Workplace Ergonomics: How to adjust your office chair

With over 55% of office workers in the UK reporting lower-back discomfort and musculoskeletal disorders costing employers more than £1.5 billion annually, getting your chair dialled in is more important than ever. Mobile devices, hot‑desking and longer screen hours have all changed how we sit—often for the worse. Proper chair adjustment can boost comfort, reduce fatigue by up to 30%, and improve productivity by nearly 17% in prolonged work sessions.

According to Mike Walley, Head of Workplace Experience at Criteo, when employees spend long hours on R&D or development tasks, “having the right equipment to look after them, including their chair, is essential for focus and wellbeing.” In our project with Criteo, we supplied 1,000 ergonomic chairs and produced this concise video guide—showing staff how to fine-tune their seating for lasting comfort and performance.

Mark Phillips, MD at K2 Space, emphasises that “as more organisations embrace workplace wellbeing, attention to ergonomics ensures staff have the right furniture to work efficiently,” highlighting that small adjustments can deliver big gains in health and productivity.

Six Steps to Adjust Your Office Chair

Spending long hours seated can strain your muscles and joints. Proper adjustments to your chair ensure that major muscle groups—like your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back—are supported. By setting up your chair correctly, you maintain spinal alignment, reduce fatigue, and prevent discomfort over the course of a workday.

Step 1 – Seat Height & Feet

Your seat height controls the angle at which your hips, knees, and ankles rest. Getting this right supports your quadriceps and hamstrings evenly, maintains a neutral pelvis, and encourages healthy blood flow through your lower limbs. It also helps keep your gluteal muscles engaged without excessive pressure under your thighs.

• Raise or lower the seat so your hips sit level with or slightly above your knees.
• Aim for feet flat on the floor or a footrest to stabilize your ankles and promote circulation.
• Maintain a knee angle of around 100–110° to balance comfort and support.

Step 2 – Seat Depth

Proper seat depth supports the length of your thighs—particularly your quadriceps—while avoiding pressure behind the knees. Correct depth lets you sit with your back against the backrest so your glutes and hamstrings carry weight comfortably. This protects the popliteal area behind your knee from pinching and helps keep blood vessels and nerves uncompressed.

• Slide forward or back so there’s a 1–2 finger gap between the seat edge and your knees.
• Ensure your entire thigh is in contact with the seat without a hard edge digging into the back of your leg.

Step 3 – Armrest Position

Armrests support your upper body by taking weight off your trapezius and deltoid muscles. Properly positioned armrests keep your shoulders relaxed, reduce tension in your neck, and help maintain a neutral wrist alignment when typing or mousing. They also assist in distributing load through your forearms.

• Adjust height until your elbows form a 90° angle at desk height.
• Position armrests so they’re close enough to the sides of your torso without forcing your shoulders inward.

Step 4 – Backrest & Recline

A dynamic backrest that reclines slightly engages your core and lower back muscles, reducing static load on your lumbar spine. Small degree changes in recline encourage movement, increase blood flow, and help maintain the natural lumbar curve of your spine. This adjustment relieves tension in the erector spinae group.

• Set recline range between 100° and 115° to open your hip angle and shift pressure off your lower back.
• Use intermediate lock positions to alternate between upright focus and relaxed lean.

Step 5 – Tilt Tension

Tilt tension determines how much effort is needed to recline. The right tension setting lets you rock gently, which activates your core and back muscles, aids spinal health, and prevents stiffness. Too loose and you’ll slump; too tight and you can’t recline to relieve pressure.

• Turn the tension knob until you feel moderate resistance—enough to support but not restrict movement.

Step 6 – Lumbar Support

The lumbar curve of your spine needs targeted support to maintain its natural ‘S’ shape. Adjusting the lumbar pad engages the multifidus and deeper spinal muscles, preventing slouching and reducing ligament strain. Proper lumbar support keeps your torso aligned over your pelvis.

• Slide the lumbar pad up or down to fit the small of your back—about 2–3″ above the seat.
• Adjust depth so the pad protrudes gently into your lumbar curve, providing firm but comfortable support.

Need Support with Ergonomic Furniture?

If you’d like guided setup or a full ergonomic overhaul, K2 Space offers a range of services to optimize every workstation:

• Ergonomic Assessments & Consultancy: On-site evaluations, muscle-targeted recommendations, and practical reports.
• FF&E Procurement & Warehousing: Sourcing from top brands, managed delivery, and storage solutions.
• Office Fit-Out & Build: Comprehensive space planning, interior design, project management, and installation.
• Move & Change Management: Coordinated relocations, reconfigurations, and IT transitions.
• Sustainability Strategy: Advice on BREEAM, WELL, and LEED standards—plus eco-friendly furniture options.

With over 25,000 installations across the UK, Europe, and beyond, and partnerships with brands like Steelcase, Vitra, and Herman Miller, our team delivers tailored solutions at any scale.

Contact our experts:
info@k2-space.co.uk
+44 (0)20 7697 4670