Chances are good if you manage an office workspace, you already provide ergonomic chairs for your in-office employees (or you should!). A well-designed chair delivers both comfort and health-friendly support. The shift to working from home, however, hasn’t been easy on the backs, arms and legs of workers who divide their time between the office and working from home. Dining chairs, kitchen stools and even inexpensive office chairs found online simply aren’t designed to give remote workers proper ergonomic support for hours at a time.

The result? Sore lower backs, tired arms and stiff necks. Most people have experienced physical discomfort at work and know it leads to reduced productivity and less focus. And employees who experience back pain are also more likely to suffer from depression and chronic fatigue, which also significantly affects motivation and time management.

Here’s what to look for in an ergonomic chair built for work. Some of these may be familiar, but they really can be game changers. Ask anyone who’s made the extra investment: they’ll tell you what a difference it made in not just their workday comfort, but the better rest they get at night because they aren’t tossing and turning to alleviate aggravated pressure points.

1. Exceptional lumbar support

Adjustable lumbar support, which fills in the space between the chair and the spine, supports the natural inward curve of the back and is an essential feature of any task chair. Properly configured, the chair should firmly fit flush against the lower back. Without lumbar support, the tendency is to slouch, pushing the lower back outward, which causes fatigue and pain. Many of HON’s task chairs—the Convergence line, for example—provide this feature. Several HON task chairs also provide a breathable 4-way stretch mesh back to further cradle your spine.

2. Adjustable Arms

How you sit goes beyond your back—proper position of your arms matters, too. An individual’s arms and wrists should extend straight out from the forearms at the same height as the computer keyboard and mouse. Height and width adjustable arms should move up-down and inward-outward to provide additional shoulder and upper body support. You’ll find adjustable arm support on HON Solve chairs, among others.

3. Intuitive Support

Everyone is built differently, which is why one-size-fits-all seating isn’t conducive to comfort or productivity. A task chair that offers a smart seat design is a great place to start when it comes to personalized support. Nucleus® puts science into seating. Thoroughly tested with innovative pressure mapping, this collection's unique hammock seat design ensures even weight distribution, ultimately redefining the way you sit. With suspended knit fibers stretched over a contoured metal wire frame and a light foam molded over the top, Nucleus’s seat ensures all-day comfort and exceptional support.

4. Customized Controls & Aesthetics

There’s no question: Fussy chair mechanisms interrupt project progress and interferes with posture. We’ve got a solution for that! Cipher lets you focus on the task at hand instead of being distracted by clumsy mechanisms and constant adjustments. Its comfort-first design features weight-activated functionality and easy-access controls integrated into the seat —so no matter what you’re doing, you’ll have the support you need. And with vibrant Colorwav™ lumbar and arm accents or distinctive contrast stitch options, you get to choose the subtle details that bring Cipher — and your space— to life.