A well designed office stool is one of the most critical elements of an ergonomic workstation, after all it will be the piece of furniture you use most throughout the day. Whether sitting in an office stool or office chair, prolonged sitting or standing in the same position throughout the day can cause discomfort and can even lead to unnecessary aches and pains. An ergonomically outfitted workstation coupled with an appropriate office stool to sit in and proper sitting posture can lead to increases in productivity and efficiency. With the vast amount of unique job professions and tasks out there, there are a myriad of office stool solutions designed to fit specific jobs. When deciding between all the different variations of office stools on the market, it is important to figure out what your individual office needs will be and how much time you will be spending sitting in your stool.
Saddle stools are among the most diverse stools out there, and break away from the traditional office stool mold with its distinct seat shape. A saddle stool features a different way of sitting with its seat shaped in the form of a saddle similar to one that you would see on a horse's back. This seating option works best for dentist or medical offices where the ability to sit in one sturdy position is helpful. For example, when a dentist is cleaning a patient's teeth and wants to stay in one place without having to slide around to get comfortable, a saddle stool would definitely be of use. With seat height adjustment and seat angle adjustment, saddle stools are also an ergonomic option as they have quite a few adjustments and aid the user in sitting with proper posture.
If you spend little time sitting down throughout the day and only require a stool for a few hours of usage, then a medical stool would be an adequate seating option. Medical stools are basic stools that come with a fabric, leather, or vinyl seat covering on top of a base with rolling casters. They are budget friendly, simple, easy to get around on, and a great choice if your job does not require much sitting. Medical stools are also compact allowing them to fit in just about anywhere without taking up too much space. As their name implies, these stools are mostly used in medical settings but are often found in schools, file rooms, home offices, and anywhere that an inexpensive seating choice is needed.
Many jobs require the need for seating that will permit the ease of transfer from a sitting position to a standing position in a quick fashion. A sit stand stool allows for quick adjustment from sitting down to standing up with its extended seat height, and occasionally seat angle adjustment. The seat angle adjustment allows for a more ergonomic way of sitting and lets the user adjust from sitting to standing briskly. Sit stand stools are best for use in environments where workers stand for most of the day at higher workstations such as labs, pharmacies, or in production lines where little time is spent sitting.
Some professions call for heavy-duty seating where a typical office chair or stool would not withstand, and damage resistant furniture is required. Industrial stools provide a high quality seating solution for factory, clean-room, laboratory, and other harsh environments where durability, damage resistance, and ergonomic seating support is needed. Most industrial seating stools come with a tough polyurethane material on the seat and back of the chair. Polyurethane withstands stains, spills, rips, and tears; ideal for even the toughest work environments.
Along with the aforementioned stools, there are many other office stools out there that serve a wide variety of purposes. When searching for an office stool, it is essential to know what kind of environment the stool will be used in as well as how ergonomic you need it to be. Also take into account how long you will be spending sitting on the stool everyday to determine ergonomic necessities and how adjustable you will need to the chair to be.