An ergonomic chair and a normal chair are useful furniture pieces in any arrangement or setting. People sit on them to get comfort and support. In addition, they balance the user’s weight and relieve pressure on several body parts. However, choosing the best of the two can be confusing, especially due to individual unique designs.
An ergonomic chair differs from a normal chair in its design, features, and level of comfort. Ergonomic chairs have several adjustable features that allow every user to fit in and relax. On the other hand, normal chairs have a fixed design that doesn’t allow adjusting any component; they mostly aim at maintaining the user’s posture.
In this article, you will get a detailed explanation to help you familiarize yourself with ergonomic and normal chairs so you can compare them closely. There will be five categories for the comparison to help you understand better.
Without delaying further, let’s get into the main details.
Ergonomic Chair
An ergonomic chair has an altered design to give it several adjustable features like back, armrests, height, and seat to help the user relax. This chair provides comfort and relaxes the body of anyone sitting on it. You will mostly find ergonomic chairs in offices and workplaces where people need to relax after sitting in the same spot for a long time.
An ergonomic chair has many health benefits, making it suitable for everybody. The chair helps to increase focus and productivity by providing adequate comfort. The adjustable features on an ergonomic chair make it possible for people with different body shapes and sizes to fit easily without discomfort.
Some ergonomic chairs use a technology system to improve the chair’s efficiency. Such chairs mostly support the spine to maintain the state of the user’s back. Some ergonomic features allow converting the chair into a perfect recliner to relax whenever you want. Some allow easy mobility from one angle to another.
The best feature of an ergonomic chair is the ability to customize it to suit your preference.
Pros of Ergonomic Chairs
An ergonomic chair has an outstanding design and mechanism; there are advantages to using this chair due to its construction.
The pros of an ergonomic chair include the following:
- Adjustability: You can adjust the headrest position, seat height, back, armrests, etc., with easy-to-operate knobs to customize the chair for every body type.
- Health benefits: This chair aligns with the shape of the user’s spine to reduce back pain. It also keeps the user’s joint in a neutral position to prevent joint pain.
- Productivity: The chair’s ability to reduce body stress enhances the user’s efficiency, resulting in increased productivity.
- Additional padding: Ergonomic chairs have additional padding to help balance the user’s body weight on the hip to remove pressure on other parts.
- Mobility: This chair has high-quality wheels and a swivel option to allow the user to reach any part of the work area while sitting.
- Durability: Ergonomic chairs are always durable and long-lasting. They can withstand any weight and movement.
Drawbacks of Ergonomic Chairs
Like there are benefits of using ergonomic chairs, there are also disadvantages you need to consider while getting one of these.
Here are the drawbacks of ergonomic chairs below:
- These chairs are expensive, and the price could almost double that of normal chairs.
- The parts of ergonomic chairs are expensive and cost a lot to maintain.
- They make the user feel relaxed and lazy in some cases.
Normal Chair
A normal chair is a piece of furniture with a backrest attached to a seat perpendicularly. The chair usually has four legs around the four corners of the seat to maintain balance. The legs also help the chair to withstand the weight of anyone sitting on the chair. A normal chair is useful for several purposes and settings.
You can use this chair in an office, dining room, nursery, school, etc. This chair has several amazing designs and types for everyone’s preference. The backrest is always sturdy enough to support the weight of anyone leaning on it. Some designs may feature an armrest to increase the chair’s comfort and support.
A normal chair construction may include several factors like reclining angle, padding, stain resistance, legroom, and heat support. These factors contribute to the chair’s design, which results in the creation of several options. Normal chairs are the most common types of furniture you can see around you.
Pros of Normal Chairs
A normal chair may seem like little, but there are advantages to using these. The chair’s construction focuses on details and purpose.
The pros of a normal chair include the following:
- Cost-effective: Normal chairs are inexpensive and easily affordable; you don’t need to go out of your budget to get one.
- Low maintenance cost: This chair has few components, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on repairing and maintaining these parts.
- Durability: Normal chairs can withstand any weight, elements of nature, and condition. They can last for many years without needing repairs.
- Accessibility: You can easily get a normal chair without the stress of searching for it.
- Posture correction: Normal chair design focuses on correcting the posture of anyone sitting on them, irrespective of the construction.
- Varieties: There are several available types of normal chairs like office chairs, kneeling chairs, rocking chairs, dining chairs, etc. You can choose based on your needs and preferences.
Drawbacks of Normal Chairs
Although a normal chair is a basic essential piece of furniture that supports the user properly, there are disadvantages attached to these chairs.
The drawbacks of normal chairs include the following:
- First, these chairs have few adjustable features.
- In addition, there is a restriction to body sizes and weight for certain types of normal chairs.
