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A headrest on an office chair looks chic and elegant on the one hand and, thanks to its ergonomic design, also seems to ensure good ergonomics. But to what extent is this actually the case? I am often asked the following questions in this context: "What does a headrest do for me?" or "Can a headrest solve neck pain or problems with the cervical spine?"
The answers to this require a deeper look at the situation at the computer workstation and what the office desk posture should generally look like. The influence of a headrest depends on various circumstances. Factors influencing ergonomic sitting with or without a headrest
For an ergonomic headrest to really do a good job, the following main factors should be guaranteed, all of which have a significant influence on the shoulder, neck and head area:
- SEAT CUSHION and its properties
- SEAT MECHANISM and its adjustment options regarding seat tilt
- BACK CUSHION and its support function
- OFFICE DESK and its correct height
- SCREEN(S) and their positioning, height and viewing angle
- ERGONOMIC AIDS, laptop stands, document holders and wrist rests
- LIGHT and good illumination at the workstation
SEAT CUSHION and its properties
The intervertebral discs (discus intervertebralis) are located between the individual vertebrae in the spine and their main task is to guarantee the mobility of the back, neck and head. They also act as a kind of shock absorber, cushioning the weight and impacts of the body. An important component of every intervertebral disc is the inner gelatinous core, which consists of approx. 80-85% fluid. This core helps the disc to remain supple and absorb pressure and impacts.
If you sit on a chair, the intervertebral discs should be supported by a seat cushion so that they do not have to absorb all the pressure directly. The strain on the discs can be felt in the lower back, but also up to the cervical spine. Therefore, a soft, springy cushion on the seat can provide additional help for ergonomic sitting, which also helps the shoulder and neck area.
The seat cushion should ideally be a few finger-widths thick so that you cannot feel the hard surface underneath. Molded foam is better suited here, as it usually has an ergonomic design and an anatomical shape, is slightly thicker than conventional cut foam and often has a rounded front edge to ensure blood circulation. With a seat cushion with such good ergonomics, an upright sitting position is possible, even over a longer period of time, which also gives you an ergonomic office desk posture.
With cheap cut foam, which is mainly found in low-priced office chairs, the required cushioning is insufficient because the foam is not thick enough and the compression hardness of the foam is too soft and quickly deteriorates. This has a similar effect to a car tire that is only half inflated and therefore does not have the required load-bearing effect.
SEAT MECHANISM and its adjustment options regarding seat tilt
Since it is important to maintain a relaxed and upright posture when working at a screen, the seat tilt angle should be adjustable.
Every person has their own physiognomy, which is why it is important when sitting, and especially at computer workstations, that the seat tilt, i.e. tilting the seat cushion forward or backward, remains possible. This allows, for example, the intervertebral discs in the lumbar region to be comfortably relieved by tilting the seat forward. A continuously adjustable seat tilt would be ideal so that the most comfortable sitting position can be found individually. It is also useful to slightly change the seat tilt angle from time to time or not to lock it at all, so that blood circulation in the legs and buttocks is not blocked, but good blood circulation is always ensured through different positions.
Ergonomic sitting has effects right up to the neck and head area. The cervical vertebrae are already influenced by your posture when sitting and should therefore receive the best possible relief. So make sure that the seat tilt on your chair is adjusted so that not only your lumbar region but also your cervical spine remains relaxed. Listen to your body, which will quickly tell you whether you have more or less pain in a certain position.
BACK CUSHION and its support function
When working sitting down for longer periods, it is absolutely important not to fall into the unhealthy slouched back position, which can cause additional effects on the neck and head. The following causes a hunched posture of the back:
- A) if the backrest has no supporting function
- B) if the back cushion does not have good ergonomics
- C) if the backrest generates insufficient counterforce when in motion
- D) if the cushion no longer supports the back correctly when in motion
- A) A backrest should primarily support the lower back, also known as the lumbar region, sufficiently so that the spine remains in its natural S-shape. Most herniated discs occur between the lumbar vertebrae L4/L5 or the last lumbar vertebra and the first sacral vertebra L5/S1, i.e. in the lower area of the back. Therefore, it is crucial to have sufficient support from the back cushion in the belt region. Check whether your backrest comes forward more in the lower area than in the upper area. If this is not the case, you should replace this missing support with a small cushion or a rolled-up towel.
