Can I use a recliner as an office chair?
No, you should not use a recliner as an office chair. It’s not recommended. It might “look” comfortable, but the reclined position places additional stresses on your back and joints; especially awkward for long periods of time (as in working).
It also gets your upper body much higher than it would be if you were sitting upright. Other than that, they’re great for watching TV or movies!
How much space do you need for an office chair?
As a general rule, your chair should be about an arm’s length away from a desk, table, or work surface. Any closer and you may find yourself just reaching out to push the mouse rather than trying to reach it with your whole upper arm.
And if you have multiple monitors at a right angle, consider using a monitor height riser so that all are visible without leaning forward or twisting around.
In terms of area requirements, your office chair might need an area of 6 square feet (or slightly less). This would have to include the space for any armrest or casters. If you’re having a hard time figuring it out, just take measurements from your desk and add on the comfortable distances we mentioned above.
Do all office chairs come with arms?
No, not necessarily. Many computer desks and tables are made without arms or rails to allow the most room for equipment placement.
If need be, you can always get models that do come with arms but they will probably cost slightly more than the traditional ones. Many high-end models even offer many different ways to adjust the position of these arms as needed; sometimes even built right into the chair’s base!
Can office chairs be regassed?
Yes, they can be regassed. It’s an easy DIY project and the stuff you need is available at most hardware stores. Just make sure to get a kit with instructions! You don’t want to blow yourself up or burn your house down.
Besides looking better than the backs of some used office chairs, re-gassing isn’t expensive. Something like that chair from our pictures cost about $25 for the gas alone; but with labor, it was around $55 total for his 2 chairs (a bargain if you ask me!).
office chair by yourself.” class=”wp-image-287″/>How do you regas an office chair?
You’ll need two tools: a drill and compressed air.
1 Pull the chair out of the room, preferably into a garage or other open space. Make sure you’re in an area that’s well-ventilated for safety reasons.
2 Remove all of the casters from the base with your hands or pliers (on some models this is optional).
3 Take off any additional parts on the base like seat height adjusters, tilt locks, and so on; these will make it easier for gas to go through every part of the base.
4 Once you’ve removed everything, take your drill and puncture holes all over the base using a 5/64″ drill bit (you can also use a 3/32″ bit on plastic-based chairs).
5 Take the compressed air and blow out all of the holes you’ve just made. The manual might tell you to use a soap or oil solution, but if not, just plain water will do. Make sure you don’t get any water inside the chair itself!
6 Now it’s time for gas. Again, follow your manufacturer’s instructions as some have special chemicals that need to be used rather than common materials (the one we used only required us to hold our breaths while pouring in the gas and then let it settle for about 5 minutes before doing anything else).
7 Finally, stick many straws into each hole and pour in your liquid so that they fill up to maximum capacity. Don’t overdo it as this can cause your seams to burst and end up damaging the chair.
This will make the gas go through every part of the base and all holes in it. When you take apart the chair again, screw everything back on (or glue if that’s what type of model this is) without turning or bending anything; otherwise, you may find yourself regassing very soon!
If properly done, a re-gassed office chair should last for a very long time before needing another treatment. Your plastic chairs might just need one more after some years. You can keep track of how often you’ve regassed by burning a tiny hole into each straw when you fill them once complete (just remember not to tear or puncture them!).
Regassing is a cheap and effective way to make your office chairs look new again! You can do it in the comfort of your own home and it will only take you an afternoon.
What are the dimensions of an office chair?
Getting the exact dimensions of used office chairs can be difficult. Here is a general guide, however:
The seat’s distance to the ground: 20″ – 24″ The overall height from floor to top of armrests when fully extended: 36″ – 38″.
Is it possible to make my own office chair?
Yes, it is. If you don’t feel like buying an office chair, you can build one from scratch!
The best type of wood to use for your base will be solid oak or pine that’s easy to cut (like poplar). Pine might look a bit better, but oak is much stronger and durable since this is the part that supports your body weight.
You can use MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) if you want a lighter model; one that’s easier to handle and move around, but this isn’t the most durable material for desks.
The seat of your office chair will need to be made from leather or fabric. If you’ve decided on a wooden base, your seat will have to be nailed on.
The armrests should be made from a soft material like polyurethane or rubber that won’t scratch your arms or get gashes in them. Otherwise, they can be made from any durable material you choose.
Make sure the base of the chair is at least 20″ x 24″, but try to make it a bit bigger if possible to give yourself more room when seated! You might also want to paint your model with acrylic paints for a better look and feel; just make sure they’re washable!
