An office chair, or desk chair, is a type of chair that is designed for use at a desk in an office. It is usually a swivel chair, with a set of wheels for mobility and adjustable height. Modern office chairs typically use a single, distinctive load-bearing leg (often called a gas lift), which is positioned underneath the chair seat. Near the floor, this leg spreads out into several smaller feet, which are often wheeled and called casters. Office chairs were developed around the mid-19th century as more workers spent their shifts sitting at a desk, leading to the adoption of several features not found on other chairs.

Types

There are multiple kinds of office chairs designed to suit different needs. The most basic is the task chair, which typically does not offer lumbar support or a headrest. These chairs generally cannot be sat in for more than a couple of hours at a time without becoming uncomfortable, though they often offer more room to move than higher-end chairs.

The Aeron by Herman Miller.

Mid-back chairs offer fuller back support, and with the right ergonomic design, can be sat in for four hours at a time or longer. High-end chairs in this category, such as the Herman Miller Aeron and the Steelcase Leap are comfortable for long periods. Some mid-back chairs in particular offer customization options that can allow for a headrest to be added. Executive or full-back chairs offer full back and head support. Many executive chairs are designed to be sat in for eight or more hours at a time. These are typically the most expensive office chairs.

What Is a Mesh Office Chair?

Mesh office chairs, as the name suggests, are made of mesh fabric. Like their leather counterparts, mesh office chairs are made of other materials as well, such as metal or heavy-duty plastic. Only the backrest of most mesh office chairs is made of mesh fabric.

Mesh itself isn't a specific type of fabric. The term “mesh” simply refers to any fabric featuring multiple strands of connected fibers, resulting in a webbing-like appearance. The individual fibers are woven or otherwise joined to create a breathable mesh fabric. This fabric is then stretched out and secured to the backrest of an office chair.

Although there are exceptions, most mesh office chairs are made of one or more synthetic fabrics like polyethylene, nylon, or polypropylene. The individual strains of fibers are then connected to create the mesh fabric, which is used to make the backrest of mesh office chairs.