An office chair consists of three essential components: a five- or six-star base, a gas lift and a seat unit. As a rule, the parts are not screwed together, as you might assume, but are simply slotted into one another. This makes the assembly of an office chair extremely straightforward and it can be done in just a few steps, even by those with little practical skill.
As with everything in life, the same applies here: if you proceed carefully, you save effort. In our video, we show two ways to assemble a new, serviced or repaired office chair. For a better understanding, below you will find a list and description of the various components.
The seat unit determines which category a particular desk chair belongs to. In principle, an office chair is a swivel seat on castors with a backrest. To enable ergonomic working, its height can be adjusted using a lever. On many office chairs, the backrest can also be adjusted to allow individually tailored seating. Depending on the design, the following subcategories can be distinguished: simple office chairs, home office chairs, professional office chairs, gaming chairs and executive chairs.
What they all have in common is that height adjustment is provided by a gas lift, which also forms the central part of the office furniture. Its upper end fits into the seat unit, while its lower end slots into the star base, which is mounted on castors.
Normally, an office chair is delivered disassembled into its three main components. In most cases, the castors are already fitted into the base – if not, they need to be pushed into the designated sockets with light pressure.
ASSEMBLING A STAR BASE (OPTION 1)
- You need:
…a blanket or a large towel and nothing else but your hands. - Procedure:
To protect your parquet or laminate flooring as well as the materials of your office chair, place a sufficiently large towel or blanket on the floor. Carefully place the seat section of your office chair on it with the front edge of the seat facing forward so that you can access the underside of the seat.
Also place the star base with castors pre-assembled on the floor and keep the gas lift close at hand. First, insert the gas lift upright into the opening in the centre of the base axis, with the thick end (cylinder) facing downwards. As this end of the gas spring is tapered, it will sit securely even without applying much pressure, force or pushing. Now lift the assembled lower part of your office chair, tilt it and insert it into the fitting on the underside of the seat, which is located close to the lever mechanism.
Once the top end of the gas lift is fully inserted, apply light pressure. Stand your office chair upright and place it on the floor – done.
ASSEMBLING A STAR BASE (OPTION 2)
- You need:
…a blanket, a little more strength and otherwise nothing but your hands. - Procedure:
To protect both the office chair and your flooring, lay out a blanket or a larger bath towel. Now take the seat section of your office chair and carefully place it “on its back”, i.e. on the long rear side of the backrest, onto the fabric. Insert the gas lift into the axis of the star base and make sure that the piston of the pneumatic spring is firmly seated.
Make sure that the castors of the swivel base are secured. If your chair is fitted with so-called auto-stop castors, which lock your office chair as soon as you are not sitting on it, you do not need to do anything else. Otherwise, it is advisable to place the star base on a soft piece of fabric as well or block it in another way so that it does not roll away from you.
Now do not lift the swivel base, but the seat section with both hands, making sure to lift with your legs to protect your back. Simple office chairs are usually made in lightweight construction and are therefore not particularly heavy. Executive chairs, whose seat section may be made of chrome and leather, can weigh a few kilos more. Carefully place the seat section onto the gas lift and make sure that the valve engages in the intended fitting. Turn the seat section carefully and make sure that the mechanism runs smoothly.
As with all repairs, assembly and disassembly work, the same applies here: safety comes first. Never use brute force, never use heavy tools or sharp aids that could damage your office chair . Never attempt to dismantle the gas lift under any circumstances – this component is under enormous pressure and can cause serious injury if opened.