Whether you work from home or out of an office, you spend many hours—often at least 8 or more per day—sitting in a chair. You might notice that your back or neck often aches after a long period of time, and it is highly possible that your chair is to blame if it isn’t an ergonomic model.

What makes an ergonomic chair different than standard office furniture chairs? For one, they offer a variety of controls so you can customize the fit of the chair to your body, as well as to your seating preferences. Rather than constantly having to remind yourself to hold the proper posture or potentially let yourself slump a bit when working long hours, ergonomic chairs mold to your body and support it in the proper sitting position.

The key to this is in adjustability. For example, you can adjust the armrests to support your forearms and elbows while you type on your keyboard and use your mouse. Ergonomic chairs also allow you to adjust the seat height so you can keep your feet flat on the floor as well as your hips and knees at angled at approximately 90 degrees. In many cases, ergonomic chairs also have backs that you can adjust forward or backward to control the depth of the seat, avoiding having the front edge pressing into the backs of your knees which inhibits circulation.

With corrected posture, you will feel a lot more comfortable in an ergonomic chair than you would a standard office chair. Comfort can lead to increased productivity, even if you are working long hours. It also improves employee satisfaction and thus contributes to employee retention.

From a design standpoint, ergonomic chairs might get a bad rap because people perceive them to be extra clunky and unsightly. That is simply not the case, with many office furniture designers now creating lightweight, streamlined versions that can coordinate with any type of interior design scheme. And from a facilities standpoint, ergonomic chairs can be cost effective as they can be adjusted to suit a range of users, rather than having to purchase new chairs to fit new employees.

Ergonomic chairs offer a range of benefits for employees from a heath and comfort perspective, and they also reward employers in terms of increased productivity. Those that work from home should especially consider investing in an ergonomic chair, as your sofa is far from an ideal place from which to work!