Office furniture chairs come in all sizes, shapes, designs and materials. And though desks have been around for hundreds of years, in one form or another, the modern office chair was first used in the mid to late 1800′s. The closest thing to a modern office chair was used by Charles Darwin. He put wheels on his chair so that he could move around easier when reaching for his specimens. Since that time, and especially during the 1900′s, the office chair has evolved a lot. Here are some of the types of office furniture chairs that can be found in most offices today.

Executive chairs – what exactly constitutes a chair to be called “executive”? Well, there is no definite standard. Many companies just call their best chair an executive chair. Generally speaking, this chair is of high quality, and are used by executives who want the best office furniture possible. These chairs are made of the highest quality materials throughout, are usually covered in a top grain leather and are the type of chair that is made to last. They often have the latest ergonomic technology to provide comfort all day long, contoured to fit your body and fully adjustable. You do not have to replace this chair every couple of years. If you have an “executive” chair that does not last long, then it is executive in name only. Task chairs – these are the normal everyday office furniture chairs that most people use at home. These can be very cheap, acquired at your local discount store for under $30, or can be ten times this amount for a good one that will last awhile. These can be cloth, leather (real or fake) or made of other man made materials. Many will have ergonomic features such as lumbar support, and are also adjustable in multiple ways. Most of us can find a task chair that will suit our daily use, you just have to take the time to try out a fair number of them to discover what will work best for you. Mesh chairs – I first saw a mesh chair about 15 years ago, though I suppose they have been around a bit longer than that. These are basically task or executive chairs that have a mesh back. Most are still fully adjustable and ergonomic, but the mesh back provides great ventilation and breathability. Some even have mesh seats! Wood chairs – these were found a lot before modern office furniture chairs became an ergonomic science, but the can still be found today. However, they usually only swivel and rise up and down and are not ergonomic in other ways. Guest and visitor chairs – these office furniture chairs are often found in waiting rooms or executive offices for guests and visitors to sit in. These come in all sorts of styles, they do not have castors and are normally designed to be quite comfortable. They are not usually very large or overstuffed. Conference room chairs – also not very large, often have padded seats and backs, sometimes castors. Designed for many of them to fit around a conference table, and sometimes quite nice to match a high quality table.

We have definitely come a long way since sitting in little wooden chairs at our desk and in our offices. With all the styles available, you can find office furniture chairs to suit all of your office and home office needs.

MJ is a freelance writer for Clickshops, Inc. where you can find a great selection of office furniture chairs for your business at www.businessofficefurniture.com