Once upon a time, executive chairs were all about rich mahogany wood and burgundy leather. ‘The bigger the better’ seemed to be the accepted maxim, and comfort was side-lined in the pursuit of the most powerful looking office chair.
In the 1990’s things changed somewhat – not only did Herman Miller release the Aeron, but the government began to actively promote the advice of medical professionals in regard to the harmful effects of sitting in a chair all day. Ergonomic designs, which had been around since the seventies, suddenly began to spring up all over, and nowadays there are very few office chairs available that don’t offer at least the minimum levels of support as recommended by doctors and the government. As well as new designs, new materials emerged in the quest to create the perfect office chair, and the Aeron’s pioneering mesh back has been much imitated.
The Benefits of Mesh Chairs
Mesh seat backs, when properly designed and manufactured, will shape themselves to the contours of your body whilst still offering enough support. Unlike padding, elasticated mesh doesn’t compress over time, so it will be just as comfortable five years down the line as it was the day you bought it. Mesh uses elastic seams rather than rigid support beams, so there are no knobbly lumps sticking into your back in certain positions.
It makes chairs lighter and easier to manage without detracting from their stability. Another key bonus to mesh-backed chairs is that the fabric lets air circulate freely, which allows your skin to breathe and keeps you cooler. Mesh is also cheaper to produce than many other chair fabrics such as leather, meaning you can either save money or splash out on additional design features previously out of your budget. The tightly woven fabric is incredibly strong and far less likely to rip or tear than the majority of other chair fabrics on the market.
Will a Mesh Chair Offer the Proper Support?
Mesh chairs not only offer all the support you could need, but they do it in such a way that the chair moulds itself to your body and moves with you, offering support no matter what position you are in. The strong elastic nature of the material means there is just enough give for you to feel comfortable whilst retaining the necessary support structure. Most come with inflated lumbar cushioning and even if they don’t, mesh lumbar support cushions can be purchased separately for very little money. Most office chairs on the market these days are ergonomically designed regardless of the materials used, so unless you’re very unlucky any chair you buy will give you some form of support.
This post was written on behalf of leading office chair sellers Chairoffice.co.uk.
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