How Long Do Office Chairs Last: Things You Need To Know

One of the furniture items in your workspace that gets the most use is your office chair. To enable you to work as efficiently as possible, it must be both comfortable and fully functional. Unfortunately don’t last forever. Your reliable office chair will eventually need to be changed. So how frequently should office chairs be replaced? Numerous factors can affect this. Every 7-8 years, on average, an office chair needs to be replaced. However, each chair is unique.

Your home office shouldn’t look shabby, so obvious wear and tear is a good excuse to replace your chair! Wear and tear can have an impact on your posture in addition to affecting how the chair looks. It’s definitely time for a replacement when your office chair starts to compromise health and safety.

How Long Do Office Chairs Last?

One of the furniture items in your workspace that gets the most use is your office chair. To enable you to work as efficiently as possible, it must be both comfortable and fully functional. Unfortunately, they are not eternal. Your dependable office chair will eventually need to be replaced. Then how frequently should office chairs be changed? Numerous factors can affect this. On average, an office chair should be replaced every 7-8 years. However, every chair is unique.

You shouldn’t want your home office to look shabby, so obvious wear and tear is a good excuse to replace your chair! The chair’s appearance isn’t the only thing that can be impacted by wear and tear; your posture is one example. It’s definitely time for a replacement when your office chair starts to compromise health and safety.

Factors Affecting An Office Chair’s Longevity

Construction

construction supplies. Cheap plastic furniture will disintegrate more quickly than aluminum furniture. Although they are much less common, one made of metal or wood will last longer. Even among plastics, some varieties last longer than others.

Construction quality. A chair that is expertly crafted and subjected to rigorous quality control will last a lot longer than one that is produced in large quantities in an unregulated factory in China. The chair’s overall lifespan can be significantly impacted by even minor flaws in the materials or manufacturing process.

Usage

Duration. A chair will last longer if it is used for four hours a day, five days a week, than if it is used for eight hours a day, seven days a week, and it will last longer still if it is used for multiple shifts by various people for twenty hours a day, every day. A shorter lifespan results from increased usage because it causes more wear and tear and accumulated damage.

Environment. A chair that spends the majority of its time in a dirty warehouse or machine shop is not going to last as long as one that is kept in a tidy office. A chair can at the very least become much less comfortable to sit in if dirt and grime manage to get into the fabric and cushions. The gas spring, the casters, and the adjustment levers are just a few examples of the chair’s mechanisms that can become contaminated with dirt and grime over time and eventually become stiff and fail. The type of individuals using the chair is another environmental factor. Office workers in slacks are less likely to harm a chair than a construction supervisor who may be wearing grubby, rough jeans, a tool belt with sharp objects, or other items.

Fabric resilience. Different fabrics have different lifespans. Leather chairs can last for decades or even centuries with the right maintenance. Unlike faux-leather chairs. According to the fabric’s quality, chairs made of fabric can last for a very long time. While some mesh compositions are extremely durable, others can wear out and run over time. Stain and odor resistance might also be something to consider.

Care and maintenance. A chair will last longer if it is properly maintained. The durability of a chair can be increased by replacing casters before they break, replacing a gas spring as it degrades, lubricating moving parts, and maintaining clean upholstery.

Tips for Making Your Office Chair Last

Regularly Vacuum the Chair

Office chairs tend to accumulate a lot of grime and dust, which over time can eat away at the upholstery of your chair and cause it to lose cushion and comfort. Your office chair’s lifespan and cleanliness can both be improved with regular vacuuming.

Use Oils and Cream on the Leather

Leather chairs can be cleaned with a regular vacuum as well, but they will last longer if you also wipe them down and use saddle soap or leather cream afterward. One of the most long-lasting chair materials is leather; when combined with routine care, you have a chair that will last a lifetime.

Take Care of Wheels and Caster

Your chair’s wheels bear the majority of the weight and are prone to accumulating hair or dust. The wheels can be kept from breaking or becoming loose by vacuuming or blowing them dry with a can of compressed air. Lubrication plays a significant role in extending the life of your office chair. Spray on them roughly every six months to keep them functioning properly.

