Design Tips
28 April 2026Authentic Furniture Team5 min readOnboarding Employees to Ergonomic Seating: A Posture Guide
You bought the expensive chairs—now what? Hand this guide to HR to ensure your staff actually knows how to use them to prevent injury.
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Congratulations on outfitting your office with Authentic Furniture. You've made the investment, but an ergonomic chair is only as good as the person operating it.
We frequently see employees sitting in $500 ergonomic chairs with horrible posture simply because nobody taught them how to set the chair up.
HR Managers: Circulate this quick-start guide to your team during onboarding.
### Step 1: The Base Height
Your feet must be perfectly flat on the floor. Use the primary height lever to lower or raise the chair until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. If the desk is too high and you feel like a child at the dinner table, do not raise the chair so your feet dangle—invest in a footrest.
### Step 2: The Seat Depth
Slide the seat pan until you have about 2 to 3 fingers of space between the back of your knees and the edge of the seat. If the seat is too deep, it cuts off circulation to your lower legs.
### Step 3: The Arm Rests
Your shoulders should be completely relaxed, not shrugged. Lock the armrests at an elevation where your elbows rest comfortably and align flush with your desk surface. You should never be reaching "up" to type.
### Step 4: Lumbar Tension
Lean back. The chair shouldn't feel incredibly stiff, nor should it throw you backward. Adjust the tension dial entirely so it perfectly counterbalances your unique body weight.
We frequently see employees sitting in $500 ergonomic chairs with horrible posture simply because nobody taught them how to set the chair up.
HR Managers: Circulate this quick-start guide to your team during onboarding.
### Step 1: The Base Height
Your feet must be perfectly flat on the floor. Use the primary height lever to lower or raise the chair until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. If the desk is too high and you feel like a child at the dinner table, do not raise the chair so your feet dangle—invest in a footrest.
### Step 2: The Seat Depth
Slide the seat pan until you have about 2 to 3 fingers of space between the back of your knees and the edge of the seat. If the seat is too deep, it cuts off circulation to your lower legs.
### Step 3: The Arm Rests
Your shoulders should be completely relaxed, not shrugged. Lock the armrests at an elevation where your elbows rest comfortably and align flush with your desk surface. You should never be reaching "up" to type.
### Step 4: Lumbar Tension
Lean back. The chair shouldn't feel incredibly stiff, nor should it throw you backward. Adjust the tension dial entirely so it perfectly counterbalances your unique body weight.
