Do you dream of working comfortably while sitting, without tension in your back? With lumbar support in your office chair, you can make your everyday working life more comfortable. The practical support in the desk chair provides relief if your back is straining and, if used early, prevents it from getting that far. Your lumbar spine actively supports you when sitting at your desk and helps you prevent back pain.
In our guide we answer all your questions about lumbar support. We will explain to you in detail
- what a lumbar support is
- who it is suitable for
- What you should pay attention to when purchasing
- why this makes so much sense
- how to adjust them correctly to your body
What is lumbar support?
In short, lumbar support in a desk chair supports the lower back area when sitting and thus ensures a healthy posture for your spine. In order to answer the question more precisely, let's first clarify what lordosis is.
Let's take a look at the human spine: This is divided into five sections: cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, sacrum and coccyx. If you look at the spine from the side, it should have a slight, double S-shaped curvature. This S-shape gives it its flexibility and cushioning properties.
To be more precise, the cervical spine is bent forward, the thoracic spine is bent backwards, the lumbar spine is bent forward and the sacrum and coccyx are bent backwards. The two forward curves of the cervical and lumbar spine are called lordosis. The curvatures towards the back, on the other hand, are referred to as kyphosis.
There are broad back muscles to the right and left of the lumbar spine. Together with the abdominal muscles, they support the lumbar spine area and ensure that it maintains its natural forward curvature.
And this is exactly where lumbar support comes into play. It is a shaped and flexible insert in the backrest - usually in ergonomic desk chairs or car seats. In this way, it helps to maintain a healthy sitting position in the lumbar area. The comfortable support is either integrated directly into the chair or can be additionally retrofitted.
Why is an office chair with lumbar support useful?
If you sit at a desk or in the car for a long time, sooner or later the muscles that support and maintain the lumbar area will tire. If this natural support decreases, the healthy posture of your back also changes. The slight, healthy curvature of the lumbar spine becomes straight or even curves backwards. A so-called hunched back occurs and, as is well known, this can lead to back pain.
Conversely, the curvature can also be too pronounced, which is known as hyperlordosis and popularly known as a hollow back. The causes for this can also be sitting or standing for too long and monotonously. But artists who have to stay in one posture for a long time also suffer from this. Likewise, an imbalance between back and abdominal muscles can lead to hyperlordosis.
To counteract this, there is useful lumbar support. It ergonomically supports the lumbar region and automatically helps you maintain an upright posture. The muscles are relieved and tension and back pain are prevented.
Lumbar support in the car
When looking for lumbar support, you have probably come across one for your car. As you probably guessed, this has the same benefit as in the office: healthy support for the spine. Lumbar supports for cars are often retrofitted. There are padding and support elements that are attached to the backrest - so-called lumbar cushions, lumbar cushions or lumbar cushions.
The premium option is to install an additional back support into the car seat itself. If desired, this can even be electrically adjusted. The retrofitted lumbar support can then be adjusted appropriately using a separate lever.
When is lumbar support suitable?
Sitting for long periods of time
Lumbar support is generally suitable for anyone who sits a lot and for long periods of time. This can be in the office, but also in the vehicle when driving for hours - and therefore sitting - is the order of the day for work reasons.
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In the office: People who work in the office can tell you a thing or two about it. Sitting for hours every day. Especially then we tend to put the wrong strain on our backs, bend forward and curve our spine.
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In the car: Lumbar support is also worthwhile for bus, truck or taxi drivers, as it actively supports them when sitting for hours.
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No height-adjustable desk: Ideally, you will work in an office that has... height-adjustable desks is equipped. If this is not the case or if you do not have a work table with height adjustment in your home office, an ergonomic office chair with lumbar support is a good alternative. This will improve your back health many times over.
Don't just get a desk chair with ergonomic lumbar support until it's too late. Because it is primarily there to prevent back problems from occurring in the first place. In addition, a healthy sitting posture not only helps your back, it also helps prevent you from getting tired too quickly and promotes your concentration when working.
Whether at work or while driving - lumbar support ensures a healthy posture over a long period of time and thus reduces consequential damage that could arise from incorrect posture.
After spinal surgery
For people who have had surgery on their spine, for example due to a herniated disc, it is important to protect their backs. If the back is weakened after the operation, an orthopedic lumbar support can be used to accompany the healing process, as it takes the pressure off the lumbar spine. In this case, you should definitely seek medical advice before purchasing.
