You’ve seen the popular quizzes before: Which soda are you? Which Disney villain are you?

Based on preferences, personality traits and quirks, we can all identify with aspects of popular culture. But did you ever consider how those characteristics impact the way we look at office furniture? Stay with us, because it will soon make sense.

Many of us have been working from home for months, and in most circumstances, our work-from-home setup is less than ideal from a comfort and ergonomic standpoint. The same can be said for our office setting.

Finding the right office chair for your style (both your personal and work style) is an important but often overlooked factor in both of those scenarios. Our goal is to help point you in the right direction.

The Hierarchy of the Space, and Where the Chair Fits

For many people, the majority of their work day is spent in a chair, at a desk and in front of a computer screen. It’s the life we lead these days.

Everything revolves around the chair; it’s the piece of furniture you use most often and rely on most heavily. As a result, it absorbs a lot of wear along the way.

“We should be thinking about tailoring our workspace around the chair,” said Jeremy Tinkler, Manager, Product Marketing for The HON Company. “In these times, it’s all about the chair. We know that sitting all day isn’t great, and also, standing all day isn’t great. Finding the right chair to ergonomically support that middle ground is where the market is going.

“Chairs need to be supportive; they need to be comfortable, and they need to be able to keep you going throughout the day while avoiding unnatural postures.”

The shifting work landscape has resulted in companies and employees thinking differently about the office chair. It’s become so much more than just a chair.

“It’s an investment in your health,” Tinkler said. “Sitting at a hardwood table in a hardwood chair for hours a day is going to have negative impacts down the road. Those chairs aren’t designed for that. Companies are now thinking about chairs in a new way, and they’re thinking about what the right investment is in their chairs.

“For example: how much money do people spend on a recliner? You’re going to be sitting in an office chair longer than you’re sitting in any in-home furniture.”

How to Find the Right Chair for You and Your Style

In an office setting, different people will have different working styles. At home, you may have a work style that varies from your spouse, your roommate, your child, etc.

A chair can fit your style, whether it’s the aesthetic of your home or the way in which you like to work. Let’s look at three types of working styles and how to find the best chair for each.

The Determined Worker: You come into work, whether it’s at home or in the office, and get things done. You don’t like distractions and aren’t a huge fan of numerous features. You want a comfortable chair that supports you throughout the day while you’re working. For you, we recommend the Nucleus chair. Nucleus is one of the industry’s most comfortable office chairs, and it will allow you to stay focused.

The Dependable Worker: You’re focused on being a reliable worker who will deliver on what you’re asked to do, every time. HON’s Ignition 2.0 chair is the ideal choice for dependability, Tinkler said: “This chair has stood the test of time. It’s been around for 11 years and was refreshed in 2017 to accommodate changing preferences. It’s going to do exactly what you need it to do, and all you need to think about is what you have to accomplish during the work day.”

The Easygoing Worker: You aren’t fazed by much. For the more relaxed worker, HON recommends the Convergence chair. Convergence provides the right combination of value and quality that you would expect from a commercial-grade product, and it also comes at a price point that appeals to a value-oriented customer.

“Convergence doesn’t necessarily stand out, but it will always be the chair that flies under the radar while providing some of the best comfort that HON has today,” Tinkler said.

What Makes the Ideal Office Chair?

In addition to your work style, identifying characteristics that matter most (to you and your company) are key in finding that perfect chair.

If you’re working from the office, ask this question: is the focus on value, and finding the best chair available without breaking the bank? Or is it about simplicity and a chair with mass appeal that helps you get the job done?

This also depends on the application. A modern office with younger workers may prefer chairs that are statement pieces and provide an elevated office experience, while more traditional settings may feature workers at assigned spaces who simply want comfortable solutions.

Work-from-home users will want to integrate the design of their chair into the home, whether they have a dedicated office space, or they’re rolling a chair up to the kitchen table.

“In the home setting, most people want a chair that looks like it should be in their home and that vibes with their furniture,” Tinkler said. “This chair should be adaptable and ready for changing needs—working, taking care of things around the house, tending to the kids. The home office chair should allow the user to switch between priorities as the days are pretty dynamic.

“We cannot let comfort slide—it’s the primary driver of what makes a chair the right chair.”

For more information on HON’s offering of office chairs and how to find the chair that’s right for you, please visit hon.com.