Is An Armless Office Chair Beneficial At All?

When shopping for a new office chair for yourself or for your staff, one of the choices that you will have to make is whether you opt for a style that includes armrests or one that is armless. Whilst you may think that most people would prefer to sit in a chair that has been fitted with armrests, there will most likely be an equal number of people who prefer armless models. Does the armless office chair offer any benefits, however, that would make it preferable to a style that includes armrests?

• Cheaper: what is often considered the biggest benefit of the armless chair is that they are always considerably cheaper than the armrest equivalent. If you have an overly large office to fitout with furniture on a budget, choosing armless chairs can actually save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.
• Maintenance: when office chairs are subject to damage, the armrests are generally the first thing to go. This is often due to the excessive amount of pressure that is exerted onto them on a daily basis, but also because they stick out and are thin in size. Getting the armrests fixed can also be a complex task in itself, especially if it is under warranty.
• Size: armless office chairs take up considerably less room in your workplace. You can also rest assured with the knowledge that they will always fit beneath your desks, saving you the hassle of having to measure up all of your workstations before going chair shopping.
• Assistance: often, armrests will get in the way of your employees whilst they are trying to complete their day-to-day tasks. If your workstations are set up with the keyboard unde
eath the main desk, armrests get in the way; if you need to slide out of your chair without disturbing anything around you, armrests can get in the way.
• Appearance: often, when people think about office chairs with armrests, images of management and exclusivity come to mind. This is because such chairs are often associated with being part of executive office furniture settings – not what you would find in the bullpen full of everyday workers.

If you are tossing up between armless office chairs or ones that incorporate some armrests for your employees, it is generally recommended that you opt for the armless style. Not only will they save you some money, they will fit in with your employee’s workstations much better and aid in the ergonomics of the space. Whilst there is nothing wrong with using a chair that has armrests, it just cannot compete with the more preferable armless kind.