- B) An ergonomic design of a backrest is visible to the naked eye. The cushion should have an anatomical shape and, in principle, a shape similar to the imprint of a healthy back. The shape should resemble an S, just like a spine.
- C) In order to achieve the healthiest possible posture when sitting, it is advisable not to lock the backrest, but to leave it mobile. This keeps the spine in motion and the intervertebral discs are supplied with additional fluid through this pumping effect. With many chairs, however, the backrest generates too little counterpressure when unlocked, meaning the force with which the back should be supported is too low and you get the impression of falling backward. Ergonomic sitting is therefore also not guaranteed.
- D) Another problem with a mobile back can be the support of the back cushion. Especially with cheap office chairs, the attachment point of the backrest is at the very back of the seat. This means that the support function in the lower back is no longer present and is lost when moving backward. It is as if someone were to remove the support of the lower back when leaning back. On office chairs with good ergonomics, the attachment point of the backrest is moved further forward on the seat. This ensures good support remains in all angular positions.
OFFICE DESK and its correct height
To get the optimal office desk height, first adjust the height of your office chair so that when sitting, you keep your thighs horizontal or rise slightly from the knees up towards the hips. Find the most comfortable position for you in this range. Under these conditions, you will generate a good ergonomic sitting posture.
Accordingly, you should now adjust the desk height. In a sitting position, let your upper arms hang down relaxed and at the same time bend your forearms at 90°. In this position, your forearms should now rest exactly horizontally on the desk surface. If this is not the case, you must adjust the height of your office desk accordingly. With this, you have taken another step towards an ergonomic office desk posture.
Alternatively, the same applies to a standing desk. In a standing position, your forearms should rest parallel to the desk surface at an angle of 90°.
SCREEN(S) and their positioning, height and viewing angle
A major problem for headaches, neck and shoulder tension, and shoulder complaints is the positioning of the screen on the office desk.
Please make sure that the following criteria are correctly set on your screen:
- A) Screen height
- B) Vertical center axis of the screen
- C) Screen distance
- D) Angle adjustment of the screen
- A) A mistake that often happens is screens that are set too high. The viewing angle to the screen should always be lowered slightly. If screens are set too high, the viewing angle goes upwards, which inevitably leads to tension in the neck and can bring various ailments. You have the optimal height adjustment when the top edge of the screen is at the same height or one to two finger-widths lower than the center of your eyes. You should therefore be able to look straight over the top edge of the screen.
- B) The screen should be centered exactly in front of you so that you do not have to turn or tilt in any way. If you work with two screens, either the main screen should be in front of you as much as possible, or if both are used at the same time, the center of the entire length of the monitors should be directly in front of you.
- C) To prevent you from tilting your head forward and instead keep it in a natural and upright position, the screen must not be too far away. You have the ideal distance to your monitor when you can lightly touch the screen with your fingertips with your arm outstretched. In this position, your sitting posture should be relaxed and everything on the monitor should be easily readable. If this is not the case, you can either change the font size or have an eye test done.
- D) Many monitors can be tilted slightly. It is ideal if the viewing angle is 90° to the screen surface. So usually the top edge is slightly further back than the bottom edge of the monitor.
ERGONOMIC AIDS, laptop stands, document holders and wrist rests
There are certain ergonomic aids that I would no longer want to do without at my workstation, because they generally contribute a great deal to good ergonomics in the office.
Important ergonomic aids are:
- A) Laptop or notebook stand
- B) Document holder
- C) Wrist rests for mouse/keyboard
- A) To ensure a correct viewing angle to the monitor of the laptop or notebook, it should not lie flat on the desk. A laptop placed directly on the office desk can cause neck pain because the monitor is too low and the head has to be tilted too much. Many people make this mistake and work for hours with the laptop directly on the desk. This should be avoided whenever possible. A simple laptop or notebook stand helps here. Accordingly, you also need an external keyboard and an external mouse. But with this combination, you specifically prevent tension and pain and work more relaxed and certainly more ergonomically.
