Can You Use an Armchair as a Desk Chair?

Another day, another Pinterest trend. Using an armchair as your desk chair is something that is currently floating around the Internet, but How efficient and ergonomically correct is it really? Can you use an armchair as a desk chair?

Today we’re going to be looking at different types of office chairs, specifically the armchair, and how to use them as a desk chair in a ergonomically safe and productive way. Office chairs are one of those items that we don’t think a lot about in the office. They play an incredibly important role within our workspace, but they might be the least thought about design feature. We’re going to change that.

In short, using your armchair as a desk chair can work. There are some that work better than others. But with the right material and structure, you can absolutely use an armchair as your desk chair.

And there are some caveats for ones that you shouldn’t use just simply because they’re going to end up being more uncomfortable than they are cute.

We will first go over the different kinds of desk chairs out there, and then why an armchair of a certain sort is a great substitute.

The reason that we discuss all of these different kinds of chairs is so that when you’re looking at purchasing or using an armchair as your office chair, you can look at the different styles and notice similarities within them, in order to pick a chair that is comfortable, functional, and best for your purpose.

If you begin to look aimlessly at different armchair styles without having in mind the different aspects that you need to have for your office chair you might end up with an armchair that’s really pretty but not all that comfortable or conducive to long hours.

So if you are looking to find a comfortable and also great looking chair here are some options you might want to consider.

Chair types that work great for your home office.

Ergonomic chairs are specifically designed to hold your back in a neutral posture. And are really great for people spending long hours in their chair.

They can be costly because of the ergonomic factors and the engineering that goes into these chairs, but you don’t have to buy them very often and they are specifically optimized for back pain poor posture and spine issues.

The first ergonomic chair was created in 1976. It was designed to provide both comfort and support, and it was the first chair where you could adjust the height and lumbar support.

Executive office chairs are the next kind we’re going to talk about. Out of all the office chairs these usually look the grandest, fitting the name, they’re designed to appear pretty imposing.

They are heavily cushioned, have a high back, and are often made of leather. These are typically akin to what you would call the Cadillac’s of office chairs considering some of the more expensive brands and styles come with extras like heating pads and massaging heads. No really, they do!

Next, we have the mesh office chair. Mesh office chairs are designed to be breathable and comfortable. The back rest is all net fabric usually with some kind of back support in the middle and cushioned seat. A lot of these crossover into the ergonomically minded chairs but are better for people who get warmer when they work.

There are other styles of office chairs but often they are an offshoot of any of the chairs lifted above.

 

When considering an armchair as office desk chair don’t go only be the design or color.

 

A great looking chair might be just that – looking great in your room. But if you want to use your chair on a daily basis as office desk chair you may find out pretty fast that it will not work.

That is probably the reason why so many people don’t love the chairs that they use.

People are sitting an average of 7.7 hours a day according to inc.com. Some people even sit up to 15 hours a day exclamation points a survey by Ergotron found that 7 out of 10 people hate sitting. It makes you begin to wonder, if it is, in fact, the chairs and not the sitting that people hate.

There are a couple big problems with the chairs that we utilized for the tasks that we use them for. Office chairs that are not ergonomically optimized actually can be linked to a myriad of health problems on a whole-body scale.

Blood clots, low metabolism, increased risk of diseases are all conditions connected to too much sitting. It’s often because chairs don’t allow for a lot of movement and they cut you off in the wrong spots.

Occasionally your leg circulation can be affected or the blood flow of your spine can be negatively impacted with certain chairs.

One of the most common things you’ll hear associated with desk job problems, is that they find that they have a lot of back pain. It’s a combination of pressure on the spine and compression of the spinal discs.

A poorly designed chair can make it easy to slouch, compounding the problem already in existence. Another reason is that chairs are not as adjustable as you need them to be. If you have a very nice chair, a very expensive chair, you may be able to make all the adjustments that you need.

However, if you scale down a level an get a less expensive chair you might only have a few adjustments, which can actually be less customizable than your average armchair. Lastly, chairs can be heavy, bulky, and not always fit where you need them to. If you’ve ever sat at a desk, you probably understand the issue of your armrests bumping into your desk. It’s just not ideal.

But enough with bad news. There are armchairs that work very well as office  desk chair if you consider some important points.

 

How your armchair can work as a desk chairs

This is the reason that cute and functional armchairs are becoming so popular. You can not only customize your seat with a different cushion or a pillow, but you’re overall very comfortable.

Of course, all of the checkmarks need to be hit, for instance are you still sitting up straight, does the chair prevent you from slouching, do you have the appropriate knee-to-floor ratio, but ultimately these can be incredibly comfortable options.

One woman on apartmenttherapy.com even discovered that her previous office chair’s aches and pains disappeared when she started using an armchair. With no fancy armchair to speak of, she ended up using an oversized chair from her husband’s Bachelor pad days.

A huge plus of this setup is that one can sit up right at the end of the chair while typing, but while reading or thinking they can scoot back and lean into the chair’s embrace. It ended up being incredibly multi-functional and very comfortable for her purpose. Really, the only issue here to be weary of is making sure you don’t fall asleep during zoom calls.

Another great part about using an armchair as an office chair is that it looks really nice. It’s a great way to integrate your office setup into a setting like your living room.

You can have a desk in a nook or a corner and have the armchair double as both a chair in your actual living room only to turn around and be fully functioning as your office chair.

With so many people working from home nowadays, it’s incredibly useful to have an office setup that functions as your office during the day and is easily stowed away when the work is done.

Armchairs accomplish this by turning away from your desk when you’re finished and returning to their rightful position as a comfortable chair in which use it to watch TV or unwind reading a good book.

See also our article WHAT IS THE BEST ERGONOMIC HOME OFFICE SETUP? and SHOULD I SET UP A HOME OFFICE WITH A TV?

What  Are The Pitfalls of Using An Armchairs As A Desk Chair?

There are a few things to concern yourself with if you are trying to find an armchair that serves as your office chair.

Sometimes, the armchair that you think would look best, or that you already have, may actually be problematic for your posture. While there are some armchairs that serve as office chairs and help promote ergonomic sitting there are some that encourage bad habits and can actually be too comfortable.

Getting too comfortable in your chair is just as much of an issue as not being comfortable enough in your chair. The goal is to sit up straight, be comfortable, not have your back fatigue, but also feel official enough to keep you awake and engaged.

Remember, the best stylish office chairs are the ones that help you do your job the best.

Whether this is a fancy armchair or a sensible office chair, both are completely understandable options to help you do the best work possible. Pinterest trends are great, but the best idea is to find what works for you.

Try out an old office chair before you invest in a new one. If you’re going the armchair route, test out one you already have to make sure you like it before you buy the perfect armchair for a work environment.

This process is about trial and error. It’s not about finding what’s listed as the most comfortable office chair or the best stylish office chair, but about finding what serves as the best office chair for you, even if that office chair, isn’t an office chair at all.