Comparison Between Ergonomic Chairs and Normal Chairs
In this section, there will be five categories of comparison between an ergonomic chair and a normal chair. The parameters for comparing them include build quality, design, price and warranty, size and weight capacity, and ergonomic features.
Build Quality
When it comes to build quality, ergonomic and normal chairs both have a unique construction. Ergonomic chair construction consists of leather, mesh, fabric, vinyl, plastic, or a combination of some of these materials. However, the chair’s construction usually provides comfort to the user irrespective of the level of material used.
As for normal chairs, they contain various materials like plastic, metal, wood, or other materials such as acrylic and leather. Some construction involves the combination of multiple materials to improve the design. Both ergonomic and normal chairs can withstand any type of condition and body size.
In addition, some normal chair design allows both indoor and outdoor sitting. This factor contributes to the durability of the chair, Afterall, positioning a chair outside means it needs to be able to withstand the forces of nature. At the same time, an ergonomic chair that allows you to customize it to any level indicates how durable it is to withstand a bigger body size.
Winner: It is obvious that both chairs have top-quality construction. Hence, it is a tie.
Design
The design of an ergonomic chair and a normal chair have several differences, which may be obscure in some cases. The design of an ergonomic chair focuses on an outstanding appearance without neglecting the need for features that contribute to the user’s comfort. These chairs mostly have an aesthetic effect on the setting.
However, the beautiful appearance of ergonomic chairs applies only to certain types, like ergonomic gaming chairs. On the other hand, a normal chair design considers factors like seat height, size, legroom, artistic design, and back support. These factors influence the final design of any normal chair.
Although both ergonomic and normal chairs contain padding, the former has adequate padding in the backrest and seat. This feature may not apply to some normal chair designs containing only a few materials. However, a normal chair can come in different colors and designs to improve its appearance and aesthetic effect.
In addition, normal chair design can fit into more places than ergonomic chairs. The availability of several varieties allows you to pick according to the one you prefer.
Winner: In this category, the normal chair is the winner due to the availability of several types of designs.
Price and Warranty
It is no secret that ergonomic chairs are expensive due to their features. The chairs are affordable but cost more than normal chairs. The higher the number of features on an ergonomic chair, the higher its price. As for normal chairs, they are more affordable because of their simplicity and availability.
However, some normal chairs with superior designs can be more expensive than some low-level ergonomic chairs. Therefore, irrespective of the chair, the construction and availability will influence its cost price.
When it comes to warranty, the warranty of an ergonomic chair and a normal chair depends on the manufacturer. They could have a warranty period ranging from one year to ten years. Therefore, it is best to check the brand and model you have so you can get information about the warranty policy.
Winner: As for pricing and warranty, it is a tie because this category depends on the manufacturer and chair design.
Size and Weight Capacity
Let me use a table to outline the size and weight capacity of an ergonomic and normal chair without wasting time on the details. Although different types and designs fall under them, we will focus on the average of both chairs.
| Type | Sizes | Average Weight | Average Weight Capacity |
| Ergonomic Chair | Medium to large | 37 lbs | 250 lbs |
| Normal Chair | Small to large | 30 lbs | 250 lbs |
From the table above, it is obvious that ergonomic chairs weigh more than normal chairs. Although, this statistic focuses on the average heaviest and lightest sizes of both chairs. Therefore, you could come across a lower and higher design than the value. It all depends on the build quality.
However, an ergonomic chair that serves a similar purpose as a normal chair will weigh more because of its high-density foam padding.
Winner: The winner in this category is normal chairs.
Ergonomic Features
Naturally, an ergonomic chair has more features than a normal chair. But it doesn’t mean a normal chair lacks ergonomic features. The features are only fewer and limited compared to ergonomic chairs. An ergonomic chair will have adjustable features like lumbar support, seat depth, seat height, armrests, and tilt adjustment.
On the other hand, a normal chair will have fixed armrests, seat height, and backrests. However, some normal chairs have swivel functions that allow users more mobility. In addition, some normal chair design, like the rocking chair, helps to give the user comfort due to their unique construction.
Although, an ergonomic chair helps anyone relax better and provides several health benefits. But, you may need to get a normal chair for certain health benefits in locations where you can’t use an ergonomic chair. Plus, normal chairs are perfect for correcting the user’s posture.
Winner: Ergonomic chair is the winner in this category.
Conclusion
Although an ergonomic chair seems better than a normal chair due to its construction, you should recognize that the latter is also essential. Getting a perfect chair should be according to personal needs and preferences. Some normal chairs can meet your needs better than ergonomic chairs in some situations.
Hence, you need to be certain of the chair’s purpose before selecting the one for you. In the end, your comfort and support is the ultimate goal for getting a chair. However, it will be best to review the manufacturer’s information of any chair you will be getting so your spending can be worth it.
