Office chairs are remarkably patient.
They'll put up with years of being sat on, spun around, leaned back in, adjusted incorrectly and occasionally used as a makeshift trolley.
But eventually, enough is enough.
If your office chair could talk, here's what it might be trying to tell you.
"I'm slowly sinking..."
You start the morning at desk height.
By lunchtime, your chin is suspiciously close to the keyboard.
If your chair gradually sinks during the day, there's a good chance the gas lift is on its way out.
The good news? On a quality commercial office chair, that doesn't necessarily mean the whole chair needs replacing. Many good chairs are designed so components can be repaired or replaced.
That's one of the reasons we're big fans of quality commercial furniture — repair the part rather than throw away the whole chair.
"That noise isn't normal."
Squeak.
Creak.
Clunk.
SQUEEEEEAK.
If everyone in the office knows you've arrived because they can hear your chair from three desks away, it may be asking for some attention.
Sometimes it's a simple fix. Other times it's the chair politely announcing its retirement.
"Please stop using duct tape."
We've seen things.
Cable ties.
Tape.
Missing armrests.
Cushions strategically positioned over holes.
Backrests that have developed an alarming amount of independent movement.
There's extending the life of office furniture... and then there's holding it together through sheer determination.
"Have you ever actually adjusted me?"
This is a big one.
We've seen people sit in excellent ergonomic office chairs and complain they're uncomfortable — only to discover they've never adjusted a single setting.
Seat height, seat depth, lumbar support, armrests and recline can make an enormous difference.
A great chair that's badly adjusted can still feel terrible.
Before deciding you hate your chair, spend five minutes working out what all those mysterious levers underneath it actually do.
"We've been together for 15 years. Maybe it's time."
Quality commercial office chairs can last a very long time.
That's exactly why we love them.
But nothing lasts forever.
If the foam has collapsed, the mechanisms are failing and your "black" chair has somehow become three different shades of grey, it might be time to look at replacement options.
That doesn't automatically mean buying brand new.
At George Walkers, we specialise in quality ex-corporate and second-hand office furniture, including commercial ergonomic chairs from well-known manufacturers.
Buying quality used furniture can give you access to a much better chair for your budget while also extending the life of furniture that still has years of use left in it.
Listen to your chair.
Your office chair is one of the most-used pieces of furniture in your workplace.
If you're sitting in it for hours every day, it's worth getting it right.
So tomorrow morning, sit down and listen carefully.
If you hear:
Squeak. Clunk. Hissssss...
Your chair may finally be trying to tell you something.
And if you're suddenly six centimetres shorter than you were when you sat down...
We should probably talk.
