We can give advice which Chair is correct for your needs.

Remember – Please Ring for any Advice. 01254 399400

A correctly fitted seat assists:

Best Achievable Posture

Pressure Relief

Functional Ability e.g. ease of transfer out of the chair

Maximum Comfort

The main aspects of the chair should be a well fitting seat. The important dimensions are seat height and depth.

Too High – and the seat is difficult to get into and the feet don’t touch the floor. This can encourage the user to slouch so they can rest their feet.

Too Low – and the chair is hard to get out of when the bottom is lower than the knees. The individual body weight is supported on a smaller area which leads to more pressure on the coccyx and buttocks. The individual knees and thighs will lift off the seat surface increasing pressure on a smaller area of the buttocks and bony prominences.

Correct Height – horizontal legs with the feet on the floor.

Too Short – there will be a gap between the back of the knees and the seat and only a small area of the buttocks and thighs are supported, increasing the pressure on the buttocks and thighs rather than an evenly distributed area at lower pressure levels, this can lead to pressure damage.

Too Long – there will be a gap between the back and the lumbar giving no lower back support and the user will need to slouch down to get foot support for stability. This position puts pressure on the heels and sacral area and can inhibit circulation to the lower limbs.

Correct Depth – Back against the lumbar support with no gap to the knees and feet on the floor.

Width is also a consideration but not as vital.

Too Wide – and the seat offers no support or stability as the body will lean to one side causing imbalance in pressure. The arm rests will be out of reach and since these are crucial to stability the user will lean and shift position to fill the space causing unbalanced pressure distribution. Often harder to get out of.

Too Narrow – and there is an increased risk of pressure to the the outer thigh as well as difficulty getting in and out of the chair

Correct Width – arms resting comfortably on the arm rests, and slight gap between thighs and arm rest.

General Guide – Seating Assessment Measurements needed for a well fitting chair design.

Seat Height – floor to top of seat cushion measurement with a thigh to lower leg angle of 90 degrees where possible. Your feet should ideally be positioned flat on the floor in the type of footwear normally worn when relaxing with a right angle bend at the knees to allow the upper leg to rest fully and flat on the seat cushion. To achieve the ideal chair height, measure the user lower leg length from the floor to approx 1″ below the back of the knee joint.

Seat Depth – the measurement is from the front of the seat cushion to the backrest of the chair. The seat cushion should be deep enough to support the entire length of the upper leg to the back of the knee without the seat cushion putting pressure on the back of the calf. To achieve the ideal chair depth measure the user back from the back of the bottom to back of knee and then deduct 1″ from this measurement.

Seat Width the internal width of the seat between the armrests. To achieve the ideal chair width measure the widest point of the users hips plus 0.5″ to allow for thicker clothing.

Back Height the measurement is from the top edge of the seat cushion, located at the back of the seat cushion, to the top of the backrest cushions. Make sure that the users head is not pushed forward and fits comfortably on the back cushion. The roll of the head-roll should be behind the users neck.

Arm Height the measurement is from the top of the seat cushion to the top of the armrest. The arms should ideally rest comfortably on the arm rests, with the arms bent at 90 degrees and with the shoulders in a relaxed level position.

Could a specialist or bespoke chair required?

We are not all the same dimensions and do not all fit into standard size chairs. A made to measure chair will cater for your personal requirements. When choosing your chair think about:

Is it to give improved support and comfort?

Is it to ease getting in and out of the seating?

Is there a requirement to improve or accommodate correctly any specific postural or healthcare problems?

Emphasis should be placed on the chair fitting the user/users correctly when deciding upon chair sizing and accessories. Issues around pressure care, moving and handling and infection control issues should also be considered and addressed. The chair should provide long term comfort and adequate lumbar support, ensuring good pressure distribution of body weight and enabling the user to rise from the chair easily. We have the skills and technical ability to build bespoke chairs designed around your specific requirements. We offer No Obligation Home Demonstration and fitting. This will ensure all the posture requirements are catered for.

For urgent needs we stock chairs for immediate availability. We also cater for other needs like contract fabrics, waterproof fabrics, pressure relief chairs and transportation chairs.