Have you ever looked at an office chair and thought, "Wow, this would make my workdays so much more comfortable"? But then you checked the price and almost all of the desire to buy it vanished? Don't worry, you're not alone. The biggest reason why many people hesitate to invest in a quality office chair is because of the price, which--more often than not--can be more expensive than you would expect.
Older generations probably remember office chairs being much less expensive than they are now. However, don't forget to take into account the higher quality that ergonomic office chairs have today.
Today, the average ergonomic desk chair is more comfortable than a regular chair you sat in, say, fifteen years ago. More than that, they are built to adjust to every individual's physical build instead of the one-size-fits-all chairs you're more familiar with.
Still not convinced? Not to worry. In this article, we will be going in-depth into what makes office chairs so expensive nowadays. And, more importantly, why you should invest in a high-quality ergonomic chair for yourself.
Why Are Office Chairs So Expensive These Days?
Today, regular office chairs are still less expensive than their ergonomic counterparts. You can buy an office chair for as little as $50--or sometimes even less. But when it comes to ergonomic chairs, you can expect to spend around $350 to $1,500, depending on the quality, adjustability, and other factors of your ergonomic desk chair.
For most people, $350 is a lot of money to spend on a chair, let alone $1,500. So, what makes a modern ergonomic chair so expensive? Let's find out.
Ergonomics Are More Comfortable & Supportive
Expensive office chairs are expensive for a reason. These ergonomic desk chairs are built to support the human body in the best way possible; they are designed for efficiency and comfort in the typical office environment, where individuals spend most of their time sitting.
To illustrate, ergonomic chairs come with many adjustable features--from seat height to backward and forward tilt. Adjustability is imperative to facilitating good posture, which, in turn, helps prevent body pain that comes with sitting for long periods. Many ergonomic chairs also come with lumbar support, which supports the lower spine to help avoid tension in the lower body.
In other words, these office chairs cost a lot of money because they are built specifically to promote good posture. This, in turn, helps one avoid all sorts of pain (e.g. back pain, knee pain, neck pain, hip pain, etc.), which also has a positive impact on focus, stress levels, and productivity. So, if you want to boost your productivity while preventing the potential consequences of sitting for too long, you need to invest in a high-quality ergonomic chair.
They Use Better Materials Than Ever Before
When looking at expensive office chairs, you will notice that they are made with better materials than the typical office chairs of yesteryears. Whether an office chair is made with leather or mesh, you can almost always expect these materials to last for a long time. As a result, ergonomic chairs cost way more than your typical office chair.
Aside from durability, having high-quality material also contributes to the level of comfort that an expensive office chair can provide. The higher the quality, the more comfortable it will be to sit on your chair for hours. Plus, good-quality material is easier to clean, which is definitely an advantage if you don't want to spend hours cleaning your office chair.
Speaking of cleaning, here's a helpful guide on how to clean an ergonomic chair.
Extended Warranties Protect Your Investment
A warranty is essential for anything that is expected to last long. It is especially important for office chairs that undergo wear and tear almost every day.
Unfortunately, not all chairs come with warranties, but higher-quality office chairs do. In fact, most expensive office chairs nowadays come with extended warranties. Some warranties can even be as long as 12 years! With that length of time, you can rest assured that your investment is protected. And if an ergonomic work chair comes with a 12-year warranty, you can tell just how confident the manufacturer is about the durability of their chairs.
Inflation - Everything Is More Expensive!
Of course, let's not forget about inflation. Everything is more expensive nowadays, so you can't really expect office chairs to be the same price as they were before.
"But inflation shouldn't cause this high of a price increase!"
Consider this - the dollar has risen in price by just about 50%. That means that the same things from 2000 cost 1.5 times as much in 2022.
This, factored in with the reasons above clearly show why ergonomic chairs come with a higher price tag than you may expect.
You Get What You Pay For - Avoid Cheap, Low-Quality Desk Chairs
If you're on a tight budget, there are ergonomic chairs that are cheaper. Some can cost as little as $200, but with this kind of price tag, don't expect great quality. Less expensive office chairs can be okay, but based on our experience, they are not that great for long-term use.
Remember the old adage: you get what you pay for. And this cannot be any truer for office chairs that you use on a daily basis. If you skimp on quality for the sake of saving money, you may experience the following:
Poor Posture
Ergonomic office chairs are designed to facilitate proper posture while sitting. For example, a typical ergonomic chair comes with adjustable armrests, which will allow you to position your arms properly in relation to the height of your desk. This helps you maintain proper sitting posture while typing on your keyboard, which can help avoid wrist pain, shoulder pain, and even the dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome.
A low-quality desk chair will rarely have adjustability, if at all. This makes it difficult for you to maintain good posture while sitting at your desk all day. Of course, we already know what this can lead to: neck pain, hip pain, back pain, and over time, maybe even an injury.
If you're still not convinced, take a look at how an ergonomic chair can help with posture!
Reduced Productivity
When you are in pain, you are less able to focus on your work. As a result, there is a higher tendency to make mistakes and succumb to distractions. It is also more difficult to work efficiently because you are preoccupied with the pain--and with all these negative consequences combined, you also get a ton of undue stress. Who wants to deal with the stress of being in pain on top of actual work stress?
That said, investing in a good ergonomic office chair is not only good for your physical wellbeing--but it is also essential for reducing stress levels, maintaining efficiency, and boosting productivity at work. This is also the reason why a lot of workplaces are looking to replace their regular desk chairs with ergonomic ones; to make their employees happier and more productive, they have to invest in high-quality office ergonomics.
Less Durability
A cheap, low-quality office chair can only last for so long. For one, most cheap office chairs come with built-in plastic casters, which can incur damage quicker than higher-quality wheels. Not only that but these plastic casters are known to damage carpet.
The adjustable parts of a poor-quality ergonomic office chair also tend to break down quicker. For example, if you adjust the backward tilt of your chair frequently, the repeated use of the mechanical parts of the chair will cause faster wear and tear. As a result, you may not be able to adjust your chair as smoothly as before or worse--the adjustable parts of your chair might stop working altogether.
With all this in mind, it's easy to understand why a high-quality office chair is a much more valuable investment in the long run. If you buy a poor-quality office chair, it is likely to break much sooner than a good-quality office chair will. And as a result, you may end up paying the same price as a high-quality office chair that can last at least twice as long.
So, why not invest in an expensive yet high-quality ergonomic office chair instead of wasting money on a cheaper one that will likely break in just a few months?
Why Are Desk Chairs So Expensive? Wrapping Up
As you can see, there are more than a few reasons why today's desk chairs are more expensive. Because they have better ergonomics; are made with high-quality materials, and come with extended warranties, it should be no surprise that they come with a bigger price tag. Simply put, you are getting your money's worth by investing in a superior ergonomic office chair.
All that said, don't sacrifice your physical and mental well-being by choosing a cheaper chair. If you want to make your workdays infinitely more comfortable and productive, invest in a great ergonomic chair from ErgoTune today. With our superior-quality chairs, you won't want to sit in any other chair ever again. Better yet, you get to enjoy a whopping 12-year warranty, which illustrates just how durable these chairs are!
