How to Adjust the Height of an Office Chair

Having a fully adjustable office chair will give you a more comfortable and ergonomically correct workspace. Properly adjusting the height of your chair is important; it must be appropriate to your height or you will risk hurting yourself over the long term. Take a few moments to check the height of your chair, even if you think it's comfortable already.

Things You'll Need

• Height-adjustable office chair

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Instructions

• 1

  Stand in front of your chair and adjust the height so that the seat's highest point when horizontal falls right below your kneecap. Do this by pulling up on the height lever, which is usually beneath the seat on either your right or left side within easy reach, while you are sitting on your chair.

• 2

  Sit down in your chair with your feet on the floor.

• 3

  Check that you have about 2 inches of clearance between the front edge of the seat and your calves. This usually cannot be adjusted, but moving the backrest forward or back may give you more room or less as needed. Most adjustable chairs have a dial-type adjustment on the back of the chair for the backrest; turn it in the direction indicated. Other chairs may have a lever beneath the seat that moves forward and back, which adjusts the backrest.

• 4

  Adjust the backrest until it rests comfortably in your lower back. Utilize the same dial on the back of the chair that you found during the previous step.

• 5

  Bend your arms at a right angle and adjust the height of your chair arms so that they rest just below and barely touching your own. On some chairs, you can change the arm height with a dial-type adjustment on the side of the chair arms. Other chairs may have a lever beneath the arm; lift the lever to raise the arms, and push it down to lower them.