Signs Your Chair Needs Replacement

The Warranty is Almost Up.

The warranty is almost up, which is one of the main justifications for replacing a chair. You might want to replace the chair if it has wear and tears from use and the warranty is about to expire so you can make use of it. Naturally, this is contingent upon your ability to replace the chair under warranty. Many chair warranties cover flaws and some types of damage, but they won’t cover a chair that has only been used once.

There Are Visible Cracks Or Tears in the Chair.

A chair’s fabric should, at the very least, be replaced if there are any tears in the upholstery or holes in the fabric. Although high-quality leather, once damaged, may be difficult or impossible to repair, a leather chair can frequently be fixed. Due to its use, mesh, like the mesh backs of some high-end office chairs, is frequently the last fabric to be used on a chair. The ability to tear and run remains, though. In some chairs with supportive mesh, a tear can compromise the ergonomic performance.

It is the seat cushion that tears most frequently. The fabric can become harmed in this area as a result of abrasion, sharp objects in pockets, and buttons on clothing. While it is possible to fix rips and runs in a seat cushion’s fabric by replacing the upholstery, in some cases doing so is just as expensive as purchasing a new chair. It all depends on how willing you are to shell out cash to fix a chair that already exists.

Your Chair is No Longer Comfortable to Sit In.

One of the more typical methods for determining when a chair needs to be replaced is subjective. Are you finding the chair uncomfortable now? A chair may start to malfunction gradually over time without your knowledge. Once you’ve adjusted it to your liking, it may be stiffer or looser than it was when you first got it. It might be squeaky or creaky and loose. Wheels can squeak, which results in a less relaxing experience, one where you’re more likely to feel stressed, sit in a less ergonomic position, and one where you’ll likely experience lower productivity and back pain.

Due to factors outside of the chair’s control, you might now find yourself uncomfortably uncomfortable. Changes in your body’s natural posture, for instance, may result from shifting life circumstances. Simply because of how your own life is changing, a chair might need to be replaced. That’s okay too; it just means the chair is still usable and can be given to someone else to use.

The Cushion of the Chair is Compressed.

In almost all cases, the “soft” parts of a chair are the first parts to go. Compared to the seat cushion, the chair’s frame will last much longer. Similar to how a pillow loses its fluff after being used for some time, the seat’s foam can become compressed over time.

If you know how to reupholster a piece of furniture, you can replace this component of the chair. However, you might have trouble finding the same fabric and cushion type as the chair you currently own.

The Mechanisms Are No Longer Tight and Stable.

Any component that moves or is adjusted, or that needs to be stable to withstand movement or adjustment, may become looser with time. Over time, the armrest bolts, the locking mechanism that holds the chair’s back or headrest in place, and the stiffness of the back when leaning can all become worn out.

In some cases, resolving these issues doesn’t require much. It could be as easy as tightening a few bolts or adjusting the chair’s spring tension. In other instances, it might be the frame’s plastic deteriorating. In these situations, there is nothing you can do to fix it; you must simply replace the parts.

The Gas Spring No Longer Supports You.

Gas springs are a surprisingly frequent point of failure for chairs, especially for heavier chairs or chairs used by heavier people. Gas springs can be changed, but it can be tricky to know exactly what kind to get and how to do it; as a result, many people decide to use this as an opportunity to change their chairs. Furthermore, there’s a good chance that other components of the chair are also getting close to failure if a gas spring is at its breaking point.

The Chair’s Appearance is Failing.

Even though appearance is unrelated to function for chairs, in some cases, a shoddy-looking chair has a negative impact on the business. It will be detrimental to your reputation if you use chairs that appear to be about to fall apart for important meetings with clients, for example. You don’t want to come across as a company that lacks resources.

Summary

Consider your options carefully when choosing a new chair, and make sure to buy something of high quality that will last for a long time and that has a good, strong warranty to ensure your peace of mind. Additionally, make sure you purchase a product that is right for you; even the most expensive chair in the world won’t help you if you don’t feel comfortable sitting down in it.

Taking care of your office chairs will help you avoid wasting money and keep your staff content.