Your office chair provides more than a place to sit. The design and materials can have a direct impact on your productivity. Of course, you want a chair that matches your office space, conveying a cohesive presentation to clients and coworkers. But most important, you want a chair that offers support and comfort. After all, if you’re working eight hours per day, you’ll be spending an awful lot of time in that chair

Fortunately, there are literally hundreds of office chair designs and styles from which to choose, and finding one that looks good AND offers support and comfort is as close as a click of your mouse.

Choosing and Office Chair

When selecting your office chair, first consider the task you’ll be performing when using the chair. Executive-style chairs usually offer armrests, and are good for most office work; but chairs, like Boss Microfiber Task Chair or the Boss Contoured Comfort Drafting Chair, offer free range of motion for your hands and arms while supporting your back and shoulders, and can be ideal choices for tasks that are keyboard-specific, or drafting related.

When space allows, consider adding a task chair, like the Boss Drafting Stool with Adjustable Arms or the Boss Mesh Back Task Chair, in addition to your regular office chair. These chairs can offer better support than traditional desk chairs for computer work and other tasks, and can make an ideal complement to your office suite.

Where space is at a premium, a low-profile stool, like the Boss Caressoft Medical Stool, can be a comfortable and convenient alternative. The Topstar Sitness 20 Balance Point Stool offers both portable storage and a unique design that improves posture and tones your abdominal muscles while you’re sitting.

The material is also an important consideration. Cloth, leather, mesh or synthetic, office chairs come in a variety of materials, and usually, the material you choose is a matter of taste. Leather-like synthetics are easy to clean and maintain, while leather offers a rich elegance that proclaims "executive" a mile away. Mesh chairs can be a good option for providing airflow and circulation, and many mesh chairs offer a unique, supple feel.

Stationary Office Chairs

Stationary office chairs are good choices for additional seating, offering a comfortable spot for clients to relax during meetings. Once again, you can select a client or guest chair that suits your own office style. For more traditional, buttoned-down office spaces, consider the Traditional Executive Black Leather Guest Chair or easy-care Boss LeatherPlus Guest Chair.

More contemporary spaces will benefit from choices like the Boss Black Leather Reception or Guest Chair, or the Caressoft Reception Box Arm Chair, with its modern, streamlined contours. The Boss Steel Frame Fabric Guest Chair is available in a selection of colors, to blend in with your décor or offer a point of contrast to your regular office suite.

The Office Star Traditional Visitors Chair is offered with and without casters, making it an ideal choice for offices that do double-duty as impromptu meeting spaces. Easily mobile, these chairs are also a good choice for offices that require collaboration of more than one employee, allowing easy maneuverability from one work space to another.

Or conserve space with the Boss Contemporary Mesh Stacking Chair. Stacked when not in use, these lightweight but sturdy chairs can make the most of a small office. Likewise, the Boss Black Joinable Waiting Chair can conserve space by allowing close, row-like seating for meetings and presentations.

Office Chair Style

And of course, style is important. Whether your office is contemporary, traditional, casual or corporate, there’s an office chair that will be an ideal complement to your space.

The Boss Traditional Banker's Office Chair works especially well in home offices which may double as dining rooms, guest rooms, or other spaces within the home. Its wooden frame and slate back blend in with most décor themes, and the casters can even allow it to serve as extra seating during large gatherings.

Similar in design, the Office Star Deluxe Wooden Bankers Chair offers the same clean lines but without the arms, and the matching Office Star Wood Bankers Chair with Padded Seat offers the advantage of cushioning where it matters most. Another excellent choice for the home office is low-profile Newport Country-style Home Office Black Chair, offering a compact design that saves space.

Among executive-style chairs, the Traditional High-back Executive Oxblood Swivel Chair is perhaps the most recognizable. Its rich leather upholstery with button tufting is about as traditional as it gets. The Boss Leather Ergonomic Executive Office Chair is more contemporary in its design, and is crafted to ensure you get support where you most need it. Looking for something really modern? Check out the Manhattan Terracotta Swivel Chair, with lines straight out of the Museum of Modern Art.

Whatever your style and preference, an office chair can offer comfort as well as style. Take your time and choose wisely and your back AND your bottom-line will thank you.