Your child will soon be starting school and you're looking for a suitable children's desk chair? Then keep in mind that children have different requirements for an office chair than adults. They are smaller and lighter, have a stronger urge to move around and, of course, are still growing. A special desk chair for children is exactly the right choice here.
We want to help you find the right chair for your child. From ergonomics to seat upholstery, our guide covers everything you need to know about desk chairs for children.
- Why is an adapted desk chair for children so important?
- At what age does my child need a desk and desk chair in their room?
- What types of desk chairs for children are there?
- Features of children's desk chairs – what you should consider before buying
- How do I adjust a desk chair for children correctly?
- What should you look out for when choosing? Checklist and conclusion: buying advice for children's desk chairs
Why is an adapted desk chair for children so important?
Children are not yet used to sitting still for long periods. Their skeleton and muscles tend to tire more quickly. The neck and shoulders drop forward and a child's back often becomes rounded. This also applies to older schoolchildren, who often have to spend long periods at their desks. In the worst case, this unhealthy posture can lead to shortened muscles and may encourage tension, headaches and pain in the back and shoulder area.
The solution: an ergonomically designed children's office chair. Its design helps prevent rigid sitting postures. Many children, for example, love spinning around in circles on swivel chairs as if they were on a carousel. They are flexible, height-adjustable and can be adjusted precisely to suit a small body.
Children's desk chairs are great. They are often laterally flexible and well cushioned. This allows children to sit actively. Their back and gluteal muscles will appreciate it. A pleasant side effect: your child can satisfy their need to move and doesn't feel “tied” to the chair. And learning and doing homework becomes much more enjoyable too.
At what age does my child need a workspace with a desk chair in their room?
Desk chair for children aged 4 and up
Your child is still in preschool but already likes spending longer periods in their room doing crafts and drawing? Then a children's desk chair with a matching children's desk can make sense even at this age to ensure a back-friendly and comfortable sitting posture.
Children's desk chair from age 6
When your child starts primary school, they need a nice workspace with a suitable desk chair. For enjoying those first maths and writing homework assignments. On top of that, an ergonomic office chair helps children sit healthily and actively. To prevent neck and back pain and easily avoid poor posture
What desk chairs are available for children?
If you would like to buy an ergonomic desk chair for your child, you can choose from various options:
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Classic children's swivel chairs with castors
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Swivel chairs without castors but with floor glides
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Office chairs that do not swivel
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Swivel stools without a backrest
But which model is right for your child? To help you decide, we have listed the different aspects of the chairs for you. After all, every child is different. Younger children grow even faster, so the chairs should be adjustable. Others are calmer or have a strong urge to move – in this case, sturdy chairs with castors are certainly a good idea.
Simply take a look at the different options. This will help you find the right model for your child.
Features of children's desk chairs – what you should consider before buying
The ideal desk chair for children should meet a number of requirements. Ergonomics are especially important here. As are the specific needs of children. These include:
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Weight and height
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A greater need for movement
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An adjustable design that grows with your child
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Special ergonomics
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Stability
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Appearance, colours and shapes
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Ease of care
In addition, many review and comparison pages for youth and children's desk chairs also discuss the differences between the individual models. These variants are available:
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With and without armrests
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With and without backrest
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With castors or with glides
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With and without swivel function
Should a desk chair for children be fitted with castors or glides?
Most desk chairs for children are fitted with castors, so your child can move freely around the room on the chair. This is not a problem as long as the office chair has a sturdy five-star base or foot ring and therefore offers sufficient stability. If your child tends to roll around more on the chair instead of concentrating on schoolwork, children's chairs with glides rather than castors may be better suited. This makes the chair less easy to move. Ideally, you can simply replace the desk chair's castors with glides.
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Children's desk chair with castors |
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+ Encourages active sitting + Children stay mobile while seated + Your child does not need to get up to fetch something, for example (fewer interruptions) + The chair can be moved more easily + Children enjoy rolling around ∼ Children may be more easily distracted by rolling around ∼ The child moves less because they do not have to get up to fetch something ∼ Make sure the castors are suitable for the respective floor type |
Does my child need a swivel chair or not?
