests versus the height of the lumbar backrest. If repeated, this sort of minor trauma can produce cumulative, irreversible damage to your ulnar nerve. I take this issue quite seriously and paid a lot of attention to it in various keyboard-heavy and mouse-heavy scenarios. In my particular setup, it wasn&#;t a real problem, but I definitely recommend watching out for this issue when you test the Please. (You can also attach something soft in that area to prevent the problem.)

Armrests

As I publish this review, it is already somewhat out of date &#; Steelcase has just updated the Please with new &#;4-D&#; armrests, which follow the outstanding design used on their other chairs like the Leap, Amia and Think. The model I tested had basic, &#;plastic&#; armrests with no left&#;right adjustment, and my experience with them was generally bad. First, they are uncomfortably hard (which is a potential health issue). Second, I was unable to comfortably type with my forearms on them (due to the poor adjustability). Third, they tilt together with the lumbar part of the backrest, making them somewhat difficult to use in a reclined position. The one good thing about them is that they retract quite a long way, so you can sit very close to your desk if you wish. On the whole, I found them barely usable.

Unfortunately, I wasn&#;t able to test the new armrests because a display unit with 4-D armrests is not available at my local Steelcase dealership &#; so, for example, I can&#;t tell if they are any softer than the plastic ones. However, going by the video I linked above, I can tell they certainly have enough adjustability to let you rest your forearms on them while typing. On the negative side, they do not stay level as you recline, just like the old plastic ones. They are also, like the type I tested, shorter and narrower than those on other Steelcase chairs. In other words, although they&#;re still not Leap-quality, I&#;m sure I could live with them.

Of course, all of the above is only relevant if you use armrests. Many people don&#;t.

Headrest

You can order the Steelcase Please with a middling headrest. It sits quite a long distance behind your head, and has no back&#;front adjustability. In a reclined position, it is possible to rest your head on it if you tilt your head way back (although I found it uncomfortable), but if you want to keep your eyes on the screen, you will need a pillow, and a thick one at that. Paradoxically, the fact that the headrest is located so far from the back of your head makes it better than the one on the Leap. They&#;re both equally unadjustable, but the one on the Please at least doesn&#;t get in the way when you&#;re sitting upright.

I did find the headrest, such as it is, useful when relaxing after work &#; watching movies or listening to music. I would put a pillow on top of it, so that I could keep my gaze on the monitor. While the position was initially very comfortable (in fact, it made me want to fall asleep), I could never maintain it for very long &#; after 20-30 minutes, I would typically get some sort of pain in my neck. Perhaps this problem could be eliminated with the right pillow size. All in all, if I were buying a Please, I&#;d get one with the headrest (which is something I would never say about the Leap). By the way, the headrest can be removed without difficulty &#; the operation leaves two empty mounting holes in the backrest.

The design-conscious among you should note that the headrest only comes in black (that includes both the plastic and the fabric), which is unfortunate if you plan on getting the better-looking white frame.

The Tom Test

Let&#;s see how well the Please did on my checklist:

• Easy changing between at least two positions (near-upright and reclined): Pass. The sticky backrest makes it super-easy to adopt any position you like without fiddling with anything.
• Open hip angle in the reclined position: Pass. Very large maximum recline angle.
• Lumbar support: Pass. With the ability to adjust both the height and the firmness, the Please is the chair to beat when it comes to lumbar support.
• Backrest should adapt to your back: Pass. The two-part, elastically mounted backrest does the job.
• Seatpan must not be too long: Pass.
• Micromovements: Fail. You don&#;t even get the micro-rocking of the Leap/Gesture/Amia.
• Armrests (if you care about them): Should be fine if you get the newest &#;4-D&#; ones, but I haven&#;t tested them, so I&#;ll hold my judgment.
• Annoyances: Nothing serious. The tilt limiter is brutally hard, but you don&#;t really have to use it. The foam padding on the backrest is unusually hard &#; you can get used to it, but it will never be comfy.

Final words

The Steelcase Please is probably the most anatomically correct chair you can buy. Once you adjust it, it will fit you like a glove and it will maintain this anatomical fit across the entire range of recline. And &#; I should add &#; the range of recline is huge. Yeah, in case you can&#;t tell &#; I really like that backrest. The only real problem with it is the lack of rockability.

Other than that, the Please is a chair without significant flaws. In fact, after my testing campaign in which I tested more than ten high-end chairs, the Please came out on top of my list, tied with the Leap. They&#;re both well-fitting chairs, but the Please has a smoother backrest mechanism that encourages position changes, a less annoying headrest, and a backrest that supports you fully even when you&#;re reclined. The Leap, on the other hand, has better armrests, supports micromovements to an extent, and is softer. It&#;s a heck of a choice, and in the end my decision was more or less a coin toss.

I should also mention that the price of the Please is quite reasonable &#; it&#;s over &#;100 cheaper than a comparable Leap model. If you&#;re a European looking for a good computer chair, you&#;ll be doing yourself a disservice if you don&#;t check out the Steelcase Please. If you&#;re in North America, please accept my sympathies &#; you&#;re missing out on a great chair!

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