Keeping employees comfortable while they work is an important aspect of keeping them happy. In general, happy employees are more productive employees, so ensuring the happiness of employees makes good business sense. Although managers have little control over employees’ moods, there is a good deal that they can do to make employees comfortable while they work. One important way to achieve this is by providing the right furniture, with chairs being among the most important furnishings. Those responsible for furnishing an office have a few options when it comes to chairs. Employees tend to favor mesh chairs in particular, so office furniture buyers should consider these. Before going out and purchasing mesh chairs, buyers should be familiar with both the benefits and the features of mesh chairs. Some features do a better job than others do with respect to providing the benefits that employees love about mesh chairs. Therefore, buyers are more likely to purchase the right mesh chairs for their employees if they understand both the benefits and features of mesh chairs. The Benefits of Mesh Chairs Keeping employees comfortable at work is important toward productivity and morale. If employees feel physically distressed, they are more likely to work below their potential. Providing employees with the right chairs is one way to ensure that they are comfortable, and mesh office chairs have a number of advantages over upholstered chairs. Being familiar with the benefits of mesh chairs helps office managers to understand why employees love these types of chairs and underscores the importance of furnishing an office with them. 1. Ventilation The primary benefit that mesh chairs offer is their ventilation. The mesh design on the chairs back enables airflow along an employee’s back, helping to keep employees cool as they sit and work. Fully upholstered chairs trap heat coming off employees bodies along their backs, causing the employee to sweat. Having a damp back is uncomfortable to many people. By ventilating a person’s back, a mesh chair keeps that person cool, dry, and feeling fresh. Just as many people prefer to wear sandals in warm weather in order to keep their feet dry, employees prefer to sit in mesh chairs in order to keep their backs dry. 2. Minimal Maintenance Not only does a cooler back keep an employee drier and more comfortable, but the lack of sweat also results in less maintenance for the chair. Sweat can soak into upholstery, staining it and embedding an unpleasant odor over time. This is not an issue with mesh chairs. Since the backs of employees stay dry, there is little need to clean mesh chairs to keep them looking and smelling good. Many employees prefer as clean of an environment as possible, so the cleanliness of mesh chairs is a big appeal. 3. Durability It may be difficult to believe, but the thin fabric seat backs on mesh chairs are quite durable. The fabric is woven tightly and is strong as a result, taking many years to wear down. By contrast, fully upholstered chairs can receive tears in their upholstery and the padding can flatten, making these chairs both worn-looking and uncomfortable. Many mesh chairs also use rigid plastic or metal frames to hold the mesh weave and these components enhance the durability of these chairs. Employees enjoy feeling like they are using new furniture and the extended durability of mesh chairs lends this feeling to employees over a long period of time. 4. Style The style of mesh chairs is also appealing to employees. Mesh chairs have a modern look, thanks to their slim profiles. They are minimalist in appearance and furnishing an office with them helps to create a feeling that the office is on the cutting edge. The decor of an office matters to many employees, so outfitting the office with mesh chairs is a good way to create the kind of modern-feeling environment that many employees appreciate. 5. Support Another important benefit of mesh chairs is the support they provide to those seated in them. Most mesh chairs are ergonomically shaped, with the mesh back curved in a way that it forces an employee to sit with good posture. This ergonomic design helps keep employees comfortable throughout a working day, preventing the kind of back soreness that can negatively affect employees’ performances. Most mesh chairs are also highly adjustable and employees like being able to customize their chairs to fit their seating preferences. The adjustability of mesh chairs also helps ensure that they provide maximum support no matter the dimensions of the person sitting in them. Mesh Chair Features Once they understand the reasons why employees love mesh chairs, those responsible for furnishing an office can begin to shop for these chairs. It is important that they pay attention to certain features of mesh chairs, though, to ensure that they buy ones that should make employees comfortable and happy. Seat-Back Height Mesh chairs have three different options for seat-back heights: low-back, mid-back, and high-back. The table below explains the characteristics of each of these options. Seat-Back Height Characteristics Low-Back Top of the seat-back usually ends just below the employee’s shoulder blades; Seat-backs are for the type of work where employees are active at their desks and constantly leaning forward Mid-Back Come up to the shoulders or just below; Are for employees who need a good deal of back support over the course of a working day; Ideal for employees typing on computers most of the day High-Back Come up over the shoulders and may even feature a headrest; Are usually executive chairs, adding additional comfort for constant meetings and frequent solo brainstorming sessions The nature of employees’ day-to-day responsibilities largely determines which back height levels are appropriate for them, making it relatively easy to make buying decisions regarding this feature. Adjustability Many mesh chairs are highly adjustable and, as mentioned above, this is important to providing enough support for employees. It should at least be possible to adjust the height of the chair’s seat to accommodate different leg lengths. Some mesh chairs also feature adjustable seat-backs, enabling employees to slide them up and down along a rail. It may also possible to adjust the amount that employees can lean back in a chair as well as the heights of armrests. It should also be possible to adjust headrest levels for those chairs that have headrests. Weight Capacity One important feature to pay attention to is weight capacity. Mesh chairs have a maximum weight that they are designed to hold and this number can vary from chair model to chair model. All sellers of mesh chairs should make this information available to buyers because purchasing a chair with inadequate weight support can result in a broken chair and an unhappy employee. Seat Dimensions Mesh chair sellers are likely to list a handful of dimensions for a chair, but an important one to look at is the dimension of the chair’s seat. This should be given in terms of length, width, and depth. Employees should be able to comfortably fit onto the seats of their chairs. Extra seat space is fine, but too little is not. Seat depth also gives a good indication of how well-padded the seat is, an important factor in determining how comfortable the chair is. Rotation Many mesh chairs are able to rotate to some degree. Some may only turn 90 degrees to both the left and to the right (totaling 180 degrees), while others may be able to rotate the full 360 degrees. Employees tend to like chairs that rotate all the way around, though this may not be necessary for certain offices.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 17:27:12 +0000
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