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Office Chair Glossary
Plain-language definitions for office-chair dimensions, adjustments, mechanisms, materials, standards, and workstation-fit terms.
- ANSI/BIFMA X5.1
- A recognized general-purpose office-chair safety and performance testing standard.
- Adjustable lumbar support
- A backrest feature that changes the position or pressure of lower-back support.
- Armrest pivot
- An adjustment that rotates the arm pad inward or outward.
- Back angle
- The angle between the backrest and seat, sometimes adjustable independently.
- Base diameter
- The widest span of the chair base and casters.
- Caster
- A small wheel fitted to the chair base.
- Centre-tilt
- A recline mechanism that pivots near the centre of the seat.
- Chair cylinder
- The gas-lift component used for seat-height adjustment.
- Contact stress
- Pressure created where a body area contacts a hard edge or surface.
- Counterbalance
- A mechanism that adjusts recline support automatically or with limited user input.
- Drafting chair
- An elevated chair designed for higher work surfaces and usually fitted with a foot ring.
- Five-point base
- A base with five arms, commonly used to improve chair stability.
- Foot ring
- A circular or partial support for the feet on elevated seating.
- Footrest
- A separate platform used to support the feet when they do not reach the floor comfortably.
- Forward tilt
- A mechanism that permits the seat or backrest to angle slightly forward.
- Glide
- A non-rolling foot used instead of a caster.
- Headrest depth
- The front-to-back position of a headrest.
- Knee-tilt
- A recline mechanism with a pivot closer to the front of the seat.
- Lumbar region
- The lower portion of the back.
- Mesh tension
- The firmness and support created by stretched mesh material.
- Multi-function mechanism
- A chair mechanism that allows several seat and back angles to be adjusted separately.
- Neutral posture
- A generally aligned working position that avoids sustained extreme joint angles.
- Occasional-use chair
- Seating intended for intermittent or shorter-duration use.
- Perching seat
- A high seat that supports a position between full sitting and standing.
- Recline lock
- A control that limits or holds recline at one or more positions.
- Seat depth
- The front-to-back usable dimension of the seat pan.
- Seat height
- The vertical distance from the floor to the top of the seat surface.
- Seat pan
- The part of a chair that supports the user while seated.
- Seat slider
- A mechanism used to adjust seat depth.
- Seat-depth adjustment
- A control that changes the seat pan position or usable depth.
- Soft-tread caster
- A caster with a softer rolling surface often used for hard floors.
- Synchro-tilt
- A mechanism in which the seat and backrest recline at different linked rates.
- Task chair
- A chair intended primarily for active desk or computer work.
- Tilt tension
- The resistance felt when reclining.
- Tilt travel
- The total range through which the chair can recline.
- Usable seat width
- The clear sitting width between firm edges or structures.
- Weight rating
- The manufacturer’s stated maximum user load under specified conditions.
- Work-surface height
- The vertical height of the desk or table surface from the floor.
- Workstation fit
- The relationship among the user, chair, desk, input devices, monitor, and task.
- Woven upholstery
- A textile covering made from interlaced fibres or yarns.