What to consider when buying a desk chair for children? Does the children's chair need to have a backrest and armrests? And: Should the children's desk chair be ergonomic? Our checklist provides detailed answers to all these questions. So you can find the right desk chair for your child.
It's not just us as adults who sit for long hours at work and in everyday life. Our children also have to sit still for hours from the day they start school. Schoolchildren spend an average of almost eight hours a day sitting - and usually on rigid chairs in a very uncomfortable sitting position. Movement? Zero!
We often forget what we put our children and especially their backs through at a young age. Chronic back pain and deformities of the spine even in adolescence can be the result. It is therefore all the more important that children are enabled to sit dynamically on ergonomic chairs when home-schooling, learning or doing homework. But how can this be achieved and how can a good desk chair for children be recognized? The following checklist provides answers to the most important questions.
You can download the "Children's desk chair checklist" free of charge here
Children are always on the move and full of curiosity. This urge to move should not be restricted even when sitting.
1. how to adjust a child desk chair correctly?
In order for you to adjust the swivel chair optimally for your child, the chair must have individual adjustment options. It's important to be able to adjust the chair's seat height, to your child's body weight and need for movement. These are the most important things you should pay attention to:
Seat height
Sitting correctly means first and foremost paying attention to the seat height. Adjust the height of the chair so that there is an "open" angle between the upper and lower leg when sitting (> 90°). It is also important that your child can touch the floor completely with both feet. To ensure this, pay attention not only to the children's swivel chair but also to the height of the children's desk (more on this later). A good swivel chair for children should therefore be continuously height-adjustable and the lever should be easy to reach and operate. The greater the range (e.g. from 32 to 45 cm) of the seat height adjustment, the better.
Caution: Under no circumstances should the legs - whether child or adult - be placed at a right angle or even closer when sitting. This makes it more difficult for blood to flow back to the heart. Painful legs, swollen calves and numbness can be the result. An open sitting angle ensures blood flow all the way to the feet.
Weight setting
This setting is the first to separate the wheat from the chaff. Children's chairs in particular need to be individually adjustable to their body weight - for example, the spring tension. Children grow very quickly and their weight changes accordingly. The important thing is that the desk chair should function according to the motto "one for all" and still offer the child a high level of sitting comfort.
Range of motion
A widespread assumption is that children have to sit still. We see it differently! Especially children have to follow their natural urge to move. Movement promotes neuronal networking in the brain and thus mental development. It is therefore all the more important that the chair can be adapted to the movement needs of boys and girls. With our Aeris Swoppster children's desk chair you can easily adjust the lateral flexibility and the spring tension.
It is important that the desk chair can be adjusted to the weight as well as the size of the child.
2. does a desk chair for children need a backrest and armrests?
No, a child's desk chair does not need a backrest and certainly not armrests. Armrests should definitely be avoided! This is because they can cause you to sit in a tilted position or increase the distance to the workstation in an unfavorable way. Sitting for long periods in such an incorrect position is particularly harmful.
Ergonomic backrest with lumbar support
However, if the chair absolutely must have a backrest, then you should make sure that it is adjustable in height and that the inclination can be changed. In addition, good ergonomic children's desk chairs have a back-friendly, adjustable lumbar support. This part of the backrest can be adjusted to the (S-shaped) curvature of your spine and supports it when sitting in the lower area (lordosis).
Why should you do without a backrest?
Children should keep moving even when sitting. The solution: active sitting. This improves blood flow to the brain and supplies it with oxygen. In addition, permanent changes of position strengthen the back muscles and improve posture. Back pain is thus prevented. That's why the ergonomic Aeris Swoppster children's stool deliberately does without a backrest. Because: no matter how well upholstered, how high the comfort or how perfect the lumbar support, a backrest hinders the free, natural mobility that children in particular need!
Tip: Not only active children should sit actively, but also adults. How to how to keep moving at the workplace.
Another negative consequence of the backrest: it relieves the back and supports it. However, humans are not made for this and the muscles slacken because they are no longer needed. When sitting on a stool, the muscles take over the support function and you automatically sit upright. Therefore, such a desk chair helps children to sit up straight.
3. what must be the seat of a children's swivel chair?
Basically, you should make sure that the children's swivel chair has a convex shaped seat. What does that mean? A convex seat surface avoids seat hollows and thus pressure points and a hunched back. On such a chair, you automatically assume an upright and ergonomic position. If an office chair does not have a convex seat (or a convex seat cushion), you should make absolutely sure that the backs of your knees are always free and do not rest on the seat surface. This is the only way to ensure sufficient blood circulation - especially from the legs back to the heart.
Tip: If you have already purchased a desk chair without a convex seat, you can do something for your child's health with a convex seat cushion.
A convex shaped seat supports an upright posture.
4. what cover is useful for children desk chair?
Especially with small children, there is sometimes a stain or two on the chair. Therefore, the cover should be removable and easy to clean. In the best case, the cover can simply be washed in the washing machine. However, which argument pleases children better than the "washable cover"? Right, the different colors of the fabric. Of course, tastes also differ among kids ¬- girls and boys have different color favorites. Besides the classic black and white, the most popular fabrics are blue, pink, and green. With the type of fabric it is important that it is not scratchy, soft and in the best case breathable.
5. which is better? A children's desk chair with or without wheels?
Whether with or without castors, it is important that the chair has a firm stand and is tilt-resistant. If the office chair has a stable foot ring or a foot cross, you can also buy it with castors with a clear conscience. It is optimal if you can simply replace the castors of the swivel chair with glides.
6. what is the cost of a good ergonomic children's desk chair?
There is no blanket answer to this question. On the contrary, the most expensive ones are not necessarily the best. The chair with the lowest price does not equal the worst. Thus, the price is not a reliable sign of quality. The price range is also very large for children's chairs and ranges from 80 euros to well over 500 euros. You should therefore put more emphasis on the functions of the chair and compare them with each other. Very good ergonomic children's desk chairs with an excellent price-performance ratio are already available in the mid-price range.
Tip: If you are unsure, you can take a look at independent children's desk chair tests, such as those conducted by Stiftung Warentest, or seek advice from a specialist retailer. The experts know the advantages and disadvantages of the individual models.
7. do you need a matching children's desk to the desk chair?
The purpose is to ensure that children sit healthily, flexibly and ergonomically. However, no matter which model you choose in the end: The children's office chair is only as good as the table it sits at allows. In other words: A matching desk is often advisable. When choosing, make sure that the desk is continuously height-adjustable. A continuously height-adjustable desk grows with the child and can always be optimally adjusted to the child's size. Another advantage: for small children, a height-adjustable desk can easily be converted into a standing desk. To enable an optimal sitting position, the ergonomic desk should also have a tiltable tabletop.
