A lot of people began working remotely during the pandemic and grew to love working from home. The truth is there are more remote jobs than ever and the trend won’t be slowing down in the future.
People scrambled to create a home office space where one didn’t exist before. Clearing a corner of a bedroom…taking over your studio apartment…claiming the kitchen island as your work zone… and it didn’t take long before we were reimagining what our office space could be. Top of that list? Our desk and chair must be comfortable and ergonomic.
What Is Ergonomics?
Ergonomics is all about the design and placement of things so that the people using those items do so in an efficient, safe way that supports their physiological health. Ergonomics is primarily concerned with safety, ease of use, productivity, and comfort, with the goal of promoting a holistic workspace environment.
Good work space ergonomics can:
- Boost productivity
- Decrease pain
- Help you stay mentally alert
- Strengthen muscles
- Fight fatigue
- Support lower back issues
- Increase blood flow
- Improve mood
- Promote an overall sense of wellness
- Foster mental alertness
- Prevent injury and strain
- Supports a holistic lifestyle
No matter if you work from home full time, part time, or simply spend a lot of time at your desk, it’s important to have ergonomic office furniture that is comfortable and supports your physical health, so today we’re sharing our quick guide for ergonomic desks and chairs for studio apartment spaces.
What Makes A Good Ergonomic Chair?
Hands down, it must be comfortable. If you’re going to be working at your desk for hours on end, comfort is the most important attribute of your ergo chair.
It’s got to be adjustable. Humans are not all the same height, and in order for our chairs to be a good ergonomic fit, it must be adjustable to get it at the perfect height for our body and desk.
Finally, any ergonomic chair you choose for your studio apartment shouldn’t sacrifice on back support. The back of the chair should offer good lumbar support and support both your lower back and the natural curve of your spine.
Now, let’s take a look at some of our favorite ergonomic chairs that work well in small spaces.
The Sayl Chair by Herman Miller
Minimalistic and modern, the Sayl Chair by Herman Miller is at the top of our list.
The environmentally friendly design of this chair was inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge and we absolutely love the sleek design—perfect for a studio apartment.
With six different colors to choose from like “fog / studio white,” you’re sure to find a color perfect for your space.
NEUHAUS Ergonomic Office Chair
The NEUHAUS ergonomic rolling office chair has adjustable armrests that flip up and down which is great when you get into stealth typing mode and want those babies out of your way…also great to flip them up and slide the chair under your desk in order to save space in your apartment.
This ergo chair has an adjustable 5-click lumbar support system so you can find the perfect support for your back. The seat is adjustable to 18.7 – 22.4 inches from the floor to help you find the perfect ergonomic height for your body and desk height.
With a stylish mid century modern aesthetic, this vegan leather executive beauty will have you feeling boss vibes while you work away at your desk in style.
The Vari Active Seat: Adjustable Ergonomic Standing Desk Chair
The Vari Active Seat is referred to as a “wobble perch stool” and is definitely an ergonomic standing desk chair for the modern era.
This ergo chair is literally made to move and offers a rocking motion that engages your core muscles while sitting or standing and has an adjustable height from 22” to 35”.
The cushioned seat measures only 17” wide which makes it a good choice for small spaces—perfect for your studio apartment living lifestyle.
What Makes A Good Ergonomic Desk?
A good ergonomic desk will have enough space to fit your legs, knees, and feet underneath it so that you can properly align yourself to the worktop space.
If you do a lot of keyboard typing, it’s important to find a desk that your wrists will be in a comfortable neutral position for typing. Whether standing or sitting, desk height is important.
You also want to take into consideration the amount of work space you require on your desktop. Are you using a computer monitor on your desktop? If so, you want to be sure the desk is deep enough to have a good amount of space between you and your monitor.
Here are a few small ergonomic desks for you to check out:
The Work From Home Desk
We are totally crushing on Work From Home’s flagship desk, the WFH Desk. It’s beautiful, modern design is ahead of its time and the fact that it’s ergonomic, sustainably made, and can be set up as either a sitting or standing desk makes it a must see.
The flat packed desk is adjustable and modular so you can create a dreamy workspace to fit your needs in your studio apartment.
Because there is no hardware involved to assemble it, you can easily flat pack your desk away and store it under your bed when you need more space in your apartment.
Seiffen Laminated Standing Desk
We love that this Seiffen Laminated Standing Desk comes in four different desktop sizes from 42” x 24” to 60” x 24” and there are so many desktop colors and wood grains to choose from, from a special walnut, to graphite, to white, there’s sure to be a color that matches your design style.
This strong and stable desk is motorized so you can switch from a sitting position to standing with the push of a button and offers a choice of single or dual motors.
Ikea BEKANT Desk
And finally, we can always count on Ikea for a great small ergonomic desk option that works well in a studio apartment.
Ikea’s BEKANT Sit / Stand Desk is a simply designed ergo desk that has an adjustable height of 22” to 48” to guarantee you find the proper height for your ergonomic home office space.
Take Care of Yourself
If you’re working from home or spending a lot of time at your desk, don’t forget to take little breaks to just stretch and breathe. Your body and mind will thank you.
Creating a thoughtful, ergonomic workspace in your studio apartment will not only make you feel more productive, but it may also improve how your body feels after a long day of working at your desk.
If you are not one of our residents, but are interested in studio apartment living in the D.C. area check out the available studio apartments we have at multiple locations throughout Washington, D.C.