How to properly adjust lumbar support
The aim is to provide pleasant relief and support for the back. With the right attitude, you can easily cope with a long working day:
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Sit comfortably and relaxed on your desk chair
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Slide your buttocks all the way back against the back of the chair
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Adjust your office chair to the appropriate height and position
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The backrest itself should be tiltable and move with your upper body when you lean back - for stability and dynamic sitting
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The lumbar support should be at the level of the iliac crest, approximately at the belt line
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When making the adjustment, always pay attention to your individual feelings
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Some prefer the lumbar support a little higher, in the curved area of the lumbar spine, while others prefer it lower in the area of the iliac crest
Also make sure that the desk is at the correct height in relation to the office chair. If your table is not height adjustable, you may not be able to reach the floor completely. To sit healthily, you should be able to place your legs at a 90 degree angle.
If this is not possible, you can go to a suitable one Footrest grip that compensates for the difference in height. Simply placed under the desk, you can rest your feet comfortably on the footrest and thus ensure a healthy posture. We explain everything about footrests and what you should consider when buying them in our Guide to footrests.
This is what you should pay attention to when buying lumbar support
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Purpose
Find the right lumbar support for your personal purposes. Mobile support stands are practical because they are transportable and versatile. However, they sometimes do not have the quality of integrated lumbar support. Lumbar supports specifically for cars are less suitable for use with an office chair.
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material
The material should not lose its effectiveness or deform even after prolonged use. For example, foam support cushions are more likely to collapse and lose their support over time.
Integrated lumbar support in the office chair
There are differences in quality here too. It should meet a few criteria in order to meet the ergonomic requirements of the back. This is what makes a good, ergonomic lumbar support:
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High-quality lumbar supports are adjustable and can therefore be individually adjusted to your body shape.
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Ideally, you can adjust the height of the support and the strength of the curvature.
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You should also be able to adjust the pressure of the backrest.
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It is important that you feel a comfortable, secure hold. But you shouldn't feel restricted in your freedom of movement
Lumbar support in the car
A car seat that already has integrated lumbar support is also ideal and offers the best support for your back. However, retrofitting can incur high costs. In this case, a mobile support that can be attached later is a good alternative.
As an additional element: the mobile lumbar support
Instead of choosing an office chair with integrated lumbar support, you can also get an additional lumbar cushion for your current chair. There are models for the entire back, the lower or middle lumbar region. Small lumbar pillows relieve pressure in the lumbar spine area. This may be unusual at first because there is no additional support in the upper back or neck. If you prefer a low backrest, a small support cushion may make sense for you.
However, we generally recommend using larger lumbar supports as they support the entire back. Especially if you sit for several hours at a time. There are these variants of mobile lumbar supports:
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Lumbar pillow made of latex or memory foam (viscose) |
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Cold foam lumbar cushion |
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Mesh lumbar support |
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Inflatable lumbar pillow |
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In addition to the filling, also pay attention to the cover of the support cushion. At best, you can remove it and machine wash it. Alternatively, it should at least be easily washable from the outside. Ideally, the cover material is breathable to prevent sweating. For example, cotton, nylon or polyester are well suited.
Finally, it’s also important to attach your lumbar support. Systems with straps or clips, rubber bands or versions with Velcro fasteners are common. In any case, the attachment should be flexibly adjustable so that you can attach your lumbar support depending on the circumference of the car seat or chair.
Office chairs with lumbar support specifically for women
Did you know that there are special office chairs for women? Most desk chairs on the market are primarily designed to fit the male body. However, women have different seating needs due to their different anatomy. For example, the back muscles are usually weaker and the connective tissue is also looser. This makes it all the more important to have a perfectly tailored office chair and adjustable lumbar support.
For example, this is great for women Ergohuman Slim. Thanks to many different adjustment options, it offers the highest level of ergonomics, specially adapted to the female body. You can adjust the headrest, backrest, seat depth, armrests and of course the lumbar support exactly to your body. It is also equipped with a point synchronous mechanism. This follows the exact movements of the body and is adjustable depending on weight.
Lumbar support: Popular with gamers
Lumbar support definitely makes sense for gamers too. It's not just in the office that you spend a lot of time sitting, passionate gamers also like to spend several hours in front of the video game screen. A healthy sitting posture is just as important when gaming as it is when working. There is now also one Range of ergonomic gaming chairs with integrated lumbar supports.
Do you want to know more?
In our guide you will find further interesting content on the broad topic of the workplace. Of course, we are also happy to provide you with advice and assistance: via telephone, email or online chat. We are here for you and look forward to hearing from you!