If the swivel chair turns into a merry-go-round, children will certainly have fun. But if they need to concentrate, a children's swivel chair with a locking mechanism makes sense. The seat is simply fixed in place so nothing gets in the way of quiet work.
Teenage pupils often switch back and forth between laptops, books and notes at their desk. In this case, we recommend a swivel office chair. One advantage: the backrest rotates with them. This effectively supports the back as it moves.
Classic children's swivel chair
As an alternative to children's swivel chairs, there are cantilever desk chairs. You may already know cantilever chairs from dining rooms. Thanks to their spring effect, these chairs relieve pressure on the lumbar spine and shoulder area, creating a more relaxed sitting position. If they are not height-adjustable, you should definitely use a good, suitable footrest so your child can rest their feet comfortably.
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Swivel chair for children |
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+ Encourages active sitting + Children have freedom of movement + The backrest moves with them and supports the back in every position + Children enjoy swivelling ∼ Children may be distracted by swivelling ∼ If the office chair is not stable enough, the risk of accidents increases. Especially if the chair is also fitted with castors. |
Does a children's desk chair need armrests?
Young boys and girls do not need armrests when sitting. They restrict freedom of movement too much. For example, when they want to quickly grab something from their school bag. In that case, the armrest often gets in the way. Armrests can also tempt children to sit on them or climb around on the chair. Keep an eye on this to help prevent accidents.
For older children and teenagers who spend longer periods sitting at a laptop or desk, armrests are useful. They support and relieve the arms as well as the shoulder and neck area. This helps prevent tension. An armrest can also be useful when standing up, as supporting yourself on it pleasantly relieves pressure on the spinal discs. In general, your child should always decide for themselves whether they prefer armrests. If they do, make sure they are height-adjustable. Our tip: There are also models with foldable armrests. These can simply be folded back when needed – for extra freedom of movement.
Should a desk chair for children have a backrest?
A backrest is not absolutely necessary. Active sitting is especially important for children, who naturally have a greater urge to move around. Movement while sitting improves blood flow to the brain and oxygen supply. And constant changes in position strengthen the back muscles, which improves posture in the long term.
For this purpose, there are ergonomic children’s stools with a dynamic seat that do without both armrests and a backrest altogether. The advantage: the child automatically adopts an upright posture while still being able to move freely. You can also simply tuck the stool away under the desk when it is not needed.
If the children's desk chair should have a backrest, make sure that the height and angle can be adjusted well to fit the child’s back. It is also beneficial if the children’s chair is equipped with an adjustable lumbar support . This provides healthy and effective additional support for the lower back area (lordosis).
Desk chairs for children that grow with them
To make sure your child benefits from their helper for as long as possible, the children’s chair should grow with them. This works best when several components are adjustable:
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Seat height
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Seat depth
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Seat surface
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Backrest angle
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Armrests
Especially if the office chair is meant to last for several years, there are various quality features to look out for. Overall, it must stand securely. Turning, fidgeting or rocking should do no more than make it sway; otherwise there is a risk that the chair could tip over. The padding should not be too hard and the springing not too strong. The child should be able to change their sitting position independently. To be on the safe side, look for test marks or safety certificates when buying. For example, the GS mark.
Safety is important for children's desk chairs
Children's chairs are subject to particularly strict safety requirements. The material and construction of the chair must meet the needs of growing children.
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Stability: The chairs must be sturdy and able to withstand rough handling or uneven loads.
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Safety castors: If the children's swivel chairs have castors, integrated safety castors are essential to ensure the chairs stand safely and securely.
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Flooring: The chair castors must be suitable for the relevant floor covering. Different castors are suitable for carpet than for hard floors. However, there are also universal castors that are suitable for any surface.
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Stability: The diameter of the base or five-star base must be large enough. This helps prevent the chair from tipping over easily.
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Weight: The weight of the children's office chair should be considerably higher than the child's weight. This ensures a secure stance.
