Sitting in a comfortable chair is one of American’s favorite pass times…..but if the chair doesn’t fit correctly, that can be a big problem! You may ask, "Why wouldn’t a chair be comfortable?"
Typically the comfort comes with the correct fit. American Chairs on average are made to fit people that are 5’8……so if you are near that number, it probably works for you, giving you good back support and neck support. But, if you are 5’2, it probably just doesn’t fit the way you wish it would. Maybe your head is forced down due to the neck placement or maybe your feet do not touch! It is like having a size 10 shoe, but you wear a size 6 ! It just doesn’t fit!
You need to be ‘fit ‘ to a chair?
Our bodies come in all different sizes….a longer torso, shorter upper legs and long legs from the knees down. Each of these measurement can vary from person to person!
The seat back, seat depth and heights off the floor can come all different…so we try to find the perfect fit so your body has correct support!
Doesn't that make a lot of sense. Most people don't think about that when they purchase a new chair?
I head about it all day, when people come to find the new one and they still act like it is a mystery to why they are not comfortable!
Well, if they have talked to me or my staff, they will be fit to a chair or recliner and explained to them why we are showing them the choices we do. There are health benifits, longevity enhancers and comfort outcomes to having a chair that fits you correctly! We look at their height and then show them the chair that will fit them. The back needs to be tall enough to fit, especially with a recliner! The seat depth can not be to deep or they will not have lower back support. The height of the seat is very important so that they keep their feet on the floor! Dangling feet is not comfortable!
Is the height the key to helping us get up and out of our chair?
Yes, it is so important to be low enough to keep your feet on the floor, but not too low that it makes it difficult to get our of the chair! As we age, it is harder to get up, especially if we are low in a cushion that doesn’t give enough support!
So what can be done if you have shorter legs and getting up from a low position is difficult?
There are 3 things….
Make sure the cushion is giving you good support and not letting you sink in too much!
Have a stable chair, one that doesn’t move much, like rocking or swivel. That motion makes it more difficult to stand!
Consider a chair that the seat will actually raise up so that you are in a higher position to stand! We call these a lift chair, but they are used by all ages. Many of these chairs offer the motion where the seat goes straight up, different than a regular lift chair which tilts you out. This allows you to get a couple inches higher so that standing is much easier! Even tall people like this feature! Pulling on someone’s arm to help them stand is just not a good idea for either person!
That Is a great option for people have difficulty getting out of a chair! Thank you Kathy for helping us understand the importance of chair height!