Should My Office Chair Include Arms?

I am often asked whether or not an Office Chair should be fitted with arms. My own view is that you should have your Office Chair with arms for most normal office use.

Typists and people whose job entails a lot of keyboard work may prefer not to have arms on their Office Chairs. The main reason for this is that it allows them to get closer to the desk and so support their arms and wrists on their desk rather than Office Chair arms.

However with the advance in height adjustable arms on Office Chairs today it is usually preferable to use arms on your chair. Some of the more sophisticated Office Chairs are now available with arms that can be angled inwards and outwards too. With this particular feature it is possible to get your Office Chair close into the desk and still support some of your arms on the Office Chair’s adjustable arm too.

It really is a case of individual preference, but given the choice I always advise having your Office Chair fitted with arms, ideally height adjustable.