To help you decide which may be the best posture armchair to suit you, we’ve gathered our favourite supportive chairs.
Chairs for posture: Why we need a good chair
When asking people what it is about armchairs that they like, a typical response is often along the lines of ‘it’s the chair that I always sit in’. People often forget that armchairs don’t just offer great cosy, comfort – they are also good posture chairs. As we age, the need to sit down may increase. Research cited by the British Heart Foundation states that, on average, people between the age of 65 and 75 spend 10 or more hours per day in a sedentary position. By the age of 75+, this number has increased to 11 hours.
Evidently, sitting is an integral part of our lives. Correcting and maintaining a good posture is therefore crucial to ensuring your body can rest in a comfortable position. It’s easy to slip into the habit of slouching whilst you’re watching tv or hunching over to read, but good posture is essential to preventing health issues that can worsen over time.
Finding the best supportive chair for you is a great-starting point in taking care of your body by better positioning your hips and knees to keep a healthier back, as well as increasing your confidence with powerful posture.
Keep reading for trusted advice and practical information on how incorporating a good posture chair into your living room will help to support your overall health from our independent Occupational Therapist Julie Jennings Dip COT HCPC.
Why are supportive chairs important?
Good posture chairs, most often known as ergonomic, are great as they help to prop your body upright to correct your posture. Designed with your posture at the forefront, ergonomic living room armchairs are the most comfortable options for people who want to give their back the best support.
Over time, many of us develop what is known in Occupational Therapist circles as a “comfort posture”. This refers to the most comfortable position we adopt in a particular seat. If your furniture doesn’t support you in a way that encourages correct posture, then your “comfort posture” will be heavily, negatively impacted.
An easy way to understand this is to think back to a time when you’ve had to sit in a chair that you’re not accustomed to. At first, you may have found it an odd, even painful, experience – trying to get used to a different bed or chair. This is because your muscles (and brain) learn the most comfortable position to be in, and when we go somewhere new, our muscles are then challenged while we try to find our new “comfort posture”. This is where having a chair that helps to support the best sitting posture for you is key.
Even once you’ve found the best armchair for posture that suits you, it is usual to experience short-term muscle discomfort as your body adapts to this improved position to rest in. In most cases, this should last no more than two-to-three weeks, and less if coupled with regular exercise and movement.
Why is it crucial to have good chair posture?
When you don’t have the right chair, you’re at risk of developing a multitude of health problems that can worsen over time and impact your quality of life. An unsupportive chair can negatively impact the curvature of your spine by neglecting to support your back and its three natural curves – which in turn will load more stress onto your joints.
Poor sitting posture can lead to increased aches and pains and an increased risk of injury/falls, which will eventually lead to a loss of independence. In addition to this, it can cause problems with digestion, breathing and can contribute to poor circulation and fatigue. As we age, our circulatory system becomes slower, and we are at increased risk of developing pressure sores. Ensuring that your armchair provides good postural support and is suitable for your height, weight and body type can go a long way in decreasing this risk.
However, don’t despair, the good news is that these complications can be avoided by adopting the correct seating position on a supportive chair.
How HSL can help with good posture sitting
To maintain good chair posture, your chair must be comfortable, supportive and fit properly to your position. Here at HSL, we have spent a long time in consultation with our independent Occupational Therapist Julie Jennings Dip COT HCPC, developing and perfecting our Exclusive Chair Fitting Service. This is a highly personal test that assesses your needs to find a chair or sofa that gives you total support. We don’t believe that a ‘one size of chair fits all’.
Our armchairs are designed to support your neck and alleviate joint pain, backache, arthritic conditions and headaches. Our friendly and personable Comfort Specialists will check that each of the following parts of your body are fully supported, giving you unrivalled comfort and encouraging proper sitting posture.
| Hip Position | Bottom fits into the back of the seat. |
| Height | If the seat height is correct, the feet will be flat on the floor. The entire upper leg should also be fully supported so that the knee almost forms a right angle |
| Seat Depth | If the depth of the seat is correct, the calf should gently kiss the leg rest or allow for a flat hand to be placed between the calf and leg rest. |
| Width | The correct width is vital to help spread the weight across the seat. It provides pelvic stability and prevents leaning to one side. |
| Lower Back | The lumbar area; the natural curve in the back, is supported by the chair. |
| Neck and Head | When the neck is supported correctly the head is not forced forward or too high above the back of the chair. |
| Arm Position | Elbows to fingers must be in contact with the arm of the chair. The forearm should be supported with the shoulders in their natural resting position. |
The 6 best armchairs for good posture
Carnaby Armchair
From our Carnaby collection, this ergonomically designed armchair features added extra layers of sumptuous padding on a tall frame. This classic-looking piece is ideal for those searching for increased support for their lumbar region whilst in a seated position. The simple square profile holds reinforced arms to offer a stable platform to lean on, and to help you lift yourself off the armchair. An effortless design lends itself to be a sophisticated addition to your living room layouts, as well as being a supportive chair for your posture.
Eltham Armchair
A high-back armchair lined with a two-tier soft fibre filled back cushion, the Eltham Armchair provides a cosy and secure fit to maintain good posture for your upper body. Concentrating on supporting your head, upper back and lumbar region – this posture chair is expertly designed to alleviate back pain.
Aysgarth Armchair
The Aysgarth armchair is a comfortable posture chair with deep padded back cushions to contour to your spine and maintain posture. A true sanctuary for relaxation, this little armchair looks good whilst keeping your back healthy.
Burrows Classic Armchair
An original piece, the Burrows classic armchair features a top tier cushion to support the head and upper back. 60% of the cushioning is placed at the top to provide firmer support to the head and neck, whilst the other 40% remains at shoulder level to support the natural spinal curves of the upper body.
Penrith Armchair
The support we all need – our Penrith armchair has a 3-tiered back cushion to give you some well-deserved comfort. The armchair is designed with care to make sure that your arms can be rested in a natural position, whilst keeping your feet touching the floor so you can feel completely relaxed.
Ripley Armchair
A reliable high-back chair for maximum support of the spine, the Ripley armchair is one of the most supportive pieces you can get. Luxury fibre-filled back cushions deliver support and security around your spine to help keep good posture.
Where to find us
To find out more details about all of our supportive armchairs, check out our armchair page. Come and speak to us in one of our showrooms or book a free home visit here. Or, contact our friendly customer service team on 01924 507050.
At HSL, your comfort and wellbeing are our top priority; our friendly and personable Comfort Specialists ensure that our posture armchairs offer full support to give you unrivalled comfort to encourage a good posture. We offer a range of practical and comfortable chairs, sofas and beds that have been approved by our Occupational Therapist, Julie Jennings COT HCPC, to support a healthy lifestyle.
