Introduction
There may be many reasons why your office chair is too big. It could be that the chair was made with larger adults in mind, or you are just a smaller individual. You may have just inherited a larger chair? Whatever the situation, you have a bigger chair than you’d like and need to make the best of it!
The clear and obvious resolution is to buy a new chair that fits your body size, or is small enough to fit in your workspace – whatever the rationale is? If a new purchase is out of the question, and you find yourself struggling to sit comfortably in an over-sized office chair, then the solution is to buy a retro-fit seat support.
Of course, the five-minute solution is to grab some cushions – but let’s look for something a bit more elegant.
Can an Office Chair be Too Big?
Yes, an office chair can be too big for you. It’s important to have a chair that fits your body. If you find yourself struggling with the size of your current seat, then the obvious answer is to consider getting one that is smaller, to suit your body size. Or one that is more compact, so that it doesn’t take up as much space in your office. You’ll be able to work more comfortably and efficiently!
How Can I Make My Chair Smaller?
It’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to shrink something like an office chair, but if your chair is too big for you, and you’d rather not have to buy a new one, the first thing to do is determine whether it’s possible to add padding. By decreasing the area inside the chair, you are more likely to make it fit.
You can purchase seat supports or booster seats that attach to an existing chair, these are normally produced as a way to add more comfort into a chair, but they will also allow you to be seated in an over-sized chair. It will mean you’ll sit higher than normal, whilst also sitting more forward if the booster has a backrest as well as a seat base.
Naturally your legs may dangle off the edge of the seat when sitting down. If this becomes an issue, then you may also wish to purchase a footrest, should the seat not be able to be lowered enough.
What do You do if Your Chair is Too Tall?
If your chair is just too tall, there are a few things you can do.
- Ensure the chair is adjusted to its lowest setting.
- Does it have castors (wheels)? If it does, can they be removed? Thereby lowering the chair.
- As stated above, look to purchase a chair booster – at least a seat base version.
- Alternatively use cushions or pillows.
- Use a footrest to support your feet, if they can’t touch the ground when the chair is fully lowered.
I Can Fit in the Chair, but it’s Too Big for my Desk.
If your office chair is too big for your desk then presumably you won’t be able to sit close enough to work properly – as the chairs arms won’t fit under. Depending on the design of chair, this may not be a problem for you, allowing you to work comfortably.
The issue is you can’t ‘park’ your chair under the desk when it’s not in use?
If your chair is too big for your desk then your options are:
- Replace your desk with one that allows you to fit/ use your chair with it. There are many ‘Standing’ desks that are height adjustable and/or allow you to work standing up.
- Replace your chair with a model that does fit under your desk.
- Modify your chair – maybe remove or replace its castor wheels?
- Raise the height of your desk.
If you really want to make things easier on yourself, consider getting a standing desk. While this option might not be possible for everyone because of cost or space restrictions (windows in the way) in their current workspace, it’s certainly worth considering if you can afford it.
If you want the quickest, and definitely the most cost-effective option then look at something like these Desk Risers.
They are available in several colors and dimensions.
To Wrap Up…
If you’ve ever thought ‘my office chair is too big for me’ – then buying a new office chair to suit your needs is the clear winner – you can get a modern ergonomic chair that is the best on the market, and fits you perfectly, but that comes at a cost.
There are cheap and quick options where you can apply a quick fix that may just work for you. The options we’ve highlighted above (Seat Boosters & Desk Risers) offer a solution that performs, and doesn’t cost the earth.