- B) The document holder is especially recommended for people who have to read and process many documents. You place a document holder between your screen and the keyboard.
- C) If you work with a normal mouse, i.e. not a vertical, vertical or roller mouse, an ergonomic wrist rest is practically a must. The classic computer mouse can cause tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome over prolonged use. This is because the wrist is bent unnaturally when working with the mouse. A wrist rest is the ideal solution for this, because the ball of the hand and the wrist are raised and come into a horizontal position with the forearm. The same applies to the keyboard when typing. Here, too, the wrists are usually bent too much without a wrist rest. Today, there are rests and pads for little money and made of a wide variety of materials. For those who prefer natural and environmentally friendly products, there are wrist rests filled with organic millet husks. Millet husks adapt optimally to the wrist and have a soothing effect.
LIGHT and good illumination at the workstation
To have a generally good office desk posture, proper illumination of the workstation is also part of it. In poor lighting, you are inclined to put yourself in an unnatural position, e.g. by hunching because of poorly readable documents that remain insufficiently illuminated or are in the shadow. With ergonomic lighting, no shadows should be formed and the light should come from the side, ideally directly and indirectly. The desk should always be positioned sideways to the window so that there is no glare or unwanted reflections on the screen. An additional task light on the desk can provide more light in specific areas. The combination of daylight and artificial light is ideal.
What adjustment options should an ergonomic chair with a headrest have?
If the main factors described above are successfully present, a headrest can certainly make sense. However, for it to also have good ergonomics, the following functions should be guaranteed. Otherwise, a headrest on an office chair is just decoration and at best has a design effect, but not ergonomic support when working at the desk.
Ergonomic requirements for a headrest on an office chair are:
- Height adjustment
- Depth or angle adjustment
- Sufficient padding
- 1. For a headrest to effectively take on the function of a support, it must be adjustable in height so that not only the neck is supported, but the entire head. This can already be a challenge for tall people, but the headrest should also offer full support and cushioning for these people. If, for example, a short break is taken and you want to lean back and relax, a headrest should be reliably provided.
- 2. A major shortcoming of many headrests is the depth adjustment, i.e. coming horizontally more or less forward, or the possibility of adjusting the angle so that either the neck or the head is supported. The head must feel contact with the headrest in an upright and relaxed posture. This can effectively relieve the neck or head and prevent tension. The head should remain in a supporting function and not be tilted backward.
- 3. If you use a headrest for more than just a few minutes, a certain padding thickness is a prerequisite to avoid pressure points on the head. Check that the headrest not only has an ergonomic design, but also comfortable padding, similar to a headrest in a car.
Concluding Thoughts
An ergonomic chair with a headrest is certainly not the first important ergonomic option for an office chair. Here, for example, seat depth adjustment, seat tilt, or individual curvature in the lumbar region are in the foreground.
Nevertheless, from an ergonomic point of view, a headrest can make absolute sense if it can be adjusted accordingly and thus effectively relieves the neck and the tense muscles in this region.
Personally, I use an office chair with a headrest and appreciate it very much. Be it during longer writing tasks, where I adopt a relaxed sitting posture and relieve the head and neck. But also simply during a short lunch break in the office, during a power nap, to let the head rest comfortably on the support in a reclined position and thus recharge performance and concentration in just a few minutes.
To achieve more efficiency and have fewer neck problems when working at the desk, this certainly does not depend solely on a headrest, but much more on all the other factors that I have described above and that positively influence ergonomic sitting. Nevertheless, an ergonomic headrest absolutely has its justification. In general, it can improve ergonomics at the workstation and, for example, for people who have had a herniated disc in the cervical spine, a headrest is a good solution to be able to work not only with less pain, but also more efficiently.
If you like the topic of ergonomics in the office or home office and are interested in learning more, my book «Wellness im Büro» can provide you with even more tips and tricks. Combined with humorous drawings, I share 50+1 tips to turn your office into a little paradise.
