Chairs for a student's desk require much more attention to the choice than one might think at first glance, because they should not only guarantee comfort, but also help to form the correct posture in the child. It is not for nothing that so many different models of chairs are offered on the modern market - each of them is ideal for one of the consumers, but the difficulty of the task lies in finding the optimal solution specifically for your children.
Main requirements
Each manufacturer is guaranteed to praise their models as much as possible, and it is possible that he is telling the truth, but we are looking for the right chair not a priori, but for a particular child. That is why by no means you cannot blindly rely on other people's recommendations, even if there is one hundred percent confidence that the counselor sincerely wishes to help. Before choosing a chair or an armchair for the home, the child must definitely try it, and if you plan to make a purchase via the Internet, do not be lazy to find the same model in the store - just in order to try out the product in practice before being paid for it money.
The kid must personally confirm that he is comfortable, and he will be able to sit on such a seat for several hours in a row.
Nevertheless, one should not rely on his words alone, because it is not a fact that he sits correctly, while parents probably want to take care of the correct posture of the child. For this reason, pay attention to your child sitting on a highchair intended as an ideal option, namely, on the following criteria:
- The foot must touch the floor completely or a special footrest provided for the little ones. With an emphasis solely on the back of the thigh, the correct posture cannot be formed, and reaching the floor with just the tips of the socks will not give sufficient support.
- When the child is sitting and completely rests his foot on the floor or footrest, he knees should be bent at right angles. Naturally, the angle may slightly differ from 90 degrees, but if the difference is noticeable, and the chair's design does not allow for proper seat height adjustment, you can safely discard this model.
- Ideally, a chair should be bought with a strict attachment to the table, because the arms bent at the elbows, laid on the table, should also be right angle.
Kinds
There are at least five types of chairs that can be used with a desk. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages:
- The writing chair is extremely simple - it is an ordinary chair with a back. Due to its simplicity, it costs a penny, however, it must be chosen as carefully as possible, because the position of individual parts is not regulated here in principle. For the same reason, be prepared to change such furniture repeatedly as your child grows.
- Growing chair allows you to adjust at least the height of the seat, and even the location of the back and the degree of its tilt. Its price is quite high, but it is a universal solution for many years to come. Be careful - the instructions indicate the minimum and maximum height for this model, so choose chairs with a margin. Since such furniture is usually designed for children, an older teenager may have to buy something else.
- Orthopedic chairs are developed in close contact with doctors, therefore they are considered as beneficial for the back. They are characterized by a curved back, an almost obligatory footrest and the ability to adjust all parameters down to the smallest values.
- Computer chair - this is a combination of the best qualities of orthopedic and growing chairs, but such furniture is more designed for adults, so it is not recommended as a gift for preschoolers, and often for younger students.
- Ergonomic chairs are the newest variety, the main point of which is to repeat the outlines of the human body as accurately as possible for one hundred percent convenience. Most often, they are equipped with a slightly tilted back, while the main load to support the body weight falls on the knees, which, in turn, are protected by a special support.
Good Choice Rules
We have already talked about the influence of a child's growth on the choice of a highchair, but the list of important selection criteria is not limited to this. Here's what else must be noted without fail:
- Sitting, the child must firmly rest against the floor and the back of the chair, therefore, the seat should be relatively small - no more than 70% of the depth of the thigh. The distance from the end of the seat to the popliteal fold is within 5-8 cm, while the end of the seat should be rounded.
- Optimum backrest height - to the lower tip of the shoulder blades, but as the child grows, it is best that its height is adjustable. The fastening of the back to the body must be reliable, especially in the lower part, without allowing even the smallest loosening.
- For small children with an eye on growth, you can take rather high chairs, but in this case they are mandatory must be equipped with a removable footrest.
- For a chair, a very important criterion is stability, especially in the case of children who like to swing. If you have classic legs or a stand, you don't have to worry about it, but if the product is on casters, there should be at least five of them.
Are armrests needed?
At first glance, armrests provide increased seating comfort on a chair, however, most models of such furniture are not equipped with them. This is due to the fact that even experts cannot say unequivocally whether the armrests are beneficial or, rather, harmful. Since the schoolchild's posture has not yet developed, it is extremely important for him not only apparent convenience, but also health benefits, therefore the choice of a model with or without armrests strongly depends on what type of activity will be the main one for a sitting child.
Most of the classic children's chairs do not provide for the presence of armrests for the reason that they are designed primarily for classic homework.
During this activity, the child usually rests his elbows on the tabletop, respectively, the armrests turn out to be a completely unnecessary addition. The opposite situation arises if the child, sitting on a chair, will mainly read or watch video materials. In this case, the armrests will turn out to be an additional emphasis that keeps the back from tilting, including to the right or left. Armrests are critical for computer work, because without them, the arms, constantly stretched forward, will not find sufficient support in the keyboard, so they will constantly pull the baby forward, deforming his back.
How to choose upholstery?
You shouldn't forget about aesthetics either - the chair should remain beautiful and harmoniously fit into the interior of the room. Durability and cleanability are also of great importance, since children do not really care about the cleanliness and safety of what they sit on. In this context, the models of armchairs with removable covers seem very attractive, because the removable cover is washed just as easily as any other textile accessory.
In addition, the possibility of replacing the cover allows you not to change the chair in a situation where the cover is hopelessly damaged or when the child's tastes or the general design of the room have changed so much over the years that the old look of the chair no longer fits.
If we talk about specific materials, then most often they choose eco-leather and different types of textiles. The first option is good for its presentability, it is also very resistant to most stains and allows cleaning without much effort. Nevertheless, the similarity with leather is only visual here, so the durability of the product is much lower.
The operational capabilities of textile covers are on average even lower, but this solution impresses with its low price - if absolutely necessary, the cover can simply be changed. Experts advise purchasing bright, colorful textile covers, because any damage on their surface, be it spots or broken threads, is not so striking.
A few more tricks
Finally, a few touches that will allow you to become a real expert in the field of choosing chairs for schoolchildren. The subtleties that almost no one pays attention to are for you:
- It is believed that the legs pushed under the chair do not contribute much to the formation of correct posture, so give preference to those models that are do not admit this possibility.
- Over the years, a sturdy but wobbly chair can warp sufficiently so that all its orthopedic effect is leveled out. In the store, you are unlikely to be allowed to jump on a chair to check its resistance to loosening, therefore, pay special attention to the fact that the very base of the chair does not creak when the child sits and turns on it.
- Height-adjustable chairs, which are the majority today, are popular with consumers for the ability to quickly respond to increasing growth child, but not in all models, the adjustment procedure is quite simple. Some orthopedic chairs do not at all assume that their owners will adjust themselves.
Although a relatively strong design is usually recommended for the work area, which encourages concentration, it is better for a child to buy a chair in a relatively bright color, so that learning will feel less like a dull chore.
In the next video, see tips for choosing tables and chairs for students.
