How to Make a Chair More Comfortable: A DIY Guide

Chairs are made to give us comfort be it in our homes, the office, and other nooks where we find ourselves spending a lot of time in. An uncomfortable chair is not an automatic disaster however, because there are ways to make it comfortable. Ergonomic chairs should not be that expensive and today, we will present to you a step by step guide on how to make your chair more comfortable.

What you will need?

All of the things that you will see here are attach and go. It means that all you need to do is to attach them in the specific spots in the chair to make it more comfortable. All of them are also have generic sizes so you can attach them to any kind of chair. But for the sake of distinction, most of them are attached to office chairs and regular chairs.

Height paddle:

The height paddle and the recline knob almost always look the same. As the name implies, they look like small paddles and it functions to adjust the seat height from the ground. Try to imagine the fuel paddle in your car and magnify that for like four times and that’s how it looks like.

Backrest and recline knob:

The backrest and the recline job is placed adjacent to the height paddle or in its direct opposite. They can come in paddles or knobs. It depends on you if you would opt for the knob type or paddle-type but the paddle type is easier to use but the knob type is also good for delineation (especially that most people get confused with the height paddle and the recline paddle sometimes and they have to adjust both again).

Tilt knob:

To allow softer movements while you are seated in your chair, you might want to add a tilt knob. This one goes in the spot between the height paddle and the recline knob. It functions to adjust the angle of the chair while still supporting your back as it moves.

Adjustable armchair:

Armchairs could be a bit suffocating and there are adjustable arms for chairs for you to address that. You can raise or lower them every time you have to stand up and return to sit down again.

Chair cushion:

This is one of the default back support device for comfortable chairs. Now, there are various types of chair cushions. There are the regular ones used also for car seats, there are the more high-end ones called therapy cushions (which works like a hot or cold compress for the lumbar area).

Attachable footrest:

Did you know that you can attach your footrest in your chair? They come in steel type and hard plastic-type. It is recommended that you go for the hard plastic-type since steel adds weight to the chair.

Chair casters:

Chair caster is another way to say chair wheels. This is for increased mobility and of course, a bit of chair race on the side for fun. These are completely attachable and you can do all four chair wheels in less than two minutes.

Step by Step Instructions

1

Install the height, recline knob, and the tilt knob

If you are working on an office chair, installment means just pure attaching since there are already holes for it. But if you are working on a regular chair, you will have to buy a separate chair gas cylinder containing the height paddle, recline knob and tilt knob spots. First, you need to screw the plate under the seat. And then, install the titling mechanism and the backrest lever by putting the springs, bolts, and metal rings on the plate. Tighten the knob to ensure that the backrest is keyed in. For visuals, you can check this one from PRISM.

2

Make the chair’s arms adjustable

There is a lot of flip-up armchairs available in the market right now. For this, you will have to drill a space through the backrest where the flip-up arms will be installed. Attach them firmly to the whole chair by setting at least a 3-inch screw in each hole. Adjustable arms should look like these from Ergoprice.

3

Install the back support device

To install the lumbar support cushion, you have to identify where the spine area rests in the chair. You need to arch fully and the arch back at 10% and in the space between that, that is your spine area. If you are not sure, you can check this one from Sam Visnic. You would want a cushion that will cover your entire back so you will need to measure your seat, be specific with the shape and make a back cushion that is 4-5 inches thick.

4

Put the footrest

The footrest need not be installed since office chairs already have one and regular ones that you want to improve could have a separate one. There are cushion types and there are rubber types. There are also flat type and inclining type. So for this part, the step is to just choose the one that will make you comfortable.

5

Add wheels

Adding chair casters start with choosing the right one for the type of floor that you have. But if you cannot choose one, you can always choose the friction caster for all types of chairs. And then, just attach them to the chair’s legs like this one from Cool Casters. If you are putting wheels on wooden chairs, you must choose the right sockets and then attach them by drilling screw holes in the chair. After that, attach the caster stem and then the wheels.

Conclusion

See? There are easy ways to put chairs on another level. Customizing them for your comfort is something that you should try very often. You can be more creative in your next chair project. We hope that you got something valuable out of this DIY guide. Only two quick tips before we end though: know what you want to achieve in your next chair projects and search for more ergonomic designs to base your modifications. Until then, enjoy sitting comfortably in your new and improved chairs.

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