NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — You know, it wasn't all that long ago that so many of us were working from home. The pandemic meant for a lot of people turning that extra bedroom into a home office.
While many people have returned to the office either full time or even part time, a lot of people are still working some from their home.
Even if you don’t work from home every day, you may still be doing it from time to time. Of course, you want to make sure you’re comfortable and you know a few simple upgrades can boost your office—and maybe even your productivity.
“I’ve tried at least six chairs in the last three years,” Rachel Kent who works from home.
Until she finds the right one, Rachel Kent works from an old wooden chair in her home office.
“The wooden chair is not ideal, but it doesn’t cause me lower back pain like the fancy chairs I tried to buy,” said Kent.
To help folks like Rachel find comfort while working from home, Consumer Reports’ ergonomics experts recently evaluated budget office chairs.
“When looking for an ergonomic chair, the one thing I tell people to focus on is adjustability because that's going to allow you to fit the chair to your body,” said Consumer Reports Ergonomics Expert Paul Ritchey.
Consumer Reports says with the Staples Dexley Chair, you can adjust the height, armrests, lumbar and headrest.
If you’re working on a laptop, a stand can raise the top of your screen to eye level so you don’t strain your neck looking down.
The Insignia Ergonomic Laptop Stand requires no assembly or tools to adjust the height.
While using a mouse a wrist rest can keep your wrist in a neutral position to help reduce hand or wrist discomfort. Consider this small and supportive one from Belkin.
And if your feet can’t rest flat on the floor, try a footrest like this option from Mount-It! to bring the floor to you.
“With a footrest, you're going to help support the feet and take some pressure off the underside of the thigh, which you'd find if your feet were just dangling,” said Ritchey.
No matter how long it takes, upgrading your space to fit your needs is worth the “work.”
It's a good idea to try out chairs in the store before you buy them...or if you're shopping online, buy from a site that has an easy return policy in case they don't work out.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com.
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-Rebecca Schleicher