The right seat cover – soft, washable, hard-wearing
Especially when schoolchildren are still quite young, the odd stain can easily end up on the chair. Make sure the seat and upholstery are easy to clean and ideally removable. The upholstery fabric should feel pleasantly soft and not scratchy. Ideally, you should be able to wash it in the washing machine. Had a little mishap? No problem.
Simply change or wash the cover! And if your child's taste changes, you can also swap the colour of the fabric cover. If you would like to find out more about cleaning, you can find everything you need to know in our guide to seat covers.
Make sure to choose the right padding too. This also helps boys and girls sit properly and healthily. Above all, it should be comfortable and not too firm. A contoured seat is also recommended, as it automatically encourages children to adopt a better and more comfortable sitting position.
Bright and colourful – children's desk chairs
You can find children's office furniture in a range of material options. For example, children's stools and chairs made of wood, metal, plastic or a mix of materials. Of course, what matters far more to kids is the look. Blue, pink, green, black – children's chairs in white, with unicorn or football designs – luckily, there is a huge variety of colours and patterns available. Ideally, choose the fabric and cover colour together with your child. And if you also pay attention to the ergonomics and quality of the children's chair, both parents and child will be equally happy!
How do I adjust a desk chair for children correctly?
Your child can only benefit fully once the office chair is perfectly adjusted. Here's how to set the chair up correctly:
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The seat height should be adjusted so that the child can place both feet flat on the floor.
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The back should rest against the backrest. The thighs and lower legs should form a 90-degree angle.
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The front edge must not press into the legs, and the thighs should rest across a large area of the seat.
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There should be around three to four finger widths between the lower legs and the front edge so that blood can circulate better through the legs.
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The backrest should reach at least up to the shoulder blades. This provides sufficient support and relief for the back.
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The reclining function of the backrest should support the child's back well and give gently when needed.
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The lumbar support must be positioned in the lower back area. It should support the lumbar vertebrae in such a way that an upright posture is maintained.
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If the children's chair has armrests, they should be adjusted so that the upper arms and forearms form a 90-degree angle. The armrests should be level with the edge of the desk.
A freely movable children's stool is an exception. The stool moves along with the child's movements. This means the stool adapts to the child, not the other way round.
What alternatives are there to a children's desk chair?
Besides swivel chairs, there are other seating options for your kids too. For example, a small stool or a gym ball. However, for longer periods of sitting, the seat should always be ergonomic to protect the back. One suitable option is the Swoppster, an ergonomic, upholstered children's stool with a rocking function. It also encourages active sitting and strengthens the back muscles.
What should you look out for when choosing? Checklist and conclusion: buying guide for children's desk chairs
In summary, you should pay particular attention to the following points when choosing a new desk chair for your child:
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The office chair for your child should definitely grow with them. A chair that is only height-adjustable but whose backrest cannot be adjusted accordingly is not suitable.
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The chair must be suitable for your child's size and weight from the outset and be ergonomically adjusted.
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The seat height, seat depth and the tilt of the backrest and seat are adjustable.
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Your child should be able to adjust the chair themselves. It must be safe and easy to use.
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The model has a test certificate such as the GS mark.
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The desk chair should never restrict the child's freedom of movement.
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Active sitting should be possible, and your child should be able to change sitting position regularly.
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A backrest may also be a hindrance and is better suited to older schoolchildren and teenagers. If there is a backrest, it should be ergonomically adjustable.
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If there is no backrest, it should be an ergonomically shaped children's stool with a gentle rocking motion.
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The chair should be sufficiently padded. Ideally, the chair is equipped with a contoured seat so your child can sit on it comfortably for longer periods.
One final point to bear in mind: always match the children's desk chair and children's desk to one another. For example, if you already have a desk, make sure the chair is compatible in terms of size and ergonomics. If you are still looking, why not browse our shop? We have a great selection of children's office furniture for you.
Want to know more?
In our guide, you will find more interesting content on the broad topic of sitting. Of course, we are also happy to offer help and advice by phone, email or online chat. We are here for you and look forward to hearing from you!