Office chair with vs without arms: which is better?

When choosing office desk chairs, you have to decide upon a number of features, one of which is whether you want the chair to have armrests or not. There are various advantages to chairs with arms and also without arms. Here are some considerations when deciding whether your office chairs should include or not include armrests.

Chairs With Arms

Chairs with arms do provide support for the user and are generally more ergonomically sound. They help place the body in the right ergonomic position, and they also help prevent pressure on the hips and lower limbs, as the armrests can support around 10 percent of the body's weight.

Chair arms can also assist people in getting out of the chair. They provide the support needed to hold on when getting out of the seat. This is especially helpful for pregnant women, larger people or people with physical injuries.

However, armrests are only ergonomically sound if they're positioned properly. In some cases, using armrests can cause the shoulders to shrug upward and create strain on the muscles in the neck, shoulders and back. Sometimes, for whatever reason, the armrests are adjusted so that one arm sits higher than the other, and this would obviously also cause strain, as the body is unbalanced.

Another point to consider is that, if the chair is positioned properly in relationship to the workstation, armrests really are not necessary, because the arms sit at a proper height. However, some people like the armrests and like to use them to sit back from the workstation and rest throughout the day, which is a great idea.

The best scenario is to have adjustable armrests, as in the InStockChairs Ergonomic All-Mesh Office Chair With Flip-Up Armrests.

Chairs Without Arms

Chairs without arms are sometimes preferable because they allow the user to set closer to the workstation. Sometimes, the armrests are so large that they prevent the user from sitting close enough to the desk.

Chairs without arms also take up less space. This would be a consideration in a call center, where many workstations need to fit, in situations where people are working side-by-side at a large conference or countertop desk, or any other situation where space is a concern.

Chairs without arms also allow the user to sit in many positions. It's not necessarily ergonomically correct, but some people sit with their legs curled underneath them or sideways. An office chair with arms would not provide that flexibility.

Chairs without arms are also generally a bit less expensive than chairs with arms, so this might be an advantage for some buyers.

A few good armless choices from InStockChairs include the Antimicrobial Vinyl Desk Chair, which offers lumbar support, back tilt and height adjustment and a padded seat, and the 400-Pound Capacity Big and Tall Armless Desk Chair, which has a wide and deep seat as well as height adjustment, and adjustable backrest, a swivel base and pneumatic height adjustment.

Sources:

https://ergonomics.co.uk/blogs/news/the-office-chair-to-armrest-or-not-to-armrest

https://officechairtrends.com/office-chair-with-vs-without-arms-which-one-is-better/