Have you ever wondered about trends in ergonomic furniture? How do they differ from the traditional desk and chair? In this article, we’ll talk about ergonomic furniture and what you need to know when buying supportive desk chairs. We’ll also provide tips so that  you can score the best ergonomic study furniture for preschoolers to teenagers.

What is ergonomics and where did it come from?

“Ergonomics,” also known as “human engineering,” is a scientific discipline involving people’s interactions with objects, according to the International Ergonomics Association. It’s all about the study and implementation of different methods to design products that support and boost human well-being. 

Its main purpose is to allow people to work more efficiently, comfortably, and pain-free. For example, someone involved in ergonomics studies develops quicker ways to adjust the table’s height, so children can easily stand or sit while studying. 

You might think that ergonomics is a novel idea, but people were already interested with the concept of it as early as 1857 thanks to Wojciech Jastrzebowski, the Polish scholar who introduced “ergonomics” during the Industrial Revolution.

Jastrzebowski’s studies highlighted four things related to ergonomics: physical, aesthetic, rational, and spiritual. As a result, today’s engineers and product developers focus on the physical and aesthetic aspects.If you want to discover more about the history of furniture, check out SingBee’s blog on said fun facts dating back to 1500 B.C. (Link to Everis’ - SingBee Blog 6)

What is ergonomic furniture and how is it important in your child’s learning?

Ergonomics does not only revolve around furniture used for “work”. It’s any furniture you can think of—table, chair, desk, bed, and sofa. So then what’s the difference between standard fittings and ergonomic fixtures?

Well, ergonomic furniture helps prevent repetitive stress injuries, supports healthy movements, and maximizes performance. This is why they’re considered as the safer, more progressive alternative to traditional fixtures that were made without considering the principles of human engineering.

So what makes the standard study table and chair ergonomic?

An ergonomic desk has the proper height for sitting or standing while studying. In other words, it should be adjustable. This feature promotes correct posture, reducing the likelihood of back pain and even provides your kid the option to sit or stand while working on an assignment.

Moreover, it offers ample space for knees, thighs, and feet. This way, your child won’t have to settle in an uncomfortable sitting position, especially with the way it prevents them from bumping their knees on the table’s edge. Hence, these ergonomic desks for youth are capable of providing a comfortable studying experience.

For ergonomic chairs, they should ideally be height-adjustable, allowing students to find the right height so it’s compatible with the table’s length and make sure that your kid’s feet rest flat on the floor. With an adjustable chair, your child won’t need a footrest. 

With the way that an ergonomic chair supports their spine’s normal curvature, it could help in the prevention of slouching and poor posture. Top it all off with it’s feature to either break your child’s habit of sitting lazily or forcing their backs to overly straighten.

To put things simply, ergonomic furniture is not only for office workers or adults. As these fixtures stand to have features that contribute and  improve kids’ focus and attention, supportive desks and chairs for teenagers and kindergartners can help in the prevention of back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and even eye strain. In addition to this, it will turn out to be more affordable than the usual study furniture in the long run since it grows with your child.